Is it difficult not being able to pump your own gas? (Portland: movies, camps)

[eric351982]

Oregonians like to have different laws for the sake of being different than anywhere else. Oregon either has to be the first or the last to do anything.

[hamellr]

Originally Posted by tkx7

why do people vote for it though? What is the rational? "people like it this way"- but why is that- is it just because it's "always been this way?" Not sure why having the option of self serve or full service is a problem. Just a honest, curious question. I have been to Oregon and Oregon is one of my favorite US states.

What people are actually voting is to keep from overturning the part of Oregon law that requires attendants. And it's not a minority either, usually the law fails by 60% vote or more.

The second half of your question will give you as many answers as you have people. For me it's pretty simple, family owned a gas station. By the age of ten I probably pumped more gas then anyone else does in their entire life. I'm fine with letting someone else do it while I sit in my nice warm car listening to the radio.

[urbanlife78]

Originally Posted by tkx7

why do people vote for it though? What is the rational? "people like it this way"- but why is that- is it just because it's "always been this way?" Not sure why having the option of self serve or full service is a problem. Just a honest, curious question. I have been to Oregon and Oregon is one of my favorite US states.

There are some things that "people like it that way" is a good enough reason. I like that it creates unskilled jobs for the state, I like that when it is raining outside, I don't have to get out to fill my tank. I like that my hands don't smell like gasoline after getting gas. There are a number of things that make it worth keeping, and I like the fact that the people of Oregon are the ones deciding we should keep it.

You should support this law for the simple fact that it is the people of Oregon that support it and vote in favor of it rather than having the state decide without a public vote.

[tkx7]

Originally Posted by hamellr

The second half of your question will give you as many answers as you have people. For me it's pretty simple, family owned a gas station. By the age of ten I probably pumped more gas then anyone else does in their entire life. I'm fine with letting someone else do it while I sit in my nice warm car listening to the radio.

That didn't really answer the question- do you think there wouldn't be full service stations if the law didn't exist? Basically what you are saying is you don't care about other people only your own desires. What is the overall purpose of having the law though? I don't get the point of consumers having fewer options rather than more. I like having baggers at grocery stores for example, but at the same time I don't think there should be a law preventing people from bagging their own groceries if they want. Does Oregon have a law against self checkout lines too?

[urbanlife78]

Originally Posted by tkx7

That didn't really answer the question- do you think there wouldn't be full service stations if the law didn't exist? Basically what you are saying is you don't care about other people only your own desires. What is the overall purpose of having the law though? I don't get the point of consumers having fewer options rather than more. I like having baggers at grocery stores for example, but at the same time I don't think there should be a law preventing people from bagging their own groceries if they want. Does Oregon have a law against self checkout lines too?

No, there would not be full service stations without the law, just like almost every state in the US is void of full service stations for this same reason.

Also, why do you have a hard time understanding the fact that a large majority of Oregonians support this law? It is the people of the state that keep it, not the state government, not the federal government, but the people of Oregon. If you don't like this law, then you can vote against if it ever comes up for a vote in your state.

[tkx7]

Originally Posted by urbanlife78

There are some things that "people like it that way" is a good enough reason. I like that it creates unskilled jobs for the state, I like that when it is raining outside, I don't have to get out to fill my tank. I like that my hands don't smell like gasoline after getting gas. There are a number of things that make it worth keeping, and I like the fact that the people of Oregon are the ones deciding we should keep it.

You should support this law for the simple fact that it is the people of Oregon that support it and vote in favor of it rather than having the state decide without a public vote.

Thank you- that was a great answer. I think all gasoline stations have covers though. To me it seems selfish to think no one would want to pump their own gasoline though for a variety of reasons as well.

[Metlakatla]

My only other significant experience with gas stations has been in Alaska. There, you get to pay twice as much while being sneered at by some 20-something when you interrupt his texting because you have to pay in advance for your gas. And then, you have to hope that he turns the pump on. Most of the time, you get to make a second trip into the store to ask them to turn the pump on, and god help you if you ask for any kind of assistance at all, even a verbal explanation of how to make this particular pump work.

As you've been told, everyone's going to have a subjective reason for voting the way that they do on this issue.

[tkx7]

Originally Posted by urbanlife78

No, there would not be full service stations without the law, just like almost every state in the US is void of full service stations for this same reason.

Also, why do you have a hard time understanding the fact that a large majority of Oregonians support this law? It is the people of the state that keep it, not the state government, not the federal government, but the people of Oregon. If you don't like this law, then you can vote against if it ever comes up for a vote in your state.

yeah i was just trying to understand the rational. I was not aware that some states dont have full service. That would be a valid concern if that is true. The states I've lived in have had both full and self service.

[Annie53]

Originally Posted by tkx7

That didn't really answer the question- do you think there wouldn't be full service stations if the law didn't exist? Basically what you are saying is you don't care about other people only your own desires. What is the overall purpose of having the law though? I don't get the point of consumers having fewer options rather than more. I like having baggers at grocery stores for example, but at the same time I don't think there should be a law preventing people from bagging their own groceries if they want. Does Oregon have a law against self checkout lines too?

Good question!

[tkx7]

Just considering the fact some people seem to love full service and others prefer to do it themselves, why not please both parties by tweaking the law so that it is mandatory that an attendant be available at every gas station to pump gas for people? That way those that prefer not to pump themselves can use that and others can do it themselves. That seems like a really simple solution to appease everyone; am I still missing something?