To Pump Or Not To Pump
In a short while, New Jersey may be the only state in the Union left that does not allow people to pump their own gasoline. If you live in the Jersey City, or Hoboken area, you may not have thought about this very much, especially if you rarely travel out of the state.
Gasoline stations have been around since the early part of the twentieth century. As automobiles proliferated, so did the stations. At that time, service was a given. Most stations had an attendant that would not only pump your gas, but clean your windshield, check your oil, and put air in your tire if needed. Customer loyalty was important.
After World War II, some independent thinkers, led by Frank Urich in Los Angeles, began opening self-service stations. It didn’t catch on right away. Part of the reason for that was that most states had regulations that forbade the use of self-service for flammable liquids. Another reason is that people wanted the services provided by an attendant. Bumper stickers were seen with slogans like, “Real women don’t pump gas.” This resistance didn’t last long, however.
At first, self-service was an option. You could pump your own gas if you wanted to, but an attendant would do it for you if you preferred. The extra expense of the attendant became too much to provide for the lower prices, so self-serve became almost exclusive (except, of course, in Oregon and New Jersey.)
By 1981, all states except Oregon and New Jersey had dropped legislation forbidding self-service at gas stations. With advancing technology that allowed paying at the pump and even touch-screen control, the die had been cast. Today, about 90% of gasoline sold in America is self-serve. That will more than likely increase a bit if Oregon changes the law to allow self-service.
It seems that there may still be a majority (albeit a slight one) of people who favor keeping New Jersey a non-self-service state. It will be interesting to see if that changes anytime in the near future.
How do you feel about pumping your own gasoline?
Edward