Does anyone else gets annoyed when the Gas Attendant. .

Better numbers this tank are paid for with worse numbers the next tank. It all evens out.

Whoever wrote that stuff in Oregon shouldn't write when they are smoking their "medicine".

 

^ That's completely true. What ever it's off by on a tank, it catches up on the next.

Only, if you're on alert for dips-and-peaks, getting other folks to fill your tank is pretty much guaranteed to create 'em. That's a prime reason I fill up whenever it's gone below half on the gauge, so I'm the one filling it.

 

Some states such as Oregon don't allow self service gas. Welcome to 2015.

 

YEs, which is why I said miffed, and then really only if I had been experimenting with something for that tank.

 

I think some people are just getting freaked out by the use of the word attendant.

I would say, in Oregon the majority of the employee's that actually come out and pump your tank of gasoline, aren't expected nor do they live up to the responsibility of the level of attention or care that might of routinely happened in the 50's and 60's with actual Gas Station Attendants. They don't check your oil or look under you hood.

The level of service from station to station only varies by whether they clean your windshield or not. Since I usually DON'T want them to clean my windshield, I don't care.

I have experienced them topping off, or rounding up. I think it is a money maker for the station, and since I pay in cash it does make change easier from their perspective.

I never ask them to top off or round up. But if they do it? I don't freak out. It happens infrequently enough, and in small enough amounts that I don't think it's a problem.

 

I also got annoyed when an attendant walked past the fuel filler door, and tried to yank off the rear license plate. Another set the gas cap down in a significant pool of rainwater. After those incidents, and an unwanted topping-off that caused a gushing overflow (before it was banned), I have ever since minimized fillup needs in Oregon, the only place I ever drive that forbids self service.

... and squirt oil onto a shock absorber, just before 'discovering' that is was failing and offer to repair it. And let some air out of a tire before 'discovering' it was leaking and offering to repair it. And noticing some discoloring on inside of the gas cap (from normal fuel components), declaring it to be an indicator of serious rust in the tank, and offering to sell you some 'appropriate' treatment to remove water from the tank.

 

time for a bev.

 

Hey guys:

I'm tired, I am cranky. It's 5:30 p.m. in Iowa and my knee hurts and I have blisters all over my feet because I ran 50 miles on Saturday...

AND I need gasoline. I so wish I was in Oregon, where it is pumped for me and I don't have to get out of the car. Yes, there may be the occasional "pump some more in," even though I have never experienced it.

And, yes, the attendents will wash my windows in Oregon and check the oil if I ask nicely.

And, as said before, it gives jobs to kids and to those who are having trouble in the job market.

At the moment, how I wish I was in Oregon and did not have to hassle filling it (not that filling it is that much of a deal, you understand).

As a final thought, someone else mentioned it, I think, but as a teenage girl, when I first "drove out of Oregon," I had NO IDEA how to operate a gas pump. It was pretty funny. Luckily, people were willing to help...
Kris

 

The last time I checked, full service is not banned anywhere. I still see it outside Oregon on occasion, just not at the types of stations I normally frequent. So instead of pushing to ban self service, why not learn what local stations still offer service?

Based on common consumer behavior, I am seeing very little demand for it. Some of us will specifically avoid it even when it is free.

 

^ that's the thing. Left to market demand, I don't think full service would last.

The same thing's happening in other occupations: bank tellers, even cashiers. I've got reservations about self checkout tho, usually cock it up.

 

The diff is in Oregon, the price for gasoline is no more expensive -- with "somewhat" full service than in neighboring states with "no service>" Sort of obvious what is going on here, is it not?

 

No, it's New Jersey, which is still stuck in 1950 on that front.

I treat data from Jersey refueling the same as any other partial fill-ups.

 

Are you accounting for the differing state fuel taxes?

 

While GasBuddy was not helpful finding full service gas stations, Yelp found some:
Best Full service gas station in Seattle
Be sure to read close before using such a search list, because some hits are for other reasons.

One of my reasons for preferring self service is that it is quicker. I get reminded during most Oregon refueling stops, where there are not enough attendants to keep the pumps operating at their throughput potential. One time, I simply forgot (really), did the fueling myself, and was discovered only when going inside to pay the bill. The several attendants were all busy on other islands, but not keeping up with demand.

The same applies to ATMs vs bank tellers, and self checkout vs clerks at retails stores. The self-serve choice today is generally quicker than the previous era's human-only service. I choose a human when 'special handling' is needed, and aim for self service for ordinary transactions.

 

What's an inspection?
Do they do those in states where they don't allow citizens to pump their own gas??

FWIW, I always fill to the neck as well in my personal vehicles, since they're MY vehicles and I'm fairly knowledgeable about how the evap system works.
I used to be concerned about overfilling the Prius and fodding out the evap system, but I've gotten over that in the nearly 90,000 miles (over 170 tank fills?)

This just isn't much of a Prius problem.
As much as Toyota likes to overly complicate things, the evap system must work fairly well despite owners who are trying to get 800 miles out of a single tank.
Toyota dealerships and independent shops would otherwise be log jammed with Priuses displaying P0441/P0455 codes.

 

Is the lack of full service outside of states like Oregon based on consumer behavior OR based more on the fact that hiring and maintaining labor to support "full service" is a cost and expense to the business? If you live in a state where Self Service isn't prevalent, your just not going to expect it.

Even though I travel outside of Oregon, I'd say living in Oregon I generally really enjoy NOT having self-service. It is nice to just say "Fill With Regular" then head into the store to pay.

I don't see it as a factor of "demand", even in Oregon I think the populace would adapt if self service became the norm. I see it more as a factor of cost and convenience.

I agree with CyberpriusII, it's often very nice to NOT have to pump your own gasoline. It also does create a percentage of entry level jobs.
When I drive into Washington State, and sometimes forget it's not full service, it's always mildly annoying to realize I'm going to have to get out and pump my own gasoline.

Someday I predict Oregon will join the majority. But then again, I've been saying that for decades.

 

It is 'AND', not 'OR'. Service costs more, and most consumers apparently prefer not to pay that higher cost.

A certain minority of consumers are willing to pay, and some stations around here continue to provide that service for them, as illustrated in the Yelp link I posted above.

By "isn't prevalent" I think you really mean "is prohibited". Can you name any area where self service is legal but not prevalent? I can't think of any.

I don't agree that 'nice' as a good reason to prohibit choice for the rest of us. And as shown above, we do have choice.

Apparently you haven't noticed that a substantial chunk of Washington State doesn't believe in the concept of entry level jobs. That is part of why this state has long had the highest minimum wage in the nation.

Now, the cities of SeaTac and Seattle have effectively declared that every job should pay a living family wage. That is the impetus for the new $15/hr minimum wages.

(P.S. I'm outside the Seattle City limits, so don't have the same local election choices of Democrats vs Socialists. Seattle government has no Republicans.)

 

I've lived most my life in Oregon, and we've always had the ban on self service. Or if you want to look at it the other way, the luxury of not having to pump our gasoline. In Oregon you don't pay an extra Premium to get your gasoline pumped for you, because EVERY station HAS to do it.

In my opinion, the cost of gasoline in Oregon isn't significantly higher because of the "service". I often travel up to Seattle and actually make sure I fill up in Oregon because it's often cheaper.

To each their own. Oregon has been....IMO applaudably stubborn in remaining one of the few States that prohibits self-serve gasoline. My opinion in regards to it? Is based on nearly a lifetime of living with it. And on one very simplistic level, if you give me the choice between just saying "Fill Er Up" and going to get a Soda....and coming back to a vehicle with a clean windshield and a full tank of gas VS. Having to get out of my vehicle and deal with gasoline fumes and standing next to my car as it fills? I'll take the NON-Self Serve option.

But if you enjoy filling your gas tank? More power to you.

 

You are paying a premium for an attendant to pump your gas. You just don't see it because you don't have the choice to compare the cost.

 

I really don't think so. There are websites that track this, and right now according to the one I use, Oregons average price per gallon is actually LESS than both California and Washington State.
Comparing gas price's to California, Washington...Oregon is nearly always right in the ball park.

You don't get anything for free. But even self-service stations still need attendants. The difference being they just take your money and run the convenience store end of it. I don't think the minimum wage cost of an actual pumping the gas attendant is adding a significant amount to the end cost per gallon.

Proponents of "Self-Serve" always advance the argument that Oregonians are paying more because of our ban.
But my real fear would be, someday we reverse the ban,-- and you can bet gas prices wouldn't go down.

I think what would happen is that we would end up paying the same for our gas, but lose the convenience of not pumping it. The "increase" would only be visible at those few stations that might decide to remain full service and THEN charge a premium.

Right now? Everyone has to be competitive with everyone else...and everyone has to have an attendant to pump the gas. I think that severely negates any attendant premium or the attendant premium that might exist in states that are primarily self-serve.