Oregon ends its 72-year ban on self-service gasoline

[Rothman]

Speaking as someone who travels semi-regularly to Mexico, where all gas stations are full-service only, I don't understand people's hatred of full-service gas stations.  So someone else pumps your gas instead of you.  What's the big deal?

It tends to bother people (like me) who have a particular routine they follow when they refuel, for things like interacting with the pump interface, stowing the gas cap, putting the pump nozzle back in the holder (which triggers the receipt prompt for many/most/all? pump designs), replacing the gas cap, and readying the car to pull away.  And if there are unusual issues in play that the owner knows of but a gas jockey wouldn't, such as a tank that causes pump shutoffs to trip prematurely, having to have gas pumped by someone else greatly magnifies the hassle factor.

TL;DR--we don't like having our cars messed with.

I don't really care for Mexico's ban on self-service gasoline, either, but I put up with it to avoid being the Ugly American abroad.  (Self-service is the norm in the UK and Ireland, though I've never seen any pumps with hold-open detents there and suspect they may not be legal in either country.)

Huh.  Needing to feel the routine with the pump nozzle's interesting.

For me, full service just feels like it takes longer, whether that's actually true or not.  I also don't like the idea of the gas cap banging against the side of my car.

[hotdogPi]

Here in Massachusetts, about 1 in 10 stations are full service. This 1 in 10 includes a few that give you the option of either (Shell next to exit 3 on MA 213 is one), but full serve costs more.

Exactly one station that I know of will do more than pump gas – one in downtown Wakefield checked tire pressure.

[Takumi]

I've never been to a full-service station in the US, but in South Africa it's the norm.

[kphoger]

At least, with full service, I don't have to worry about making two trips inside to wait in line if paying cash (once to prepay, once to get change).  And, if the receipt printer isn't working at the pump, I don't have to make a trip inside to wait in line.  I've never been to Oregon or New Jersey but, at least in Mexico, that's all handled by the pump jockey.

As for lines at the pumps...  Yeah, that would suck.  One would think that, at the busiest times of day, they'd staff all of the pumps.  Is that not the case?

[SP Cook]

I know of exactly two full service stations.  Both Exxon and both 50 or 60 year old buildings, located in the rich while landlords neighborhoods of Huntington and Charleston.  They fill up the rich white widows cars once a month or so, so they can drive to their "church" and feel morally superior to me and other common people.  They charge about $1 more than other stations. 

I don't know

[seicer]

Quite a few full-service stations in the highlands part of the state persisted until fairly recently. Some were Exxon, while others were BEST. I've noticed a number of rural stations closing in recent years, including all of those full-service stations.

While I appreciate the service of a full-service station, I prefer to do it myself. I don't like it when someone doesn't put the gas cap in the holder and just drops it onto the hardened plastic (or worse: paint). I don't like it when someone drips gasoline onto the same hardened plastic that I then have to clean up. And I don't like it when someone takes my card and swipes it into some unknown terminal (not always at the pump). I've had fraudulent charges happen that way.

[J N Winkler]

At least, with full service, I don't have to worry about making two trips inside to wait in line if paying cash (once to prepay, once to get change).  And, if the receipt printer isn't working at the pump, I don't have to make a trip inside to wait in line.  I've never been to Oregon or New Jersey but, at least in Mexico, that's all handled by the pump jockey.

I have been to both states, but have always paid for fuel in each with a credit card, so it's been 100% about having to let someone else do stuff with my car.

One of the trips to Oregon was with a 1986 Nissan Maxima that needed to have the fuel pumped in slowly to avoid tripping the shutoff prematurely.  I came out of the desert almost on fumes, only for a gas jockey to hand me a receipt for two gallons' worth of fuel, thinking he was going to send me on my way.  The tank had a nominal capacity of 15.5 gallons.  It took a lot longer to straighten that out than it would have if I had just been left alone to pump my own gas.

If the receipt printer at the pump doesn't work, I just take pictures of the pump readouts with my smartphone camera.

As for lines at the pumps...  Yeah, that would suck.  One would think that, at the busiest times of day, they'd staff all of the pumps.  Is that not the case?

The issue is more that, with a ban on self-service in place, staffing becomes another reason you might have to wait at a busy station.  I had the experience Corco describes at a station off I-5 between Portland and Salem--it did not take that long, but the jockey was almost running around the apron tending to refueling vehicles.

[abefroman329]

At least, with full service, I don't have to worry about making two trips inside to wait in line if paying cash (once to prepay, once to get change).  And, if the receipt printer isn't working at the pump, I don't have to make a trip inside to wait in line.  I've never been to Oregon or New Jersey but, at least in Mexico, that's all handled by the pump jockey.

As for lines at the pumps...  Yeah, that would suck.  One would think that, at the busiest times of day, they'd staff all of the pumps.  Is that not the case?

I've only filled up in NJ a handful of times (much easier to just fill up in a neighboring state, if you can).

Didn't have to leave the car. Pump jockey took my card, ran it, and brought the receipt for me to sign.

Lines were often long at service plazas, but who knows how much shorter they would have been if self-serve was an option (each jockey seemed to be assigned to 2-4 pumps). The Turnpike is a well-traveled road, especially on weekends in the summer. And heaven knows I've waited in long lines at Costco, which is self-serve.

One unexpected issue I ran into in NJ that no one has brought up: The gas stations that can't justify the labor costs of staying open all night, don't, and it's not like they can close the station and leave the pumps and the credit card readers on like I've seen in other places.

[Rothman]

Just ended up at a Kwik Fill and forgot they still do full serve here in NY.

[texaskdog]

Speaking as someone who travels semi-regularly to Mexico, where all gas stations are full-service only, I don't understand people's hatred of full-service gas stations.  So someone else pumps your gas instead of you.  What's the big deal?

Some of us just don't care for unnecessary human interaction with a stranger.  For me that's the reason, nothing more grandiose than that. 

Reminds me of the King of the Hill episode where Hank hated going to the BBQ place that he loved because he had to sit at a table with strangers.

[abefroman329]

Speaking as someone who travels semi-regularly to Mexico, where all gas stations are full-service only, I don't understand people's hatred of full-service gas stations.  So someone else pumps your gas instead of you.  What's the big deal?

Some of us just don't care for unnecessary human interaction with a stranger.  For me that's the reason, nothing more grandiose than that. 

Reminds me of the King of the Hill episode where Hank hated going to the BBQ place that he loved because he had to sit at a table with strangers.

Which, come to think of it, was pretty out-of-character for a man who sells propane and propane accessories.

[Bruce]

Honestly, I think a full-service station for EVs might make sense for some high-demand locations. An unfamiliar charging setup can confuse people and waste precious time, plus a jockey would be able to kick out an idle vehicle that has already charged up. I tried two different charging stations in Oregon this weekend and both were a pain to set up properly, between downloading yet another app, entering payment systems, fiddling with the adapter, and making sure it was optimized.

[Rothman]

Honestly, I think a full-service station for EVs might make sense for some high-demand locations. An unfamiliar charging setup can confuse people and waste precious time, plus a jockey would be able to kick out an idle vehicle that has already charged up. I tried two different charging stations in Oregon this weekend and both were a pain to set up properly, between downloading yet another app, entering payment systems, fiddling with the adapter, and making sure it was optimized.

There was a woman who had rented an EV and wss trying to charge it near here at a station in a parking lot.  She got the nozzle into the outlet on her car, but couldn't get it off.  Neither could me nor my wife.

EVs are just not ready for prime time.

[seicer]

There was a whole article detailing the differences in charging standards and why Tesla's NACS is becoming the gold standard (and why GM, Nissan, Ford, and others are adopting it). In short, NACS's connectors aren't plug-heavy and the weight of the connector won't damage the pins over time, unlike CCS plugs. Tesla also maintains their Superchargers very well and very few of the units are defective or off-line, unlike what you'll find for Electrify America and other brands.

[Max Rockatansky]

The EV market as a whole just needs to consolidate a standard and run with it.  The stories I'm seeing now remind me of what I used to read about (albeit to a lesser extent) when gasoline wasn't standardized in the early 20th century.

[SectorZ]

There was a whole article detailing the differences in charging standards and why Tesla's NACS is becoming the gold standard (and why GM, Nissan, Ford, and others are adopting it). In short, NACS's connectors aren't plug-heavy and the weight of the connector won't damage the pins over time, unlike CCS plugs. Tesla also maintains their Superchargers very well and very few of the units are defective or off-line, unlike what you'll find for Electrify America and other brands.

Also don't hear about Tesla ones frying EV batteries like Electrify America seems to have an occasional habit of doing.

[1995hoo]

The EV market as a whole just needs to consolidate a standard and run with it.  The stories I'm seeing now remind me of what I used to read about (albeit to a lesser extent) when gasoline wasn't standardized in the early 20th century.

Or VHS versus Beta, Mac versus PC, Blu-ray versus HD DVD, SACD versus DVD-Audio (ok, both of those were relegated to niche markets)...it seems like they never learn from past format wars. In this case it does underscore one of the reasons why I've said I want to wait as long as possible before entering the car market–things are changing very quickly, and this particular development is an extremely significant one.

[vdeane]

Honestly, I think a full-service station for EVs might make sense for some high-demand locations. An unfamiliar charging setup can confuse people and waste precious time, plus a jockey would be able to kick out an idle vehicle that has already charged up. I tried two different charging stations in Oregon this weekend and both were a pain to set up properly, between downloading yet another app, entering payment systems, fiddling with the adapter, and making sure it was optimized.

Did the station not have the ability to just pay with a credit card?  I honestly don't understand the fetish for apps that EV owners and charging companies seem to have.

[Max Rockatansky]

The EV market as a whole just needs to consolidate a standard and run with it.  The stories I'm seeing now remind me of what I used to read about (albeit to a lesser extent) when gasoline wasn't standardized in the early 20th century.

Or VHS versus Beta, Mac versus PC, Blu-ray versus HD DVD, SACD versus DVD-Audio (ok, both of those were relegated to niche markets)...it seems like they never learn from past format wars. In this case it does underscore one of the reasons why I've said I want to wait as long as possible before entering the car market–things are changing very quickly, and this particular development is an extremely significant one.

I don't "need"  an EV nor do I have a particular "want"  for one either.  The way I see it, kicking that down to 2035 and beyond is just going to mean by the time I purchase EV everything regarding it (including infrastructure) will have likely self-normalized.

[abefroman329]

The EV market as a whole just needs to consolidate a standard and run with it.  The stories I'm seeing now remind me of what I used to read about (albeit to a lesser extent) when gasoline wasn't standardized in the early 20th century.

Reminds me of the olden days when each cell phone manufacturer had its own charging standard, sometimes more than one.

[Scott5114]

Reminds me of the olden days when each cell phone manufacturer had its own charging standard, sometimes more than one.

This only happened because the EU passed a regulation requiring it. Not being able to sell your product in 27 of the wealthiest countries in the world is a pretty big incentive to stop playing games trying to lock down market share with incompatible connectors.

[SSOWorld]

The EV market as a whole just needs to consolidate a standard and run with it.  The stories I'm seeing now remind me of what I used to read about (albeit to a lesser extent) when gasoline wasn't standardized in the early 20th century.

Reminds me of the olden days when each cell phone manufacturer had its own charging standard, sometimes more than one.

they still do and still will. (thanks Apple)

[SectorZ]

The EV market as a whole just needs to consolidate a standard and run with it.  The stories I'm seeing now remind me of what I used to read about (albeit to a lesser extent) when gasoline wasn't standardized in the early 20th century.

Reminds me of the olden days when each cell phone manufacturer had its own charging standard, sometimes more than one.

they still do and still will. (thanks Apple)

Not in a few months thankfully. Thank the EU for that.

[seicer]

Reminds me of the olden days when each cell phone manufacturer had its own charging standard, sometimes more than one.

This only happened because the EU passed a regulation requiring it. Not being able to sell your product in 27 of the wealthiest countries in the world is a pretty big incentive to stop playing games trying to lock down market share with incompatible connectors.

At the time, the Lightning connector was far superior to USB Type A, USB Mini A, and USB Mini B. Lightning came out in 2012, and USB Type C came out in 2014. But the specification from Apple has never changed so it's now painstakingly slow in comparison to USB Type C.

[kalvado]

Reminds me of the olden days when each cell phone manufacturer had its own charging standard, sometimes more than one.

This only happened because the EU passed a regulation requiring it. Not being able to sell your product in 27 of the wealthiest countries in the world is a pretty big incentive to stop playing games trying to lock down market share with incompatible connectors.

At the time, the Lightning connector was far superior to USB Type A, USB Mini A, and USB Mini B. Lightning came out in 2012, and USB Type C came out in 2014. But the specification from Apple has never changed so it's now painstakingly slow in comparison to USB Type C.

Which to a significant extent defeats the purpose of standardization, if you will. Usb-c environment evolved to be very diverse within itself, so a new charger for a new phone isn't uncommon. QC, PD, PPS alphabet soup is there.. but connection is the same! Cables of multiple different grades is another fun part.