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submitted 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) by MicroWave@lemmy.world to c/news@lemmy.world

For the first time in more than seven decades, drivers in Oregon are allowed to pump their own gas.

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[-] Got_Bent@lemmy.world 104 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

I can't see myself headed back to Oregon any time soon, but good. It was so frustrating trying to get gas behind a line of twenty five cars being "served" by a single slack jawed yokel taking smoke breaks between each car and God help you if you needed gas at night when everybody was closed.

New Jersey gas attendants can be surly, but my experiences driving there at least moved the cars through getting gas efficiently.

[-] HeyJoe@lemmy.world 28 points 1 year ago

As someone from NJ I agree 100% with surly. Also you can get someone weird or the guy who just wants to talk the entire time. I really do hope this changes one day.

[-] surewhynotlem@lemmy.world 16 points 1 year ago

Or the guy who tries to wash your windows then asks for a tip. I'm still annoyed at that, and it was at least 15 years ago.

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[-] ME5SENGER_24@lemmy.world 83 points 1 year ago

There are some bizarre and pointless laws in this country.

[-] morphballganon@lemmy.world 21 points 1 year ago

The way I heard it, if the only people pumping gas were employees, the company didn't have to pay as much liability insurance.

[-] karlthemailman@sh.itjust.works 33 points 1 year ago

Then why make it a law? Gas stations would all choose to have full service only if it was cheaper.

[-] SCB@lemmy.world 35 points 1 year ago

It's a law specifically so that these jobs exist. It has nothing to do with liability insurance. Rather, one guy was able to lower his prices by having people pump their own gas and other gas stations didn't like that

Reingold decided to offer the consumer a choice by opening up a 24-pump gas station on Route 17 in Hackensack. He offered gas at 18.9 cents a gallon. The only requirement was that drivers pump it themselves. They didn't mind. They lined up for blocks.

"The other gas station operators didn't like the competition. Someone tried shooting up Reingold's station. But he installed bulletproof glass, so the retailers looked for a softer target - the Statehouse. The Gasoline Retailers Association prevailed upon its pals in the Legislature to push through a bill banning self-serve gas. The pretext was safety, but the Hackensack fire chief had already told all who would listen that Rein- gold's operation was perfectly safe.

https://www.nj.com/opinion/2014/02/the_real_reason_self-service_gas_was_banned_in_nj_corruption_not_safety.html

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[-] Thisisforfun@lemmy.world 15 points 1 year ago

Was probably reasonable when they were enacted - before your grandparents met.

[-] andrew@lemmy.stuart.fun 7 points 1 year ago

Just because we have chiseled abs and stunning features, it doesn't mean that we too can't not die in a freak gasoline fight accident.

[-] GiddyGap@lemmy.world 11 points 1 year ago

And some people will go to extraordinary lengths to defend them.

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[-] easydnesto@sh.itjust.works 67 points 1 year ago

The state's 72-year ban on self-service pumps was due in large part to safety concerns for drivers. A state law cited "increased risk of crime and the increased risk of personal injury resulting from slipping on slick surfaces."

What an abomination of an excuse, and I live here.

[-] elbarto777@lemmy.world 15 points 1 year ago

Well, it may have been true 72 years ago.

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[-] fer0n@lemm.ee 57 points 1 year ago

That must’ve been one of the most useless regulations. Is that just about jobs? I can’t really imagine it being a security risk issue or any other reason

[-] Sterile_Technique@lemmy.world 91 points 1 year ago

Yeah, jobs. And yeah, it was fucking stupid. Imagine outlawing opening the front door to any business, so that every business would have to hire greeters to generate jobs. Same same.

It's just welfare, but in its cruelest possible form. If we're going to require someone to piss 8 hours of their day away contributing nothing to society (worse than nothing in practice... gassing up in Oregon took FOREVER cuz you'd be stuck waiting for an attendant to serve a backup of 15 cars) just so that person can collect a pay check... why not just give them the pay check with no strings attached? Then they can use that time to improve themselves, or at the very least, not spend their waking hours inhaling gasoline fumes and ruining their knees and such.

Protect people, not jobs. Robots and AI are replacing most of us soon anyway: mandating busywork is NOT the solution to getting food on everyone's table.

[-] MajorHavoc@lemmy.world 14 points 1 year ago

So true. And as a bonus, a person receiving a universal basic income can also contribute by getting a useful job, even if just for a few hours a week.

I would rather see someone doing art part time hours than having them make gas lines worse for full time.

[-] abcd@feddit.de 36 points 1 year ago

Don’t worry guys. Whole continents manage to pump their own gas without Major issues. I’m sure you will manage it too 😉

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[-] fer0n@lemm.ee 36 points 1 year ago

Did that also apply to electric cars? Or were you allowed to plug it in yourself

[-] Falafels@aussie.zone 18 points 1 year ago

You can plug it in yourself but you are obligated to have the following conversation every time: https://youtu.be/FzAb8rVqDkY

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As long as you're a certified electrician, go right ahead. Otherwise, jail.

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[-] ALavaPulsar@lemmy.world 30 points 1 year ago

Clearly no Oregonians in this thread. Everyone I’ve met in Oregon loves that they don’t have to pump their own gas.

[-] Mdotaut801@lemmy.world 19 points 1 year ago

Do they? My entire family lives there and they fucking hate it.

[-] Montagge@kbin.social 16 points 1 year ago

Born and raised Oregonian that prefers to pump his own gas. It's about damn time.

[-] Vonkilington@lemmy.world 16 points 1 year ago

Granted I’m not a native Oregoner, but when I lived there I also thought it was stupid. I have not missed that part of Oregon one bit.

[-] dmention7@lemm.ee 14 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

If enough people love it, then full service pumps will still hang around as an option. Personally as someone who lived in Minneapolis for 20 years, full service pumps would have been fucking amazing in the winter, but mandating them by law is just stupid.

The fact that full service doesn't exist even in the frozen tundra of MN leads me to believe very few people are actually willing to pay extra for it.

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[-] doggle@lemmy.world 7 points 1 year ago

Serious question: why? It seems worse in every way.

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[-] andrew@lemmy.stuart.fun 26 points 1 year ago

Time for me and my male model homies to finally have that gasoline fight we've been putting off forever.

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[-] visiblink@lemmy.sdf.org 17 points 1 year ago

I traveled through Oregon in June and didn't know about this law. I pumped my own gas in Astoria, Portland, and another place and no one stopped me. No one came out to pump my gas either.

[-] Blastasaurus@lemm.ee 8 points 1 year ago

I've been to Portland 3x and nobody has ever stopped me from pumping my own gas. I've definitely interacted with attendants inside prior to gassing up as well. Wonder if it's due to the Canadian license plates/accent?

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[-] Creamatine@lemmy.ml 14 points 1 year ago

Don’t give in! I’ve been in NJ my whole life. I’m not ready for this

[-] Cornpop@lemmy.world 38 points 1 year ago

Why would you want that bullshit?

[-] ExMimic@lemmy.world 14 points 1 year ago

I'm not for or against this law. I just like not having to get out of my car when it's freezing outside.

[-] radiohead37@lemmy.world 23 points 1 year ago

At the expense of someone else being outside for hours?

[-] ExMimic@lemmy.world 17 points 1 year ago

That's not a good argument. The workers are being paid to do the job. The same way Garbage collecters, crossing guards, etc are being paid to be outside.

[-] Mdotaut801@lemmy.world 8 points 1 year ago

Idk why you are getting downvoted. I agree, they are getting paid to do it and if they want to do something different, there’s menial, low level jobs everywhere. It’s not at the expense of someone else, and why are other people complaining about someone else’s job for them? What if they don’t mind it? What if they really need the money and it’s just a job and it’s fine? I’m not saying it’s not a stupid law or anything but jeez people. Chill.

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[-] Fingerblaster007@lemmy.world 13 points 1 year ago

Why do I want to get out my car and do that bullshit. Let someone else do it

[-] Vonkilington@lemmy.world 11 points 1 year ago

Because it’s faster and it’s really easy.

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Pumping gas isn't hard to do. I drive through Jersey sometimes and although I'm always happy that their gas runs a bit cheaper, I'm always annoyed that I can't just get out and do it and be on my way.

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[-] mojo@lemm.ee 6 points 1 year ago

I drove through Oregon and that threw me off when I was at the gas pump. What a weird law. Someone must have super fucked up to get that law pushed in the first place lol.

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this post was submitted on 05 Aug 2023
599 points (100.0% liked)

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