This Jersey Girl pumped her own gas today!!

[mjkacmom]

This TEXAS girl had no idea grownups didn't know how to pump gas. Is this a regional thing or only in NJ?

Do they have the card swiper also at the pump or do the attendants have to go into the station to run your card through?

In most newer stations, they just swipe it right in front of you. There are some with a little glassed in area right in the pumps where they swipe it. You can see it.

 

[MinnieTink]

Go ahead and laugh... I was in CT yesterday and today and wanted to fill up before heading home to NJ.

I didn't even stop to think that I would have to pump it myself. i pulled into the station and saw the sign that said pay for cash before pumping and all of a sudden i realized I was not in Jersey!!
I just did it, I read the instructions and did it myself!!

For all you Jersey girls.... it was not a big deal, i didn't spill any gas, didn't smell like gas, nothing...it was easy

BUT...that being said I still don't want it here in NJ!! I really didn't see it being so much faster then having the guy do it for me!!

I am SO not laughing! Good for you! I'm 37 and have yet to pump my own!

 

[Bluestars]

So all of you girls who have never pumped gas have never driven outside of New Jersey? That is almost as strange as never pumping gas.

 

[bballmom56]

I am SO not laughing! Good for you! I'm 37 and have yet to pump my own!

I'm older than that and have never pumped my own!

So all of you girls who have never pumped gas have never driven outside of New Jersey? That is almost as strange as never pumping gas.

I've driven outside of NJ a lot - NY, PA. But I always make sure that I have a full tank before leaving and fill up again when I get back in NJ. It's cheaper and I don't have to get out of the car. If we are gone longer than a day trip, my DH is with me and pumps the gas.

 

[NMAmy]

I think it's just like anything else. If you do something for people that they can do for themselves, they will never want to do it for themselves and will always feel entitled to it. .

When I was growing up, gas stations everywhere had attendants who would pump your gas, wash your windshield, and check your oil. When most places changed to self-service, people adapted pretty quickly and didn't feel entitled to it. I'd never heard that some states had no self service stations until I read it on here.

We have one full service gas station which isn't far from my house. I do stop there sometimes in the wintertime--when it's below 0, I prefer to let someone else do it even if it costs more and takes longer.

What I find odd though is that so many people seem proud of never having pumped gas.

 

[Bluestars]

I remember going to gas stations when I was younger and most of them had the choice of self service or full service. I thought that was a good idea. Then if people wanted the extra service, they could pay for it.

It doesn't seem right to force businesses to provide only full service. But I guess if all of the people in New Jersey and Oregon don't have a problem with it, it must work for them.

 

[kacaju]

So all of you girls who have never pumped gas have never driven outside of New Jersey? That is almost as strange as never pumping gas.

I drive out of NJ a lot. Mostly it is PA or NY to go to dog shows. I always fill up before we leave and I can normally get back into NJ before having to fill up. This time we were in CT for shows and I had a half tank left. I didn't see many gas stations on our way up so I didn't want to chance getting stuck.

If we travel farther then 4 hours from home my dh is with us so he fills it up.

 

[bumbershoot]

Out of Nevada, California, Washington and Oregon... Oregon is typically the cheapest and we don't pump our own gas.

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.



I remember sitting in the car while the guys at the local gas station filled up the car while growing up. But as soon as I moved away and we "could" go to a different gas station (my mom was good friends with the station owner, he even asked her to marry him once when she was single, so we really did need to go to his station), I used self-service and never looked back! I cannot stand getting gas in OR and NJ (and I've done both!). I just hate sitting there. I will take the wind chill while wearing sweaty workout clothes and being at a gas station in what seems to be the windiest spot in Tacoma over having someone at a station pump my gas any day!

(that said, I let DH pump the gas if he's in the car, LOL)


Anyway, I think the OR and NJ thing is done to create jobs.

 

[ncmickeyluvr]

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!!

 

[LoraJ]

Good job OP!

I love not having to pump my own gas, except when I am at a busy gas station with 1 attendant.

 

[JerseyJanice]

So all of you girls who have never pumped gas have never driven outside of New Jersey? That is almost as strange as never pumping gas.

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.

 

[bballmom56]

What I find odd though is that so many people seem proud of never having pumped gas.

I don't know. I re-read and I didn't see where we seemed "proud" of never having pumped gas. We were stating a fact that, by law, we can't pump our own gas. Therefore, we are not familiar with how to do it. So I can certainly understand how OP felt!

 

[lillygator]

.....you are proud you pumped your own gas? geeeeeeez.

 

[Pluto 2]

one of the things that new jersey does right you dont pump your gas and its cheaper because of less taxes on the gas. but they get us big time for taxes on everything else.

 

[NikitaZee]

What I find odd though is that so many people seem proud of never having pumped gas.

This is what bugs me about it too. I have relatives in Jersey, and have lived most of my life in New York, and the example I gave of the bumper stickers "Jersey Girls Don't Pump Gas" is what comes to mind. There are t-shirts that say it too. For whatever reason, you won't find t-shirts that say "Jersey Boys Don't Pump Gas". I guess the men don't consider that worthy of bragging rights

 

[kacaju]

.....you are proud you pumped your own gas? geeeeeeez.

Yes I am.. what is wrong with that??
As it has been said here many times here in NJ we do not have to option of pumping it ourselves. Since never in my almost 43 years have I ever done it, I am proud that I was able to do it without any problems.

I will give credit to so many here that have gone on and said how easy it was. I thought of these posts once I realized I was at a self serve pump and just did it. If this had happened a few years earlier I probably would have played the helpless woman and find someone to do it for me.

It may seem silly for all of you who grew up watching your parents pump gas knowing you will someday be pumping it yourself. Those of us who grew up in NJ or OR understand my excitement

 

[goin2disneyagain]

This TEXAS girl had no idea grownups didn't know how to pump gas. Is this a regional thing or only in NJ?

Do they have the card swiper also at the pump or do the attendants have to go into the station to run your card through?

Georgia girl here and has always pumped her own gas. I didn't realize there were people that DIDN'T pump their own gas. It must be a regional thing. I haven't seen a gas station with an attendent since I was a kid.

 

[carj]

Wow! I didn't know that about New Jersey either. I would love to have someone pump my gas here in Texas.

Can I inquire about the price. In N. Texas yesterday, I paid $2.35 a gallon. What is the price of gas in New Jersey?

I think it is cool and it is something that I would be proud to say about my state too. Hmm...we do a have a governor's race going on in Texas. I'm seeing a potential campaign promise that I can get behind!

 

[bballmom56]

Can I inquire about the price. In N. Texas yesterday, I paid $2.35 a gallon. What is the price of gas in New Jersey?

One of the stations I passed today was $2.35. Right in my area it is about $2.40.

 

[Katieinwonderland]

Oh I NEVER knew that about New Jersey (or Oregon)!!! I don't know if I'd like that...it would take some getting used to not to jump out and start pumping my own! I'm sure I could learn to love it though