Well, working in the industry, I can sometimes vouch for the latch removal. I've seen TONS of folks who start dispensing in their cars, then walk to the store with the pump still filling the car. You're pumping something that with a bottle and some cloth makes a great bomb and not thinking anything of it.

Don't you guys have this kind of stations up there? If not, you should. This way you have something to look at in the meanwhile.

WHATCH OUT! Might not be safe for work and definitely not safe for wives.

most garages here have the latch removed and the garages are mostly self serve, infact I can only think of one garage that the owner herself comes out and pumps the petrol/diesel for you and she doesn't do it all the time.

Meanwhile, stores like Lowe's now have self-checkout lanes so you can have one person watching 6 lanes checkout at once.

The only scenario I can imagine where having someone else pump your gas is attractive is if I'm getting gas during a wretched storm or when the weather is 20 below freezing or something. I'd rather stay in the car where it's dry and warm, sure.

As for NJ having cheap gas, yeah, that's because of the refineries. Other states could have it that cheap too if they'd allow them to build some refineries locally. I don't know NJ's gax tax vs other states, but I know in FL we've suffered because the big economic crash 5 years ago made people stop driving so much in addition to buying more efficient cars to use less gas and buying less stuff resulting in fewer trucks driving around moving stuff. All told, gas consumption dropped and by extension the taxes collected from what is sold dropped so road maintenance (funded by said tax) has really gone bad.




The Jedi Master

I've always found it ironic that the taxes for gasoline (both State and Federal) primarily go to fund highway expansion and public transportation. It's ironic because more people using public transportation means less people driving which in turns means less gas being used and less taxes generated. So as the demand for public transportation increases, the money coming in to fund it decreases.

As an NJ resident, it is a royal PITA not being able to pump my own gas. I'd be in and out so much faster.

Saddest part, about NJ, I'm about to start dating a girl from there. Thank goodness she seems to have commonsense and wants to move out of state state when she finishes college. If she wasn't so nice, smart, and gorgeous, there would be nothing good in NJ.

I remember years ago working in Scranton and going through NJ. I had to get some gas, I paid and went out and started pumping gas. They got really really mad at me for it too. I then had to wait for like 15 minutes for the one attendant to pump gas for me.

I haven't been in NJ in 20 years and I doubt at this point I'll ever want to again.





The Jedi Master

Is Newark still considered to be the armpit of NJ or is the whole state an armpit now?

But I would be nice if you could wave the guy off and do your own gas. Same price.

I have a friend who used to own a 911. He would pay the valet when parking then go park the car himself. Valet still got paid, he just didn't like them driving his car.

I've been told the southern part is fairly decent.

My only qualm is that he is associating VT,NH,and Maine with NYC,Mass,NJ,CT,and RI.

Well ME, NH, and VT all voted for Obama in the last election, so it seems the 3 of us are becoming Mass Lite at a breakneck pace.

Here's a question I had when I first moved to Oregon. Do you tip the attendant? *Can* you tip the attendant? If I got really good service, I'd be happy too, but I never saw quality worth a tip.