This Jersey Girl pumped her own gas today!!

[ratherbeatdisney]

i guess i will never get it. put in credit card, unscrew gas cap. grab nozzle, put nozzle in car, pull handle. wait for gas to fill tank. then take out nozzle, put back on the pump, screw gas cap back in. Its pretty simple. people from NJ or OR what did you think was going on out there? what seemed so complex about it that you thought you might not be able to do it if you had to one day? I mean thats great if you dont have to pump gas i guess, but its nothing you should be afraid of doing or worry about, its about as complicated as buttering a piece of toast.

 

[LisaR]

Do you tip when someone pumps gas for you? That could really increase the cost of gas.

 

[LoraJ]

No tip!

 

[luvmyfam444]

Wow I never knew that either - we had one station where I used to live up until about 7yrs ago - it was both self & full service so you could choose.

I can't believe you don't have to tip them - weird - I'd think it'd be a tipping job -

Do they still clean your windsheilds?

How many people do they have working @ time? When I remember they had like 2 guys working & it took forever.

Nowadays most of our stations have about 12 pumps how the heck can they keep up?

 

[surfergirl602]

Another pumping gas thread?

 

[LoraJ]

Wow I never knew that either - we had one station where I used to live up until about 7yrs ago - it was both self & full service so you could choose.

I can't believe you don't have to tip them - weird - I'd think it'd be a tipping job -

Do they still clean your windsheilds?

How many people do they have working @ time? When I remember they had like 2 guys working & it took forever.

Nowadays most of our stations have about 12 pumps how the heck can they keep up?

It's been years since I have had an attendant clean my windshield or check the oil. Do you tip cashiers at a grocery store?

 

[lacrosse_lady72]

That's not a totally fair comparison, as OR doesn't have sales tax added onto gas (or anything).

And I've NEVER gotten cheaper gas in OR than I get in WA. In fact we make sure to stop in WA before we get to OR (and CA when coming back up) because we've never seen it cheaper in OR.

See, it's the opposite for me. Anytime we go up to Seattle, we try to grab gas before we leave Oregon. We, as in not me, end up having to get gas anyway because well... we run out... and it's always more! But when we do, it's usually along I-5. But everytime the news mentions averages for the western states, Washington is usually about .10 higher. Right now it's $2.70 for Oregon, $2.79 for Washington.

 

[lacrosse_lady72]

I've been driving 30+ years and have never driven out of state without a male companion in the car to do the pumping.

There are some things that I think only men should do, and pumping gas is on that list. I'm old-fashioned like that.

Same here... although it's not something I think they're supposed to do, they just want to and I don't. And I'm definitely not going to argue with that.

 

[ratherbeatdisney]

No laughing here. I had never pumped my own gas before I moved to NC when I was 24. Even then I made dh pump my gas for the first 6 months....gas pumping is intimidating stuff I kind of miss it. In MA there was always a mix of self-serve and full-serve....you could choose. I have NEVER seen a full serve in NC...I would probably pay a bit more to sit in the car some days.


Oh and please, please, please don't let this offend anyone but when I was a teen and driving through NJ once I asked why it was illegal to pump your own gas.....my friend told me it was because all of the hairspray was a fire hazard!! I believed that for years....sorry!!

just a question, what is intimidation about pumping gas? theres no one there watching you to give you a score? what freaks you out about it? just curious...

 

[FireDancer]

Funny, I was just thinking today how proud I was that I didn't hurt myself while brushing my teeth. I felt silly to be proud of something so simple but this thread has made me feel better about it.

 

[heatherleigh]

I didn't even know there were states like this! Interesting.

I pumped gas for the first time when I was in college.

Back then, in my hometown, there was only a full-service station. I vaguely remember tipping, but I'll have to ask to be sure.

 

[GJM]

i guess i will never get it. put in credit card, unscrew gas cap. grab nozzle, put nozzle in car, pull handle. wait for gas to fill tank. then take out nozzle, put back on the pump, screw gas cap back in. Its pretty simple.

I guess I will never get why you want to pump gas if you didn't have to. Roll down window hand CC or cash to attendant, wait for gas to fill as you are in car, when done go!

The lst. time I had to pump my own gas I was 43 when we moved from NJ to SC and I still hate pumping my own gas. I would much rather sit in my car when it is raining or cold outside and have someone do it for me.

Any time I had to get gas in NJ I never had to wait for someone to pump my gas unless there was another car in front of me. I wait longer here sometimes waiting for the person to take their time in front of me to finish up.

 

[kacaju]

we never tip for the attendent to pump our gas.
I paid $2.69 at the Shell station in CT and had to do it myself.
and when I got home to NJ the Shell station right by my house was $2.45 and they would have done it for me.

 

[LoraJ]

Funny, I was just thinking today how proud I was that I didn't hurt myself while brushing my teeth. I felt silly to be proud of something so simple but this thread has made me feel better about it.

When traveling, my anxiety never was about how to pump the gas, but when and where to pay since so many stations were different. Now that just about every station everywhere accepts CC's at the pump, it is no longer the case. I didn't grow up in NJ, so the actual pumping part was not an issue. But for someone who has never done it, knowing it is illegal to do on their own in their state, possibly not knowing the reason why (is it dangerous????? what if I spill it? What buttons do I push?), I can see why they could have anxiety.

 

[mjkacmom]

Wow I never knew that either - we had one station where I used to live up until about 7yrs ago - it was both self & full service so you could choose.

I can't believe you don't have to tip them - weird - I'd think it'd be a tipping job -

Do they still clean your windsheilds?

How many people do they have working @ time? When I remember they had like 2 guys working & it took forever.

Nowadays most of our stations have about 12 pumps how the heck can they keep up?

Do you tip the person who bags your groceries? Around here, some supermarkets have baggers, and some don't. I go to shoprite, and there is always a bagger, and I'd don't tip. I've never had to wait more than 20 seconds for a gas station attendent - the more pumps, the more attendents. Now that I think about it, 20 seconds would be a LONG wait. They no longer clean the windshield.

 

[happygirl]

I have a question, I know I will go over like 10.01 or so. If the guy that pumps your gas up goes over do you have to pay it? Or is that there loss?

 

[bballmom56]

I guess I will never get why you want to pump gas if you didn't have to. Roll down window hand CC or cash to attendant, wait for gas to fill as you are in car, when done go!

Yep !

I'm sure we can pump our own gas, but if we don't have to, that's fine by me. Plus it provides jobs for many people here.

 

[MrsSpratt]

I remember when there were full service stations in Houston - there still are a few - and you pay a premium for having someone else pump it - Sooo....if my Mother was dressed up, someone else pumped - if it was a regular fill up, my brother and I fought over who got to pump it!

As an adult, I almost always pump it myself - unless my husband is with me, and then he does it!

I think I would LOVE IT if ALL service stations had attendants - esp with no premium for the service!

 

[Pancakes]

It's been years since I have had an attendant clean my windshield or check the oil. Do you tip cashiers at a grocery store?

Haha, I'm a cashier at a grocery store...I WISH we got tipped

 

[MinnieTink]

Funny, I was just thinking today how proud I was that I didn't hurt myself while brushing my teeth. I felt silly to be proud of something so simple but this thread has made me feel better about it.

See there's a first time for everything. For OP it was pumping gas, for you it was brushing your teeth. Congratulations.