# Outraged New Jerseyians demand that government decide for them! **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [May 18, 2006, 12:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/outraged-new-jerseyians-demand-that-government-decide-for-them/357202 "2006-05-18T00:54:04Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Spiff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spiff/32/9852_2.png) [@Spiff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spiff)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2006, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/outraged-new-jerseyians-demand-that-government-decide-for-them/357202/41 "2006-05-18T18:25:10Z")
What \*\*whole bean \*\* said. In other words, thanks for summing up the many reasons why the New Jersey 1400 are idiots. ---
**Author:** ![Oy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bc8723/32.png) [@Oy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oy)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2006, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/outraged-new-jerseyians-demand-that-government-decide-for-them/357202/42 "2006-05-18T18:36:16Z")
> [@whole bean](#): > > This makes no sense. As has been noted time and again here: 1. self-service prices should fall because your current prices already include the cost of full service; 2. your prices are lower because of a low tax, which has nothing to do with self service, and still yet they’re really not that low. Other than a slight decrease in the scale of full-service users, there should be nothing that would cause the cost of full service to increase – where do you get this “freedom . . . to jack up the prices on having gas pumped for you” nonsense? You’re already paying to have gas pumped for you. > > Furthermore, this “why do you care” shtick has got to stop. In case you haven’t notice, the majority of gassing (forgive the pun) on this board concerns things that shouldn’t matter to us but do because there are a bunch of anal retentive know-it-alls here (I say that with the utmost of love and respect for said anal retentive know-it-alls). Getting bound up about stupidity, whether it directly affects us or not, is this board’s pastime. > > Admit it. There is no good reason for the prohibition of self-service pumps. Furthermore, allowing self service pumps does not per se mean the elimination of full service pumps or even a price increase for said full service. However, this restriction on private businesses practices is unnecessary and makes your state look foolish. Horseshit! How many times do I need to repeat that the gas stations around here with low prices are one-guy shops. Their price will not come down one red cent. But those same stations will charge a great deal more to pump if self-service is permitted. Perhaps my figure of 50 cents a gallon is off - that’s what I seem to have noticed, but then it must have been travelling between states as well. But the idea that prices will come down significantly? It is, as they say, to laugh. If you think anyone under the age of 65 here really believes it is unsafe for folks to pump their own gas, think again. It’s not, or at least no more so than in any other state (it wouldn’t surprise me if it were more dangerous than we realize, but obviously it’s not a serious nationwide problem). Thanks, but we really don’t need our “ignorance” fought on this little matter. It’s the excuse. We all know it. We don’t care. And since 99% of you didn’t ever realize or at least think about the fact that NJ doesn’t pump its own gas, I don’t think it “makes the state look foolish.” I don’t think people normally give a shit. But I sure get a sense from you folks that somehow we’re breaking the rules because we can sit fat and happy in our cars in the pouring rain, while you have to hop out and pump your own gas. You have to pay more to get full-service, but NJ doesn’t - it’s _not fair_ - those lousy, ingnorant NJ people aren’t pulling their weight, and THEY MUST PAY!!! Put a sock in it. :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![Cheesesteak](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cheesesteak/32/3694_2.png) [@Cheesesteak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cheesesteak)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2006, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/outraged-new-jerseyians-demand-that-government-decide-for-them/357202/43 "2006-05-18T18:39:48Z")
> [@whole bean](#): > > Furthermore, this “why do you care” shtick has got to stop. In case you haven’t notice, the majority of gassing (forgive the pun) on this board concerns things that shouldn’t matter to us but do because there are a bunch of anal retentive know-it-alls here (I say that with the utmost of love and respect for said anal retentive know-it-alls). Getting bound up about stupidity, whether it directly affects us or not, is this board’s pastime. Honestly, “why do you care” was the first thing to pop in my mind when I read the OP. Why for this and not other issues? Because it is rightfully our choice as NJ residents to decide whether or not to have full serve only. Nobody is hurt, nobody is kicked out of their homes, nobody is humiliated, or insulted or anything remotely of the sort. If the populace really felt that the extra $.05/gal we spend was harming us, we’d get the law changed. I don’t think there’s some ultrapowerful pump-jockey lobby in Trenton preventing change, it’s that the residents are relatively happy with the situation as it is. Now, if the populace was pushing hard for change, and the government refused for bullshit reasons, then I could see a pitting. Now, apparently, if the government has laws the populace is generally happy with, that deserves a pitting too, because we are happy with the “wrong” thing. I don’t even like the full serve law and I want to tell the OP to get bent. It’s weird. ---
**Author:** ![Opus1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/858c86/32.png) [@Opus1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Opus1)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2006, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/outraged-new-jerseyians-demand-that-government-decide-for-them/357202/44 "2006-05-18T18:41:00Z")
Just a quick addition on the jobs/ cost issue. You can’t have it both ways. If all these stations are manned by one attendant, then you aren’t going to be losing any jobs. If you are going to be eliminating jobs, as the opponents of legalized self-gas-pumping contend, then the savings must be passed on somewhere. You can’t say “Prices won’t actually drop because all the stations will keep their attendants anyway” and “Jobs will be lost” in the same breath. ---
**Author:** ![D\_Odds](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/d_odds/32/2882_2.png) [@D\_Odds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/D_Odds)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2006, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/outraged-new-jerseyians-demand-that-government-decide-for-them/357202/45 "2006-05-18T18:49:20Z")
**What Exit?** , the excuses quoted in the OP…elderly people, careless people, etc. The quotes make it sound like gas pumping accidents are an epidemic and NJ is at the forefront of protecting its population.\* Trained gas attendants? You Jerseyites are far ahead of us NYers. Pumped gas for two summers - my training consisted of being shown where the dropsafe and the mop were located…not necessarily in that order. \*Or, just because I love and live to pick on NJ, the NJ politicians realize that the years of breathing toxic Jersey fumes have so incapacitated the population that it is necessary to train a select cadre of people in the finer points of pumping gas. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2006, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/outraged-new-jerseyians-demand-that-government-decide-for-them/357202/46 "2006-05-18T19:01:05Z")
> [@Opus1](#): > > Just a quick addition on the jobs/ cost issue. You can’t have it both ways. If all these stations are manned by one attendant, then you aren’t going to be losing any jobs. If you are going to be eliminating jobs, as the opponents of legalized self-gas-pumping contend, then the savings must be passed on somewhere. You can’t say “Prices won’t actually drop because all the stations will keep their attendants anyway” and “Jobs will be lost” in the same breath. Who actually said that in one post or one breath? Who brought up lost jobs in this thread? Whom are you addressing with your post? Please clarify. **D\_Odds** : Thank you. Your point at deriding the article seems very fair. The article is poorly written. To the best of my knowledge, the law was passed in the late 40’s for some of the reasons stated in the article. I would be shocked if any body tried to claim the reason we are keeping the law is safety. So please laugh away, it is a very silly reason. BTW: What is the best part of living in New Jersey? How easy it is to visit NYC and other more interesting places. 😉 Jim {it is just a joke, I like living in NJ, there is plenty wrong and plenty that is great and all in such a small package} ---
**Author:** ![iamthewalrus\_3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/258eb7/32.png) [@iamthewalrus\_3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iamthewalrus_3)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2006, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/outraged-new-jerseyians-demand-that-government-decide-for-them/357202/47 "2006-05-18T19:08:09Z")
> [@Cheesesteak](#): > > Because it is rightfully our choice as NJ residents to decide whether or not to have full serve only. But only collectively, apparently. An individual NJ resident who wants to pump his own gas is shouted down: “The rest of us like it this way!” :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![Ensign\_Edison](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7ab992/32.png) [@Ensign\_Edison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ensign_Edison)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2006, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/outraged-new-jerseyians-demand-that-government-decide-for-them/357202/48 "2006-05-18T19:10:47Z")
> [@iamthewalrus(:3=](#): > > But only collectively, apparently. An individual NJ resident who wants to pump his own gas is shouted down: “The rest of us like it this way!” :rolleyes: I think prostitution should be legal. I’m an NJ resident. Do you think it’s wrong that my view is “shouted down” because it’s in the minority? If it were important enough to the majority in NJ, the law would change. ---
**Author:** ![whole\_bean](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/96bed5/32.png) [@whole\_bean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/whole_bean)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2006, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/outraged-new-jerseyians-demand-that-government-decide-for-them/357202/49 "2006-05-18T19:20:19Z")
> [@Oy!](#): > > we can sit fat and happy in our cars in the pouring rain, while you have to hop out and pump your own gas. You have to pay more to get full-service, but NJ doesn’t - it’s _not fair_ - those lousy, ingnorant NJ people aren’t pulling their weight, and THEY MUST PAY!!! > > Put a sock in it. :rolleyes: How can you have missed something mentioned at least three times? You ARE paying for full service. The reason your gas prices are relatively lower than your neighbors (though not the majority of the states – see **Zakalwe** ’s post and links therein) is because you have a lower tax. JEBUS man! How is it that you conclude that legislation mandating ‘full serve only’ keeps the price of full serve down? I mean it may, a little, as it creates an economy of scale for pump boys, but really, it’ can’t be much. If you like the law because it caters to your lazy streak, that’s fine, but it isn’t defensible on economic grounds. Maybe if NJ allowed self serve (note: I have not suggested they prohibit full serve) and raised gas taxes it could, oh I don’t know, _generate revenue for the state_, but instead, I guess it means that much to you to stay out of the rain – which, by the way, isn’t a factor in 99% of the filling stations I’m familiar with, as they have canopies over the pumps. ---
**Author:** ![woodstockbirdybird](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/woodstockbirdybird/32/7905_2.png) [@woodstockbirdybird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/woodstockbirdybird)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2006, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/outraged-new-jerseyians-demand-that-government-decide-for-them/357202/50 "2006-05-18T19:21:06Z")
> [@Wolfian](#): > > Heck, as a ex-Jerseyian I love 'em, but really, jokes about jughandles haven’t been fresh since the Limberg baby was kidnapped. The cheese heir? No, wait, that would still be spelled wrong. ---
**Author:** ![whole\_bean](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/96bed5/32.png) [@whole\_bean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/whole_bean)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2006, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/outraged-new-jerseyians-demand-that-government-decide-for-them/357202/51 "2006-05-18T19:26:28Z")
> [@Oy!](#): > > And since 99% of you didn’t ever realize or at least think about the fact that NJ doesn’t pump its own gas, I don’t think it “makes the state look foolish.” I don’t think people normally give a shit. By that logic, since 99% of the people didn’t know Milli Vannilli lyp synched their songs until one of their tracks malfunctioned, their lyp synching didn’t make them look foolish. I mean, no one realized or thought about it, right? In other words, just because I didn’t know NJ had a weirdo law yesterday, doesn’t mean NJ doesn’t look foolish to me today, as now I know of this weirdo law. Seriously, reread the article. The comparison to an _Onion_ article is dead on. ---
**Author:** ![Dog80](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/6bbea6/32.png) [@Dog80](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dog80)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2006, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/outraged-new-jerseyians-demand-that-government-decide-for-them/357202/52 "2006-05-18T19:51:02Z")
> [@Lissa](#): > > After I told him it had finished, he went out to his little Geo Metro, hopped in and drove away-- forgetting to remove the nozzle. The hose stretched out much further than the manufacturer intended, and I could see him frown as he revved the engine. The back tires actually spun on the pavement. > > “PROFESSOR!” I shrieked, running out of the building, waving my arms. I could just see gas flying everywhere once the hose broke, finding a stray spark somewhere, and _boom!_ Luckily, I got to him before anything bad happened. > > So, it does happen. Often enough to warrant a law? Not by a long shot. What year did this happen? Nowadays fuel hoses have breakaway couplers fitted. Also idiot-drives-away-with-fuel-hose-still-attached is very common. You probably didn’t work at that gas station for too long. ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2006, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/outraged-new-jerseyians-demand-that-government-decide-for-them/357202/53 "2006-05-18T20:07:05Z")
> [@Oy!](#): > > But I sure get a sense from you folks that somehow we’re breaking the rules because we can sit fat and happy in our cars in the pouring rain, while you have to hop out and pump your own gas. No, we don’t _have_ to. We have a choice. This is the pivotal point you seem to continually miss. And where do you get that prices will go up? Do you have a cite? Did you get it from the same place you got your 50 cent figure? ---
**Author:** ![MLS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/919ad9/32.png) [@MLS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MLS)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2006, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/outraged-new-jerseyians-demand-that-government-decide-for-them/357202/54 "2006-05-18T21:57:30Z")
In my experience when driving out of state, it is rather difficult to find a gas station that has full service. In the rare cases that they exist, the service is slow and begrudged. And they often charge more. Sure, it starts out as “same price,” but rapidly changes to “reduced price if you serve yourself,” which is in reality, “pay more for what you used to get for free.” It’s very nice to not have to get your hands soiled on the greasy gas pump, risk splattering, have to get out of the car in bad weather, etc. It just makes more sense to me to have a couple of folks properly dressed for the task to handle the messy outdoor job of pumping gas instead of everybody having to be prepared to do so. And not all places have “pay at the pump” options that actually work. You end up having to leave your car at the pump, trot inside and wait behind a half dozen locals buying lottery tickets and slim jims. ---
**Author:** ![whole\_bean](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/96bed5/32.png) [@whole\_bean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/whole_bean)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2006, 10:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/outraged-new-jerseyians-demand-that-government-decide-for-them/357202/55 "2006-05-18T22:08:49Z")
> [@Dog80](#): > > What year did this happen? Nowadays fuel hoses have breakaway couplers fitted. > > Also idiot-drives-away-with-fuel-hose-still-attached is very common. You probably didn’t work at that gas station for too long. I was gonna say something along these lines. I represented a gas station in a lawsuit where someone claimed she was “doused” with fuel when the hose broke. I learned all bout these dudes and the stoppers that prevent more gas than what fits in the hose between the handle and the first coupler from getting out if the hose is broken. ---
**Author:** ![whole\_bean](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/96bed5/32.png) [@whole\_bean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/whole_bean)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2006, 10:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/outraged-new-jerseyians-demand-that-government-decide-for-them/357202/56 "2006-05-18T22:10:16Z")
> [@whole bean](#): > > By that logic, since 99% of the people didn’t know Milli Vannilli lyp synched their songs until one of their tracks malfunctioned, their lyp synching didn’t make them look foolish. I mean, no one realized or thought about it, right? > > In other words, just because I didn’t know NJ had a weirdo law yesterday, doesn’t mean NJ doesn’t look foolish to me today, as now I know of this weirdo law. Seriously, reread the article. The comparison to an _Onion_ article is dead on. argghhh! “lip-synched” ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2006, 11:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/outraged-new-jerseyians-demand-that-government-decide-for-them/357202/57 "2006-05-18T23:11:45Z")
> [@whole bean](#): > > argghhh! “lip-synched” Instead of Milli Vanilli, you were probably thinking of Wyld Stallyns. ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2006, 11:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/outraged-new-jerseyians-demand-that-government-decide-for-them/357202/58 "2006-05-18T23:30:42Z")
> [@MLS](#): > > In my experience when driving out of state, it is rather difficult to find a gas station that has full service. In the rare cases that they exist, the service is slow and begrudged. And they often charge more. Sure, it starts out as “same price,” but rapidly changes to “reduced price if you serve yourself,” which is in reality, “pay more for what you used to get for free.” It’s very nice to not have to get your hands soiled on the greasy gas pump, risk splattering, have to get out of the car in bad weather, etc. It just makes more sense to me to have a couple of folks properly dressed for the task to handle the messy outdoor job of pumping gas instead of everybody having to be prepared to do so. And not all places have “pay at the pump” options that actually work. You end up having to leave your car at the pump, trot inside and wait behind a half dozen locals buying lottery tickets and slim jims. I lived in New Jersey for 15 years and loved the place. Course I lived in and around Princeton, where we convinced ourselves that we didn’t really live in New Jersey. But it was a great relief to get somewhere where I can pump my own gas. It is true however, that full serve stations are very rare. The reason is that maybe 1% of the people will want to pay more, so the station will convert the full serve pumps, which would stand idle most of the time, to self serve. When Iearned to drive everything was full serve. Arco stations around here don’t take credit cards, but everyone else does, and pay at the pump works fine. I’ve lived in California for 10 years, and get two local papers, and don’t remember even one article about some clown pulling the pump out. Someone can hit a pump while pulling in also, so even full serve does not guard a station from morons. ---
**Author:** ![Wolfian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/7ea924/32.png) [@Wolfian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wolfian)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2006, 1:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/outraged-new-jerseyians-demand-that-government-decide-for-them/357202/59 "2006-05-19T01:48:31Z")
> [@What Exit?](#): > > BTW: What is the best part of living in New Jersey? > How easy it is to visit NYC and other more interesting places. 😉 New Jersey: You’ll pretty much have to drive though us. -The Daily Show weighing in on what NJ’s new slogan should be Okay, I tweaked a bit earlier. Basically I feel like **Cheesesteak** : I could go either way on the law, but someone about the OP made me want to give him a guided tour of the Meadowlands.\* Maybe it was the smugness of it. Whatev. \*I wish no immediate harm on the OP. Well, maybe a stubbed toe. ---
**Author:** ![Obsidian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/51bf81/32.png) [@Obsidian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Obsidian)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2006, 3:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/outraged-new-jerseyians-demand-that-government-decide-for-them/357202/60 "2006-05-19T03:24:11Z")
> [@Oy!](#): > > Perhaps my figure of 50 cents a gallon is off - that’s what I seem to have noticed, but then it must have been travelling between states as well. I’ve seen .50 a gallon in certain places on the border. I grew up on the NY border in Bergen County and just past the state line some of the stations charge a LOT for full serve-- because Jersians fleeing the blue laws on sunday or heading upstate will pay. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/outraged-new-jerseyians-demand-that-government-decide-for-them/357202.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/outraged-new-jerseyians-demand-that-government-decide-for-them/357202.md?page=4)