Power At The Gas Pump: Oregon Lets Drivers Fuel Their Cars, Lifting Decade-Old Self-Serve Ban

Recently, Oregon, for the first time in 72 years, took the bold initiative to lift the decade-old self-service ban, allowing drivers to pump in their gas. Gov.Tina Kotek signed a bill to allow people to choose between pumping in their gas and having an attendant. It is worth mentioning that the law takes immediate effect.

With this, New Jersey remains the only state in the US that prohibits motorists from pumping their fuel. Even in other countries like South Africa, the attendants take care of the job with some tipping.

Read on to delve into the viewpoints of various residents, service station managers, and others – some in favor and some against the proposal – concerning the revoking of the self-serve ban. You may even seek the guidance of a Las Vegas business planning attorney in this regard.

Differing Viewpoints: Residents, Service Station Managers and Legislators

To this new step, various residents in the states of the US expressed different views. For example, Karen Cooper, who lives in Salem, says,” I have spent a lot of time in California. I know how to pump my own. Everyone should know how to pump their gas.”

Another resident Kacy Willson, who spent all her life in Oregon, says she isn’t much interested in pumping her gas. She has tried it a few times.

The bill was under consideration in 1951; however, the lawmakers expressed safety concerns, such as for motorists who might slip on the smooth surfaces of the gas stations in rainy weather. In the last few years, legislators introduced the idea of having self-service gas options at night in rural states.

Later, they extended this option to eastern parts of Oregon where less populated motorists might be stuck in the absence of the gas station attendant to fill their vehicles.

In 2019, the pandemic resulted in a labor shortage, fueling the need for self-serve facilities in the gas filling stations.

Steve Rodgers, whose community is located near snow-capped Cascade Mountains, complained to lawmakers, “We live in a small town in a large county and can’t find employees to pump fuel,”. “We are paying top dollar and also offering insurance, paid time off, and retirement benefits, and still cannot fully staff.”

Another resident Haseeb Shojai, an immigrant from Afghanistan in 2004 who owns gas stations in the desert area of central Oregon, expressed concern over the wildfires that were occurring due to climate change. As a result, the state fire marshal lifted the self-serve ban due to heat waves in summer.

Sandy Humphrey, the secretary-treasurer of UFCW Local 555 said, “With over 2,000 gas stations in Oregon, laying off just one employee per location represents millions of dollars a year that giant corporations are not paying in wages, benefits, and public payroll taxes.”

As per the new law, the number of self-service pumps cannot exceed the number of full-service ones in any gas station. Besides, the prices must be the same for both types of motorists. You may consult a Las Vegas business planning attorney if you wish to explore this in detail.

However, some people oppose this viewpoint as they opine that this could gradually result in the complete closing down of the full-service pumps, posing a challenge to older adults and those with disabilities.

“I have some real concerns that we are progressively getting closer and closer to eliminating Oregon’s fuel service,” Democratic state Sen. Lew Frederick said on the Senate floor before voting against the bill.

Brandon Venable, a service station manager, emphasized rejecting the bill, stating that customers might sometimes be careless in using the self-service pumps. However, attendants are always careful and professional in their work, ensuring safety.

Yet others feel that motorists who are now so particular about pumping their gas may not be so keen when the weather is cold, snowy, and rainy. They may rather prefer to remain inside their dry, comfortable cars.

On another occasion, Republican state Sen. Tim Knopp made the pumping of gas on their own as less important as he belonged to a commercial fueling cooperative.

Knopp said during the debate on the bill, “I have yet to light myself on fire. I have yet to cause any problems whatsoever as it relates to self-serve gas. So, colleagues, let’s make New Jersey the only state in the country that has a law against self-serve gas.”

In some time, the state Senate approved the bill on a 16-9 vote. It was earlier passed at 47-10 in the House. In contrast, New Jersey’s 1949 ban on self-service pumps is still a matter of pride for some in a state where there are stickers that read,” Jersey Girls don’t pump gas.”

However, as New Jersey has lower prices than New York and Pennsylvania, sometimes drivers from nearby states cross the line to fill in the fuel. In 2015, lawmakers had suggestions to end the New Jersey ban. However, the measure failed due to opposition from the powerful state Senate president.