Has anyone seen this?

[Metlakatla]

Originally Posted by jrkliny

..... "And I'm sure that many people pumping gas are damn glad to have their jobs."
Not that I noticed. In any case requiring attendents is a total waste of mankind. Instead what about looking for ways to help the the unskilled gain some skills so they can get a worthwhile job with decent pay? No, not everyone will be able to develop and handle a skilled job. The vast majority will and instead of making worthless jobs let's find another way to help those with deficiencies.

I felt the same about all of the bums living on the Portland streets. Somehow there seemed to be the attitude that this was it ok and acceptable. Isn't is way past time to end this situation and get them off the street? And NO, I do not mean swept under the rug. Many of these people are clearly in serious need of help. It is way past time for Portland and Oregon to step up and do something for these people and at the same time end the unsavory and potentially dangerous conditions that now exist.

I truly do despair.

You have no idea why the people who are working at gas stations are doing so and it's really none of your business. I'm completely appalled that you choose to come on here and slam people for trying to put food on their table, especially in this economy. You have less than NO idea whether the man or woman who pumps your gas is a student, or a victim of one of the many lay-offs that Oregon has experienced, or a retiree trying to pick up some extra money. Whatever their life situation is, you are simply embarrassing yourself here by being so hostile concerning their choice of employment.

I spend my time being Alaska and Oregon. We pay more at the pump in Alaska and have to pump it ourselves. Try that at 40 below sometime.

Out of curiosity, do you have the same fearful attitude towards others who work in what could be construed as low level jobs? You seem to make quite the little parallel between "bums" and those who work at low paying occupations. Let's hope it's never your college student son or daughter who gets sneered at by some sanctimonious cretin for doing honest work.

I'll take the local guy who pumps my gas with a smile and a kind word and who puts the money from his paycheck back into my local economy over some inflated self impressed snob any day.

[lucknow]

Originally Posted by philwithbeard

Portland is emphatically not for everyone, at every time in their lives.

Some people love the city at one time in their lives, and still leave a few years later.

And a trendy place for one generation, may not be of any use to the next cultural movement.

Let the writer of that link have his opinion, but take it as just his opinion, not anything more important than that. He made the arguments as holding up Portland as a perfect place, it ain't. The question is, for each point he made, what other city would be, overall, better than Portland, overall. Yes, specific issues will be glaringly bad here in Portland, but is there a city that does not have glaringly bad points? I don't know of any.

Phil

Toronto

[Élan vital]

Originally Posted by Metlakatla

I truly do despair.

You have no idea why the people who are working at gas stations are doing so and it's really none of your business. I'm completely appalled that you choose to come on here and slam people for trying to put food on their table, especially in this economy. You have less than NO idea whether the man or woman who pumps your gas is a student, or a victim of one of the many lay-offs that Oregon has experienced, or a retiree trying to pick up some extra money. Whatever their life situation is, you are simply embarrassing yourself here by being so hostile concerning their choice of employment.

I spend my time being Alaska and Oregon. We pay more at the pump in Alaska and have to pump it ourselves. Try that at 40 below sometime.

Out of curiosity, do you have the same fearful attitude towards others who work in what could be construed as low level jobs? You seem to make quite the little parallel between "bums" and those who work at low paying occupations. Let's hope it's never your college student son or daughter who gets sneered at by some sanctimonious cretin for doing honest work.

I'll take the local guy who pumps my gas with a smile and a kind word and who puts the money from his paycheck back into my local economy over some inflated self impressed snob any day.

http://i798.photobucket.com/albums/yy263/bowlofpetunias/smilies/AddEmoticons04230.gif (broken link)

[Wicked Felina]

Ditto.

[philwithbeard]

Originally Posted by lucknow

Toronto

Sorry, don't think so:
Does Toronto now have mild winters?
---You know, like only three or four days of snow all winter?
And ah, well.. how are the taxes up in Toronto?

Phil

[lucknow]

Originally Posted by philwithbeard

Sorry, don't think so:
Does Toronto now have mild winters?
---You know, like only three or four days of snow all winter?
And ah, well.. how are the taxes up in Toronto?

Phil

These things are not "Glaringly bad points" in my mind. I like winter and the taxes are worse elsewhere.

[philwithbeard]

Originally Posted by lucknow

These things are not "Glaringly bad points" in my mind. I like winter and the taxes are worse elsewhere.

Ah, you just hit the exact point of this entire thread!!!!

What is trivial, not important, or something you personally like, to others is a "Glaringly bad point" of a city. To each is own. AND (emphasis added) not all cities should be mass production copies of one another.

For you to say just Toronto, I just say, Not. But I don't intend to live in Toronto, or even visit. I presume your feelings are about the same to Portland OR. In fact if given a choice, you might prefer to visit Vancouver BC over Vancouver WA, (which is just across the Columbia River from Portland, OR. The two cities are in my guess about 500 km apart.)

The original post in this thread was about an article that some one wrote trashing the city of Portland for what some consider to be actually good points of Portland, others find to be a Portland unique quality, or they just ignore some of the issues and unimportant. And the following is important: You (or me) don't get to vote on how someone else feels what a "glaringly bad point is" Thus, all cities have some feature, or condition, that someone, somewhere, will consider as glaringly bad.

I also feel confident if someone wrote such an article about Toronto, you would dismiss it as most of us on the Portland forum have dismissed the article linked in the original thread.

Do enjoy your Canadian winter. It works out good this way, I who don't want to deal with your winters, live in Portland, where it rains a lot in winter, which is what I want.

[jrkliny]

It has taken a while but I have see the errors in my logic. The laws requiring full service gas stations do make sense. Among other attributes this law helps create jobs and put money back into the economy. I think there are some similar laws that should be put in place. First, it makes perfect sense to require attendents in public rest rooms. This would include rest rooms in restaurants, stores, and of course gas stations. I personally would rather not fumble around with wet hands trying to operate blow dryers or dispense paper towels. Attendends would dispense the towels or operate the dryers. I certainly would not slam people in these jobs for trying to put food on the table, especially in this economy. Many years ago, many areas of the country required elevator operators. A few days ago there was a death due to individuals trying to operate a freight elevator. Let us require elevator operators. Escalators and moving sidewalks are also hazards, we should require attendents at both ends. I certainly would not slam people in these jobs for trying to put food on the table, especially in this economy. Next I am concerned about grocery stores. Some stores provide the staff to help bag but almost none of the stores will provide help in loading the groceries in your car. This service would make a lot of sense and should be extended to all stores. Every store should provide the attendents to help load items in your car or other form of transport. I certainly would not slam people in these jobs for trying to put food on the table, especially in this economy.

With a little more thought I am sure we could come up with dozens of similar jobs which would employ tens of thousands of people in the Portland and Oregon economy. I'll take the local guy who does these jobs with a smile and a kind word and who puts the money from his paycheck back into my local economy over some inflated self impressed snob any day.

[Metlakatla]

You have yet to point out where the states that don't have pump attendants (note the proper spelling here; if you're going to rant about other people's educational levels you may as give some consideration to your own and at least attempt to type coherently) on average have higher fuel costs than Oregon does.