Driving in Oregon
I just recently drove through Oregon on the way
to visit my son in Washington state, and I had to stop to get gas. I have been
aware for years that there is no self serve gas in Oregon, but when I pulled
into the station, no one came to pump my gas, and I thought I saw other people
pumping their own gas, so I started to pump the gas myself. I didn't need a key
or anything special to start the pump, so I assumed that (at last) the state of
Oregon had finally seen the light and joined the 20th century (at least the last
half of it, at any rate).
Well, no
such thing, apparently. The attendant came out and thanked me "for the help." I
asked whether it was really not self-serve, as I had thought. He said no, and in
fact, I could be fined $500 for pumping my own gas (!!). I told him that I'm
from California, where everything is self-serve. I did a little web searching
and discovered that New Jersey also prohibits self-pumping of gas. Apparently,
the attendant can also be fined up to $500, and could lose his job if a patron
pumps his own gas. So if you're in Oregon and make the mistake of pumping your
own gas, don't be surprised if there is a crazed gas station attendant reacting
wildly...
Update: Time
Magazine had an article last week about "drive-aways," people who fill up and
drive off without paying. Several ways to combat this trend were mentioned,
including a move back to "full serve" gas stations. Oregon and New Jersey were
mentioned as requiring full serve fueling, and it was suggested that other
states might institute such a law as well because of drive-aways. Of course,
it's cheaper to just require payment in advance, and most stations I've used in
the last several years do that.
Posted: Sun - August 21, 2005 at 04:49 PM