Why such a pain to buy gas in Oregon? (income, income tax)

[Metlakatla]

I pay at the Shell station in Florence all the time with cash and have never had a problem. Never had a problem with the one in Oakridge. I won't use a CC at a gas station.

And they wanted me to walk all the way over to the store to pay?

I can't recall the last time I went inside to pay for gas in Oregon (I avoid the whole change dilemma simply by getting an even $10 or $20 or whatever.)

Both of the stations close to my home in Alaska are manned by a series of lazy, surly punks who won't get their asses off their stools behind the register for anything. Can't figure out how to work the pump? Too bad. Senior citizen who can't navigate the icy path to the cash register? You're out of luck. And so on.

The guy at the Shell station in Oakridge is usually on duty by himself. He pumps the gas and takes the money.

[pnwguy2]

Apparently Oakridge is in a different universe than I-84 in Troutdale.

[pdxMIKEpdx]

The I84 complex in Troutdale is a universe all to itself.

You can't compare that chaotic mess to a "normal" little Oregon gas station.

It's full of hundreds of trucks, shoppers, people stopping to eat, plus it's the last place with decent gas prices before you hit the gorge, and the first place to stop after putting up with the gorge traffic.

It seems to me that most of the people complaining are stopping at high volume gas stations right off the major highways.

What do they expect?

[Metlakatla]

Originally Posted by pnwguy2

Apparently Oakridge is in a different universe than I-84 in Troutdale.

Apparently, the Troutdale station isn't reflective of all gas stations in Oregon as your OP implies.

[ccjarider]

Originally Posted by redguard57

- There are about 10,000 gas attendents in Oregon - this is equivalent to the 4th or 5th largest employer in the state. I know several people that would have been on welfare during the recession if not for a gas pumping job. I know several teenagers right now who have jobs pumping gas& God knows it's hard enough for kids to get jobs these days.

Looks to be flawed data designed to float an agenda.

The 10000 figure is not all gas pumpers. This figure includes all workers at gas stations (including convenience stores that sell gas.) There are still plenty of workers at gas stations in self serve states.

Oregon's own data implies this law creates employment for about 2400 people, NOT 10,000.

Be careful with statistics.


https://oregoneconomicanalysis.com/2...gas-and-taxes/


People are free to like or dislike this regulation for whatever reason you like but you are not free to make up facts.

[ccjarider]

Originally Posted by Metlakatla

Not exactly. Most people don't have a choice about whether to buy gas; they need to buy it if they want to go anywhere in their cars. People will just suck it up if they can't get self serve.

NO- you entirely miss the point of entrepreneurial opportunity. If the demand were there (IT'S NOT), someone would develop a system to make $ off the demand. The world is not static.

[Metlakatla]

They're already making money off the people who'd prefer full serve. It's not as if it were an untapped market. And no, I don't miss the point; I do know something about entrepreneurism. Turning a sure thing into a luxury item is too risky for most. People probably wouldn't be willing to pay the extra charges for full service if Oregon went to self serve (I think it would be about more than just the money, though; consumers don't like feeling taken advantage of); I suppose that could be interpreted as lack of demand.

[ccjarider]

Originally Posted by Metlakatla

They're already making money off the people who'd prefer full serve. It's not as if it were an untapped market. And no, I don't miss the point; I do know something about entrepreneurism. Turning a sure thing into a luxury item is too risky for most. People probably wouldn't be willing to pay the extra charges for full service if Oregon went to self serve (I think it would be about more than just the money, though; consumers don't like feeling taken advantage of); I suppose that could be interpreted as lack of demand.

Look this topic is hardly a huge deal but since you keep going -
Doesn't your own statement prove my point? This is not a service that is valued.

I guess 50% of people in this state are ok with the fact that Gov't forces everyone to pay for the service just because they like it.

Regarding Full service demand in population as a whole. I am positive that, in the quest for additional margin, companies have experimented with full service outlets or test pumps dozens if not hundreds of times and in many places around the country. It just did not generate enough interest to warrant inclusion, otherwise we would see them.

The fact is; there is no demand unless mandated by gov't.

Go ahead and like that Oregon does this but make decisions on facts, not emotion.

[Metlakatla]

Originally Posted by ccjarider

Look this topic is hardly a huge deal but since you keep going -
Doesn't your own statement prove my point? This is not a service that is valued.

I guess 50% of people in this state are ok with the fact that Gov't forces everyone to pay for the service just because they like it.

.

Yes, I'm okay with that. I like full serve and don't really care if you do or not (and I'm not going to try to speak for the rest of the population -- apparently, I don't have the same inside knowledge that you somehow do on what percentage of people like it or don't -- speaking of emotion-based arguments). You always can move if it's such a big deal to you. Not going to waste my morning explaining how those who value the service may nonetheless find it a financial hardship to patronize these mythical full serve stations of the future or other complexities of your narrative. And I really said to set you off was that people would just suck it up if self serve were all that was available if they're going to want to go anywhere in their cars. We get it, rider. Government bad.

[Larry Caldwell]

Just a note that service stations are few and far between. I only know of one left in Oregon where they actually check your oil and tire pressure as part of a stop. In the 'olden days,' that's what we called "full service." Mini Serve was a tank of gas and wash the bugs off your windshield yourself.