Slate: 'New Jersey ban on self-service gasoline: The madness must stop'

Started by J N Winkler, September 18, 2013, 01:33:59 PM

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bugo

I'd never heard them described as "beer runs" until I started working at this store, so it might be a local thing.


SteveG1988

Quote from: Compulov on September 26, 2013, 12:39:02 PM
Quote from: jeffandnicole on September 26, 2013, 08:56:33 AM
NJ allows anyone to sell cigs.  You must be 19 to buy them,
This a new law? One of the things I did on my 18th birthday was buy a pack of cigarettes. Not because I wanted to smoke them (and in fact, I gave them to someone who smoked because I didn't actually smoke), but just because "Hey, I'm 18 and I can!" Man, I can't believe how stupid I was...


The law came into effect in the mid 2000s, while i was in high school in fact (class of 2007, held back so i wasn't class of 2006)
Roads Clinched

I55,I82,I84(E&W)I88(W),I87(N),I81,I64,I74(W),I72,I57,I24,I65,I59,I12,I71,I77,I76(E&W),I70,I79,I85,I86(W),I27,I16,I97,I96,I43,I41,

1995hoo

We used to use the term "beer run" in college (Charlottesville, VA) in the same sense agentsteel53 cites. I have a fond memory my third year of a beer run to the old IGA store downtown with two of my roommates; none of us had ever been into that store before, none of us ever shopped regularly at any other IGA store, and you couldn't see the beer from the store entrance, yet somehow my roommate Chris managed to make a beeline directly to the beer located back in the far corner somewhere.
"You know, you never have a guaranteed spot until you have a spot guaranteed."
—Olaf Kolzig, as quoted in the Washington Times on March 28, 2003,
commenting on the Capitals clinching a playoff spot.

"That sounded stupid, didn't it?"
—Kolzig, to the same reporter a few seconds later.

MASTERNC

Quote from: jeffandnicole on September 26, 2013, 08:56:33 AM
Quote from: MASTERNC on September 25, 2013, 08:51:22 PM
After doing some digging online, it turns out restricting gas purchases to members is against NJ law, so even non-members can get the much lower warehouse club prices.

This is probably one of the better laws in NJ pertaining to gas, and it had been relatively unknown.  At Sams Club, they don't even need to swipe a card.  Both the Sams Club & BJ's in Deptford have gas, and they generally are about 5c or so cheaper than other stations.  This particular Sams Club is newer and has 5 dual sided pumps; but most of the time they only use 3 of them (a situation that never arises in other states unless the pump is not working).  The BJ's added the fueling pumps well after their store opened (probably a good 10-15 years later), after Sams added theirs.  It's quite common to find lines at both stations, indicating that word is getting around that anyone can purchase gas at the stations.

Good to know about the Deptford location.  It's right off of NJ 42 on the way between AC and Philly.

I was in Vineland coming up from the shore when I ran into BJ's there.

SteveG1988

Hess around here does the scan the card before pumping thing, even if you're paying cash, seems it is to prevent people from pumping their own fuel.
Roads Clinched

I55,I82,I84(E&W)I88(W),I87(N),I81,I64,I74(W),I72,I57,I24,I65,I59,I12,I71,I77,I76(E&W),I70,I79,I85,I86(W),I27,I16,I97,I96,I43,I41,

aerules

Maybe it's jsut me but.  I don't find wholesale cclubs in to be cheaper for gas. 

signalman

Quote from: SteveG1988 on September 27, 2013, 05:17:09 PM
Hess around here does the scan the card before pumping thing, even if you're paying cash, seems it is to prevent people from pumping their own fuel.
The card the attendant is swiping is his cash card.  That way the attendant's cash sales are recorded in the computer and managment knows how much should be dropped in the safe from said attendant. 

SteveG1988

Quote from: signalman on September 27, 2013, 06:12:59 PM
Quote from: SteveG1988 on September 27, 2013, 05:17:09 PM
Hess around here does the scan the card before pumping thing, even if you're paying cash, seems it is to prevent people from pumping their own fuel.
The card the attendant is swiping is his cash card.  That way the attendant's cash sales are recorded in the computer and managment knows how much should be dropped in the safe from said attendant. 

It says "insert attendant card" or similar on the pump
Roads Clinched

I55,I82,I84(E&W)I88(W),I87(N),I81,I64,I74(W),I72,I57,I24,I65,I59,I12,I71,I77,I76(E&W),I70,I79,I85,I86(W),I27,I16,I97,I96,I43,I41,

signalman

Are you sure it says "insert attendant card"?  I'm guessing it just says "insert card," which could be a credit card or the attendant's cash card.  Swiping a card initializes a sale and takes the pump off standby.  Self serve pumps that have a card reader on the pump (pay at the pump) work the same way.

aerules

Hess requiers an atendent card in NJ

jeffandnicole

Quote from: signalman on September 28, 2013, 03:12:25 AM
Are you sure it says "insert attendant card"?  I'm guessing it just says "insert card," which could be a credit card or the attendant's cash card.  Swiping a card initializes a sale and takes the pump off standby.  Self serve pumps that have a card reader on the pump (pay at the pump) work the same way.

The machine clearly requires the attendant to insert a card first before the pump can be operated.  The Hess near me requires the same thing for both cash & credit card sales.

Alps

Quote from: jeffandnicole on September 28, 2013, 08:29:54 AM
Quote from: signalman on September 28, 2013, 03:12:25 AM
Are you sure it says "insert attendant card"?  I'm guessing it just says "insert card," which could be a credit card or the attendant's cash card.  Swiping a card initializes a sale and takes the pump off standby.  Self serve pumps that have a card reader on the pump (pay at the pump) work the same way.

The machine clearly requires the attendant to insert a card first before the pump can be operated.  The Hess near me requires the same thing for both cash & credit card sales.
I'd say about 60% of stations in NJ require an attendant card. If you find one of the 40% off hours, there's a chance you can actually fill up on your own credit card, self serve. Just try to duck the security cameras.

NJRoadfan

Quote from: Steve on September 28, 2013, 12:14:33 PM
I'd say about 60% of stations in NJ require an attendant card. If you find one of the 40% off hours, there's a chance you can actually fill up on your own credit card, self serve. Just try to duck the security cameras.

I haven't seen any other station besides Hess using attendant cards for each fill up. Just about every station locks their pumps when closed though.

Scott5114

Quote from: roadman65 on September 26, 2013, 10:32:01 AM
The Customer is always right is no longer a valid phrase anymore.   Apparently to most business owners think that customers need us more than we need them, especially with gas, because we need gas to go to do almost anything!   However, I have found that phrase to only to be used exclusively by management to employees to follow in any business even though they themselves do not practice it. 

That's because it never was a valid phrase. It does not refer to any individual customer. Instead, it is meant as a warning to sell what customers want to buy, not what you want them to buy. That is, if you sell rafts, and lots of people are asking for blue rafts, you should sell blue rafts, not green ones because you think green looks better. The phrase was never supposed to mean "I want a 50% discount because I think I deserve it and the customer is always right!"
uncontrollable freak sardine salad chef

Brandon

Quote from: Scott5114 on September 28, 2013, 02:52:18 PM
Quote from: roadman65 on September 26, 2013, 10:32:01 AM
The Customer is always right is no longer a valid phrase anymore.   Apparently to most business owners think that customers need us more than we need them, especially with gas, because we need gas to go to do almost anything!   However, I have found that phrase to only to be used exclusively by management to employees to follow in any business even though they themselves do not practice it. 

That's because it never was a valid phrase. It does not refer to any individual customer. Instead, it is meant as a warning to sell what customers want to buy, not what you want them to buy. That is, if you sell rafts, and lots of people are asking for blue rafts, you should sell blue rafts, not green ones because you think green looks better. The phrase was never supposed to mean "I want a 50% discount because I think I deserve it and the customer is always right!"

"Give the lady what she wants."
"If you think this has a happy ending, you haven't been paying attention." - Ramsay Bolton, "Game of Thrones"

"Symbolic of his struggle against reality." - Reg, "Monty Python's Life of Brian"

realjd

Quote from: Scott5114 on September 28, 2013, 02:52:18 PM
Quote from: roadman65 on September 26, 2013, 10:32:01 AM
The Customer is always right is no longer a valid phrase anymore.   Apparently to most business owners think that customers need us more than we need them, especially with gas, because we need gas to go to do almost anything!   However, I have found that phrase to only to be used exclusively by management to employees to follow in any business even though they themselves do not practice it. 

That's because it never was a valid phrase. It does not refer to any individual customer. Instead, it is meant as a warning to sell what customers want to buy, not what you want them to buy. That is, if you sell rafts, and lots of people are asking for blue rafts, you should sell blue rafts, not green ones because you think green looks better. The phrase was never supposed to mean "I want a 50% discount because I think I deserve it and the customer is always right!"

Back when I worked a customer service focused job, I always taught my staff "the customer isn't always right, but make them feel like they are".



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