Sheetz

[agentsteel53]

Are we going to get one in Jersey? Probably not. But we'll see.

well, Jersey has the "it is forbidden to pump your own gas" law, so that would defeat a bunch of Sheetz's technological advantage. 

[BigMattFromTexas]

Wait, is it seriously illegal to pump your own gas?? Man, I've pumped gas for my mom and dad. Dang. But I think it'd be real interesting to go to one of these stores.
BigMatt

[Michael in Philly]

Yep.  No self-service in New Jersey.  Which doesn't prevent the state from having some of the lowest gas prices in the country.
I read years ago (like 20 or more years) that there was no self-service in Oregon either.  Is that still true?  And if memory serves, there isn't, or used not to be, self-service in Quebec....

[agentsteel53]

as far as I know, Oregon is still full-serve only.

I have pumped my own gas in Quebec the last few times I was there.  

Mexico is all full-serve as well.

[okroads]

as far as I know, Oregon is still full-serve only.

I have pumped my own gas in Quebec the last few times I was there. 

Mexico is all full-serve as well.

Oregon is still full-serve only.

[SP Cook]

New Jersey and Oregon indeed have mandatory full-serve.  In NJ at least, this, and several other laws prohibiting the sale of certain items in supermarkets (such as fresh baked bread, IIRC, thus necesitating a seperate bakery with, of course, seperate additional employees) is viewed as a way to create jobs.  Every time I am in NJ, I always fill up because full-serve is something I never even see elsewhere.  The low price, BTW, is a function of NJ's lower fuel tax rate.

IIRC, Ohio had mandatory full-serve into the late 70s.  I seem to remember it being a big deal when they went away from it. 

From the last time I was in Mexico, the government oil monopoly has done away with mandatory full-serve.  Now kids hang around the pumps and pump your gas for a tip.

[agentsteel53]

From the last time I was in Mexico, the government oil monopoly has done away with mandatory full-serve.  Now kids hang around the pumps and pump your gas for a tip.

all the times I got gas last weekend, it was uniformed Pemex employees.  I did not tip; did not believe it to be part of the process. 

[mightyace]

From the last time I was in Mexico, the government oil monopoly has done away with mandatory full-serve.  Now kids hang around the pumps and pump your gas for a tip.

all the times I got gas last weekend, it was uniformed Pemex employees.  I did not tip; did not believe it to be part of the process. 

Not necessarily a conflict here.  SP Cook is stating that mandatory full serve is gone, that doesn't mean it can't still be done.  It just doesn't have to be.

[Roadgeek Adam]

Yeah there is a 1/2 and 1/2 on PA 611 in Stroudsburg

[deathtopumpkins]

Last time I drove through NJ it had really expensive gas... like 20 cents more expensive than in Delaware (at least on the NJTP). And the attendant certainly expected a tip... When I'm driving I ALWAYS fill up before getting to Jersey because I refuse to let someone else put gas in my car.

[Scott5114]

But, just as, if not more important, is that the whole menu is available 24x7.  If you get up late and want a quick, cheap breakfast as 11:30am, you can get it.  Or, you can get anything at 2am as well.

You know, I'm the exact opposite. I hate mandatory breakfast! Just because it's 9am shouldn't mean I can't get actual food instead of this specialized stuff everyone else eats at that time. Who died and made breakfast be able to get its own food? You don't differentiate between lunch and dinner food... Nobody ever says "Why are you eating STEAK for lunch? That's a DINNER food."

[agentsteel53]

Who died and made breakfast be able to get its own food?

Jim Fixx, I believe.

I like the choice of having breakfast or lunch/dinner at any hour.

[Michael in Philly]

Last time I drove through NJ it had really expensive gas... like 20 cents more expensive than in Delaware (at least on the NJTP). And the attendant certainly expected a tip... When I'm driving I ALWAYS fill up before getting to Jersey because I refuse to let someone else put gas in my car.

The Turnpike has a captive audience.  Use 295 instead.  Last time I bought gas over there, it was 23 cents a gallon less than in my neighborhood five miles away.  And I grew up in New Jersey and have never heard of anyone tipping.

[yanksfan6129]

Last time I drove through NJ it had really expensive gas... like 20 cents more expensive than in Delaware (at least on the NJTP). And the attendant certainly expected a tip... When I'm driving I ALWAYS fill up before getting to Jersey because I refuse to let someone else put gas in my car.

The Turnpike has a captive audience.  Use 295 instead.  Last time I bought gas over there, it was 23 cents a gallon less than in my neighborhood five miles away.  And I grew up in New Jersey and have never heard of anyone tipping.

The Turnpike only changes prices once a week, on Friday. If prices are going up, you can often find some of the cheapest gas in the state/country on the Thursday before prices are raised. As for 'expecting a tip'-that doesn't make any sense, no one tips for gasoline in NJ.

Personally, and I've said this on this forum in other threads before, the one thing I like about living in NJ is the full service gasoline...it's nice to have that service done for you. And, yes, it does create jobs, I guess.

[agentsteel53]

Personally, and I've said this on this forum in other threads before, the one thing I like about living in NJ is the full service gasoline...it's nice to have that service done for you. And, yes, it does create jobs, I guess.

I strongly dislike it.  The attendants often attempt to overfill the tank past when the pump naturally clicks off, even when I explicitly tell them not to do so. 

I wave them off as much as I can.  "Take a break!"  "I can't, it's against the law."  "Is your boss around?"  "Nope."  "Well, all right then, I think we've come to an agreement, haven't we?"

[yanksfan6129]

Personally, and I've said this on this forum in other threads before, the one thing I like about living in NJ is the full service gasoline...it's nice to have that service done for you. And, yes, it does create jobs, I guess.

I strongly dislike it.  The attendants often attempt to overfill the tank past when the pump naturally clicks off, even when I explicitly tell them not to do so. 

I wave them off as much as I can.  "Take a break!"  "I can't, it's against the law."  "Is your boss around?"  "Nope."  "Well, all right then, I think we've come to an agreement, haven't we?"

My dad sometimes pumps his own gas at a certain station where he goes so frequently that they know him well.

In terms of "top offs"---do you pay with cash or credit? It is done pretty much always when paying with cash to avoid small change. It doesn't really bother me, it'll add, what, theoretically no more than $.99. And I'll have to pay that later anyway. Credit, however, I don't think they bother topping off.

[agentsteel53]

In terms of "top offs"---do you pay with cash or credit? It is done pretty much always when paying with cash to avoid small change. It doesn't really bother me, it'll add, what, theoretically no more than $.99. And I'll have to pay that later anyway. Credit, however, I don't think they bother topping off.

I always pay with credit.  In fact, so much so that when I went to Mexico two weekends ago, and did not bring a credit card, I had simply forgotten how to pay with cash in the US.  (Prepay inside.  Didn't help that the pump gave me the wrong instructions: after I selected "pay with cash" it told me to begin pumping, but nothing flowed until I went inside and prepaid.)

I have never learned how to pump to the nearest dollar - sometimes I try to get an exact number of gallons in instead of topping off (due to the rental car needing to be returned at 3/8 full or some other ridiculously arbitrary amount) and I can't get it to more accurate than, say, 6.005 gallons.  Just don't have the dexterity to turn the pump off at the exact right split second.

and the reason I don't like topoffs is because I figure the click-done indicator is put at the position it is for a very good reason by the car manufacturer.

[Roadgeek Adam]

I like the full service honestly. There is a way to keep jobs in the country, and this is one of them .

[Michael in Philly]

And you don't have to wash your hands after you've bought gas, or make sure you eat before you pump.

[agentsteel53]

I like the full service honestly. There is a way to keep jobs in the country, and this is one of them .

until the gas station cannot afford the overhead, and then, in the absence of being allowed to go self-serve, goes no-serve instead.

perhaps we should make it illegal to go out of business.

[BigMattFromTexas]

I don't like the idea of full service. It makes me feel like I'm being too lazy to pump my own gas. I mean, it's not that hard to get out and pump gas...
BigMatt

[Michael in Philly]

I like the full service honestly. There is a way to keep jobs in the country, and this is one of them .

until the gas station cannot afford the overhead, and then, in the absence of being allowed to go self-serve, goes no-serve instead.

perhaps we should make it illegal to go out of business.

New Jersey doesn't seem to have a shortage of gas stations....

[Michael in Philly]

I don't like the idea of full service. It makes me feel like I'm being too lazy to pump my own gas. I mean, it's not that hard to get out and pump gas...
BigMatt

Unless you're disabled, for example.  If you're not, you can go inside and get a snack or use the men's room or something, and when you come out, your tank's full.

[BigMattFromTexas]

Ok, lemme rephrase that, I don't really like full service, but if it allows you to pump your own gas then it's fine. I hate those full service only gas station. I don't like the idea of tipping someone for something I could do perfectly fine myself.
BigMatt

[Michael in Philly]

No one in New Jersey tips for gas.  They must have pegged you for a naive out-of-stater.

I, on the other hand, the first time I bought gas outside New Jersey and couldn't figure out how to work the pump (late '80s, in Maryland) paid a 50-cent-a-gallon premium for the privilege of a service that would not have cost me extra at home.