Self Serve Gas at issue again! (credit card, job market, law)

[pdxMIKEpdx]

Gas prices vary greatly from county to county also.

There are only 2 per island so when I stop short to get diesel usually the person pulling in behind me gets all bent out of shape making faces and waving for me to pull forward.

That bugs me too...........Especially when the diesel pumps are in the middle.
Sometimes I will pull forward and back my truck in at an angle so I don't block pumps.
Gets a lot of weird looks, but when people realize why I did that, they are thankful....sometimes.

Mostly I get looks of amazement from people that can't think an inch in front of their nose.

[Rumann Koch]

Originally Posted by PNW-type-gal

The gas price is determined as much by how the state gets gasoline as it is taxes. Our gasoline is ALL imported from Washington state and Alaska into a terminal near Portland, as we have no refineries. Florida, on the other hand, gets gas directly from the refineries on the Gulf Coast. Gas will ALWAYS be cheaper when there is a "local" refinery or source.

Fact: Oregon is always in the Top 5 Most Expensive States for Gasoline in the US.

The refineries at Anacortes, WA, Oregon's 'local' refinery, is much closer (200 miles) to Oregon than the refineries in Baton Rouge, LA are to South Florida (900+ miles), and state gasoline taxes in Oregon and Florida are comparable: $0.34 per gallon and $0.32, respectively. So the $1 additional cost per gallon must be for the attendants and their safety training.

I do indeed hope that you continue to enjoy your 'trained' gas jockeys in Oregon because you sure are paying for them ($16 for an average car fill-up, and I would expect a lot of service for $16). Me, I'll pump my own gas, and enjoy the true savings discounts, speed, and convenience of self-service in the other 48 states (NJ is the other oddball).

[karlsch]

Just because other states have lower gas prices than Oregon doesn't mean that attendants don't add to the cost in Oregon.

This has been discussed countless times in the 12 years I have been on the forum. In those 12 years, I don't think I've seen one person who really knows exactly how the pump price of gasoline is determined - everybody is just guessing. Some guesses are probably better than others, but they are still just guesses.

Edit: Some of the numbers aren't even guesses - they are just figures that people come up with so they can win arguments against their hated adversaries.

[Rumann Koch]

Originally Posted by karlsch

Just because other states have lower gas prices than Oregon doesn't mean that attendants don't add to the cost in Oregon.

Thank you - that's exactly what I've been trying to say in all my recent posts!

[PNW-type-gal]

Originally Posted by Rumann Koch

Fact: Oregon is always in the Top 5 Most Expensive States for Gasoline in the US.

The refineries at Anacortes, WA, Oregon's 'local' refinery, is much closer (200 miles) to Oregon than the refineries in Baton Rouge, LA are to South Florida (900+ miles), and state gasoline taxes in Oregon and Florida are comparable: $0.34 per gallon and $0.32, respectively. So the $1 additional cost per gallon must be for the attendants and their safety training.

ALL the states on the west coast are among the most expensive - California because of additives and taxes, Oregon and Washington because of long supply chain distances.

For your incorrect assumption that the cost issue is self serve vs non, then Washington should only be much cheaper than Oregon instead of more expensive (Washington's gas tax is $0.10 per gallon more).

According to Gas Buddy, the average price in Washington is $3.536 per gallon and Oregon's is $3.409, or slightly more than the gas tax difference.

The Anacortes refineries rely on oil tankered from Alaska - a heck of a lot farther and at much greater cost. While the price of a barrel of oil is set internationally, the refining costs are nowhere near the same - according to IPA (International Petroleum Institute), more than 80% of the cost of gas is the base barrel price, the refining costs, crude transportation costs and federal taxes. The remaining cost is local transport, local taxes and "other retail."

Do the attendants add cost? Of course they do - but the cost is FAR lower than any other factor. Would our gas price drop if the attendants were removed, yes, but not by very much.

It's extremely amusing that, for the most part, the people who get really worked up about the issue are from other states - which goes a long way to explain why it hasn't changed.

[ccjarider]

Originally Posted by Rumann Koch

Fact: Oregon is always in the Top 5 Most Expensive States for Gasoline in the US.

The refineries at Anacortes, WA, Oregon's 'local' refinery, is much closer (200 miles) to Oregon than the refineries in Baton Rouge, LA are to South Florida (900+ miles), and state gasoline taxes in Oregon and Florida are comparable: $0.34 per gallon and $0.32, respectively. So the $1 additional cost per gallon must be for the attendants and their safety training.

I do indeed hope that you continue to enjoy your 'trained' gas jockeys in Oregon because you sure are paying for them ($16 for an average car fill-up, and I would expect a lot of service for $16). Me, I'll pump my own gas, and enjoy the true savings discounts, speed, and convenience of self-service in the other 48 states (NJ is the other oddball).

Good luck arguing with the entrenched "Love all things Oregon" mafia. There is a sizable chunk of population here that has given up logic/common sense and chooses to believe in unicorns and fairies.
Just check out the way folks along the I-5 corridor vote.

Do Gas attendants make sense? No
Do majority of Oregon folks care these jobs exist? No

[Rumann Koch]

Originally Posted by PNW-type-gal

ALL the states on the west coast are among the most expensive - California because of additives and taxes, Oregon and Washington because of long supply chain distances.

For your incorrect assumption that the cost issue is self serve vs non, then Washington should only be much cheaper than Oregon instead of more expensive (Washington's gas tax is $0.10 per gallon more). According to Gas Buddy, the average price in Washington is $3.536 per gallon and Oregon's is $3.409, or slightly more than the gas tax difference.

The Anacortes refineries rely on oil tankered from Alaska - a heck of a lot farther and at much greater cost. While the price of a barrel of oil is set internationally, the refining costs are nowhere near the same - according to IPA (International Petroleum Institute), more than 80% of the cost of gas is the base barrel price, the refining costs, crude transportation costs and federal taxes. The remaining cost is local transport, local taxes and "other retail."

Do the attendants add cost? Of course they do - but the cost is FAR lower than any other factor. Would our gas price drop if the attendants were removed, yes, but not by very much.

It's extremely amusing that, for the most part, the people who get really worked up about the issue are from other states - which goes a long way to explain why it hasn't changed.

You are the one that brought up refineries being closer to me in Florida.

Originally Posted by PNW-type-gal

Our gasoline is ALL imported from Washington state and Alaska into a terminal near Portland, as we have no refineries. Florida, on the other hand, gets gas directly from the refineries on the Gulf Coast. Gas will ALWAYS be cheaper when there is a "local" refinery or source.

I pointed out, correctly, that the West Coast refiners are actually closer to Oregon than the Gulf Coast ones are to me here in South Florida. And from what I have just read, the higher prices on the West Coast IS due to refineries - just last month Patrick DeHaan, Gasbuddy.com senior petroleum analyst, said the biggest impact on West Coast prices has been the refining outages. Read Gasoline likely going sky high on West Coast but rest of US may not even see $3 this summer

I also don't know about Washington as I drove down PCH in Oregon. What I do know is basic economics: if you add human labor to a service that someone can do themselves - you increase the cost, significantly.

Fact: The first US state tax on fuel was introduced on February 25, 1919 in... Oregon! Looks like Oregon has always gone out of its way to be in the Top 5 Most Expensive States for Gasoline in the US.

And the only thing I'm "worked up" about is the inconvenience I encountered while I was visiting your state, which I believe is an appropriate thing to debate on this forum. If you are ever visiting here in South Florida and don't want to pump your own gas, give me a call. But you'll have to wait and I'll charge you $16 - just like in Oregon. I find that amusing.

[McFrostyJ]

Who is the "Love all things Oregon" mafia? I have never met them and I have lived here most of my life, except the time I spent serving in the military.

One thing I like about my home state is that most people are independent and go issue by issue and not along party lines.
Don't get me wrong, there are plenty of cheerleaders for both the Republicans and the Democrats that fall for the phony game they both play but compared to many states that I have been in, I feel like there are more independent thinkers here.

As far as gas station attendants go, IF we got rid of them the price might dip for awhile but then it will inch right back up and about 10,000 people will be out of work. Where will those 10,000 low skilled people find jobs? With automation taking over more and more each day, those low skilled jobs will be harder and harder to find.

You think we have a homeless problem now? Just wait. It will get worse and cutting more jobs will not help the situation.

[McFrostyJ]

Originally Posted by Rumann Koch

If you are ever visiting here in South Florida and don't want to pump your own gas, give me a call.

I was just in South Florida a couple months ago and sure wish you guys could do something about all those stupid toll roads.

[Rumann Koch]

Originally Posted by ccjarider

Good luck arguing with the entrenched "Love all things Oregon" mafia. There is a sizable chunk of population here that has given up logic/common sense and chooses to believe in unicorns and fairies.
Just check out the way folks along the I-5 corridor vote.

Do Gas attendants make sense? No
Do majority of Oregon folks care these jobs exist? No

Thanks for your input.

Funny, I actually bypassed Portland recently (drove from Multnomah Falls Lodge to Johnston Ridge Observatory via I-205) because of what I have read about downtown Portland (my car has a Florida plate). But you sound 'normal'.