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Most pumps don't allow it because a code must be entered first except in some cases when a CC is used.
Before the attendant has even arrived at the pump, I have already opened my vehicle's "gas door", and have properly deployed the gas cap from its hanger, in order to prevent it from banging against the fender. Once the attendant enters his code, I inform him that, "I will finish up for you". As I stated previously, I have NEVER had any attendant argue with me over this point, and--in fact--most of them thank me.
To you guys who love to pump your own gas wait until it's 10 degrees with wind blown sleet in your face and you'll be glad somebody is pumping for you.
Do I "love" pumping my own gas? Nope!
In a similar fashion, I also don't "love" doing most of my home maintenance, or working out with free-weights, or picking up my dog's droppings from the yard, or having a dental exam and/or treatment every 6 months, or having a colonoscopy done every 3-5 years, but in all of those cases, doing what I do personally (or have done by qualified medical personnel) is...very prudent in the long run.
After spending $35k+ on a vehicle that I intend to keep for the long term, I am loathe to allow gas jockeys to bounce my gas cap against the fender, and I am particularly loathe to have them decide to keep filling my tank after the pump has clicked off for the first time.
Errant gas caps will eventually leave scars on the car's paint, and since my cars usually look "showroom new" after as long as 9 years, I don't want a bored/distinterested minimum wage person to decide that it is okay to bounce the gas cap off of the rear fender of my vehicle. The vehicle manufactuer has provided a dedicated hanger for the cap, and I prefer to properly insert the cap into that hanger in order to prevent paint damage. I also want to prevent gas overflow onto the rear fender, which strips the wax protection that I have meticulously applied to the paint. (Note: I also don't "love" regularly waxing the car, but the effort is worth it)
Perhaps the most important reason to take charge of the fill-up process is the tendency for many gas jockeys to try to continue to force more gas into the tank after the pump has clicked off for the first time. A few of these episodes will probably be uneventful, but repeated instances of what amounts to over-filling the tank will eventually result in damage to the car's Evaporative Emissions System--in particular, the carbon canister that is the heart of this system. In case you think that this type of damage doesn't happen, I tried to warn one of my friends about this over-filling practice, and after a couple of years, he had to replace the carbon canister, at a cost of over $300--and that was several years ago. It would likely cost more nowadays.
And, in case you think that this was an isolated incident, if you frequent the Car Talk website, you will see a few people each month who are in this situation of having to replace that expensive carbon canister, simply because they had poor judgment when filling their tank, or they allowed other folks to decide when to stop pumping gas into their tank.
In my daily life, there are lots of things that I don't necessarily "love" to do, but experience has shown me that it is prudent to do lots of things that I don't love.
I include filling my own gas tank in that category of things that I don't "love", but that have the potential to save me a lot of money in the long run.
Last edited by Retriever; 05-20-2012 at 05:22 PM..
I once was scolded for attempting to pump my own gas. The guy was very busy and I was in a hurry, so after waiting a few minutes, I got out, opened my tank, lifted the pump handle and an attendant came dashing over to scold me. He said he could get into big trouble if I started pumping my own gas. He probably would have gotten in trouble for what I had already done. I assumed it was a liability issue.
The few times I gas up in NJ it's usually around 5am when heading back home. More than likely I finish off the fill and reset the pump as i use CC. I probably know as much about the pump as the attendant who is usually bs'ing on a cell phone. None ever cared. At least I know the gas car is properly secured so the car doesn't throw a code.
I'm 43 and I can still remember when they would automatically clean your windows, and if asked, check your oil and air pressure. I wish they still cleaned the windows, though now the car checks the other stuff itself.
I remember when they used to offer steak knives and glasses with a fill-up. I was just a kid, not driving yet myself, but I remember my mother collecting the steak knives.
I always wanted her to go to the Sinclair gas station because you could get a blow-up plastic dinosaur, but she wouldn't because there were too many of us and we'd fight over it. And they never went to Sinclair anyway--must have been another 2 cents a gallon there or something.
In a similar fashion, I also don't "love" doing most of my home maintenance, or working out with free-weights, or picking up my dog's droppings from the yard, or having a dental exam and/or treatment every 6 months, or having a colonoscopy done every 3-5 years, but in all of those cases, doing what I do personally (or have done by qualified medical personnel) is...very prudent in the long run.
After spending $35k+ on a vehicle that I intend to keep for the long term, I am loathe to allow gas jockeys to bounce my gas cap against the fender, and I am particularly loathe to have them decide to keep filling my tank after the pump has clicked off for the first time.
Errant gas caps will eventually leave scars on the car's paint, and since my cars usually look "showroom new" after as long as 9 years, I don't want a bored/distinterested minimum wage person to decide that it is okay to bounce the gas cap off of the rear fender of my vehicle. The vehicle manufactuer has provided a dedicated hanger for the cap, and I prefer to properly insert the cap into that hanger in order to prevent paint damage. I also want to prevent gas overflow onto the rear fender, which strips the wax protection that I have meticulously applied to the paint. (Note: I also don't "love" regularly waxing the car, but the effort is worth it)
Perhaps the most important reason to take charge of the fill-up process is the tendency for many gas jockeys to try to continue to force more gas into the tank after the pump has clicked off for the first time. A few of these episodes will probably be uneventful, but repeated instances of what amounts to over-filling the tank will eventually result in damage to the car's Evaporative Emissions System--in particular, the carbon canister that is the heart of this system. In case you think that this type of damage doesn't happen, I tried to warn one of my friends about this over-filling practice, and after a couple of years, he had to replace the carbon canister, at a cost of over $300--and that was several years ago. It would likely cost more nowadays.
And, in case you think that this was an isolated incident, if you frequent the Car Talk website, you will see a few people each month who are in this situation of having to replace that expensive carbon canister, simply because they had poor judgment when filling their tank, or they allowed other folks to decide when to stop pumping gas into their tank.
In my daily life, there are lots of things that I don't necessarily "love" to do, but experience has shown me that it is prudent to do lots of things that I don't love.
I include filling my own gas tank in that category of things that I don't "love", but that have the potential to save me a lot of money in the long run.
Wow, Retriever. Informative post full of things I would never have even thought of, mainly because I've never in my life owned a car new enough that I worried about the paint job. It sounds as if you take care of your stuff!
In a similar fashion, I also don't "love" doing most of my home maintenance, or working out with free-weights, or picking up my dog's droppings from the yard, or having a dental exam and/or treatment every 6 months, or having a colonoscopy done every 3-5 years, but in all of those cases, doing what I do personally (or have done by qualified medical personnel) is...very prudent in the long run.
After spending $35k+ on a vehicle that I intend to keep for the long term, I am loathe to allow gas jockeys to bounce my gas cap against the fender, and I am particularly loathe to have them decide to keep filling my tank after the pump has clicked off for the first time.
Errant gas caps will eventually leave scars on the car's paint, and since my cars usually look "showroom new" after as long as 9 years, I don't want a bored/distinterested minimum wage person to decide that it is okay to bounce the gas cap off of the rear fender of my vehicle. The vehicle manufactuer has provided a dedicated hanger for the cap, and I prefer to properly insert the cap into that hanger in order to prevent paint damage. I also want to prevent gas overflow onto the rear fender, which strips the wax protection that I have meticulously applied to the paint. (Note: I also don't "love" regularly waxing the car, but the effort is worth it)
Perhaps the most important reason to take charge of the fill-up process is the tendency for many gas jockeys to try to continue to force more gas into the tank after the pump has clicked off for the first time. A few of these episodes will probably be uneventful, but repeated instances of what amounts to over-filling the tank will eventually result in damage to the car's Evaporative Emissions System--in particular, the carbon canister that is the heart of this system. In case you think that this type of damage doesn't happen, I tried to warn one of my friends about this over-filling practice, and after a couple of years, he had to replace the carbon canister, at a cost of over $300--and that was several years ago. It would likely cost more nowadays.
And, in case you think that this was an isolated incident, if you frequent the Car Talk website, you will see a few people each month who are in this situation of having to replace that expensive carbon canister, simply because they had poor judgment when filling their tank, or they allowed other folks to decide when to stop pumping gas into their tank.
In my daily life, there are lots of things that I don't necessarily "love" to do, but experience has shown me that it is prudent to do lots of things that I don't love.
I include filling my own gas tank in that category of things that I don't "love", but that have the potential to save me a lot of money in the long run.
I did put a disclaimer in my post for those who "must pump" themselves.
It is however against the law in NJ.( probably rarely enforced)
There are no self-serve in Bergen County- it's against the law to even get out of the car. They ask you to stay in the car, unless there is a food market connected to the facility and you get out, and go in there ... It's a liability issue. Personally, I like not having to pump my own gas, and it gives people jobs.
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