# What's your experiences with full service gas? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [February 6, 2011, 1:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-experiences-with-full-service-gas/570389 "2011-02-06T13:53:13Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![FrancisCastle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/b4bc9f/32.png) [@FrancisCastle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FrancisCastle)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2011, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-experiences-with-full-service-gas/570389/21 "2011-02-06T20:20:57Z")
There is one gas station in our town (in WI) that has one pump designated as full service. My grandma always went there as it was hard for her to get in and out of the car. As far as I know, they just pumped the gas…they don’t offer any of the extras mentioned above. ---
**Author:** ![kopek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kopek/32/337_2.png) [@kopek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kopek)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2011, 8:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-experiences-with-full-service-gas/570389/22 "2011-02-06T20:44:37Z")
PA. Mostly I go self serve since 9 times out of 10 I’m on a bike. I will use full serve (usually a couple of the pumps at some stations and a touch more expensive) if I’m in a full suit or some other clothing where I don’t want to risk smelling of gas. For people in “full service only” states - how are motorcycles handled? To be frank even before “self serve” I always insisted on pumping my own even if the attendant was standing there passing the the nozzle. Trust me, should something happen with the employee pumping, the station won’t like the cost of replacing my paint job. ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2011, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-experiences-with-full-service-gas/570389/23 "2011-02-06T20:51:45Z")
> [@AshenLady](#): > > Here in NJ it’s all we have, full service. > > It’s a good thing. I’d hate to see people in their seventies-plus out there pumping gas. No, it’s completely and absolutely asinine. Not only does it make your gas cost more because you have to pay some asshole to pump your gas, but it takes longer than if you just did it yourself. Last time I had to drive through part of NJ on the NJ Turnpike, I had to stop for gas before returning my car at Newark Airport. I had to wait in line at the gas station, mostly because you had some slow-moving goons who wouldn’t let you pump your own gas. Plus, most place if someone’s disabled or infirm, they can signal the attendant and they’re supposed to come pump for them. I get pretty irritated when I have to wait and pay more for someone to do something that I can do myself faster and for free. ---
**Author:** ![Dallas\_Jones](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dallas_jones/32/3277_2.png) [@Dallas\_Jones](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dallas_Jones)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2011, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-experiences-with-full-service-gas/570389/24 "2011-02-06T21:01:14Z")
Oregon resident here. The Full Service is not the same as the “old” full service, all it means it that someone else will be pumping your gas. Few places do any windhshield washing or anything else. You drive up, hand your card out the window. They insert it into the pump swipe and give it back to you. Once you are done they give you the paper reciept. New Jersey and Oregon do not have self-serve gas pumping. I would be surprised if you can find many residents of either state who are not happy with this. But if the rest of you want to get out of your vehicle and grap a greasy handle and stand in the pouring rain for the privilege of spilling a few drops of gas on your business suit or the dress you are wearing, you go right ahead. Because the people who live in New Jersey and Oregon who can’t pump their own gas and yet still pay less for the fuel than the surounding states, \*must be crazy. \*😉 ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2011, 9:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-experiences-with-full-service-gas/570389/25 "2011-02-06T21:07:41Z")
I’m not sure I’d know how to pump gas in California. I recall reading they have special seals on the nozzle to prevent the fumes from polluting the air when you fill up. If I ever take a trip to Calif. I guess I can figure it out. It might take a few minutes. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Malleus\_Incus\_Stapes](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/malleus_incus_stapes/32/3293_2.png) [@Malleus\_Incus\_Stapes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malleus_Incus_Stapes)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2011, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-experiences-with-full-service-gas/570389/26 "2011-02-06T21:08:11Z")
> [@Dallas\_Jones](#): > > Oregon resident here. > > The Full Service is not the same as the “old” full service, all it means it that someone else will be pumping your gas. Few places do any windhshield washing or anything else. > > You drive up, hand your card out the window. They insert it into the pump swipe and give it back to you. Once you are done they give you the paper reciept. > > New Jersey and Oregon do not have self-serve gas pumping. I would be surprised if you can find many residents of either state who are not happy with this. > > But if the rest of you want to get out of your vehicle and grap a greasy handle and stand in the pouring rain for the privilege of spilling a few drops of gas on your business suit or the dress you are wearing, you go right ahead. > > Because the people who live in New Jersey and Oregon who can’t pump their own gas and yet still pay less for the fuel than the surounding states, \*must be crazy. \*😉 I don’t understand what’s so great about self-service either. Having to get out of your car on a freezing or hot & humid day doesn’t sound so great. For the record, I don’t drive, and unless my reflexes vastly improve I wouldn’t feel safe doing so. So I can’t tell you from personal experience, other than sitting in the back seat of someone else’s car. But IMO it’s bad enough just rolling down the window during January. (Or opening the door to let in a visitor in January. Or getting the newspaper from the driveway, or getting stuff from an unheated garage… you know what? I just hate winter). ---
**Author:** ![ZPG\_Zealot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/e47c2d/32.png) [@ZPG\_Zealot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZPG_Zealot)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2011, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-experiences-with-full-service-gas/570389/27 "2011-02-06T21:13:21Z")
> [@EvilTOJ](#): > > I absolutely love it. It’s rainy and drizzly most of the time here, and I just love not even having to get out of the car to get gas. It does get annoying at larger stations when the lines can get long because there’s not enough attendants, I figure life isn’t perfect. Where I live most gas stations are all self-service, but there a dwindling few that offer full service (and charge higher for that). I don’t use them on good weather days, but when the weather is extremely crappy and I am not wearing foul weather clothing such as happened in the recent cold spell, I will pay extra for the full service just to avoid getting out of the car. ---
**Author:** ![kushiel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/bbce88/32.png) [@kushiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kushiel)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2011, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-experiences-with-full-service-gas/570389/28 "2011-02-06T21:21:47Z")
> [@elfkin477](#): > > When was that sort of full service station last common? When I lived on the MA/RI border from 1995-1997, almost all the stations were full service (I had to relearn how to pump gas when we moved back to NH…hey, I’d only had my license eighteen months before we moved there) but “full” simply meant that you weren’t allowed to pump your own gas. They didn’t check oil or anything else. Not that it’s particularly relevant, but in Saskatchewan full service means gas, asking to check your oil, and depending on the attendant/how busy it is doing your windshield. > [@bump](#): > > No, it’s completely and absolutely asinine. Not only does it make your gas cost more because you have to pay some asshole to pump your gas, but it takes longer than if you just did it yourself. > > Last time I had to drive through part of NJ on the NJ Turnpike, I had to stop for gas before returning my car at Newark Airport. I had to wait in line at the gas station, mostly because you had some slow-moving goons who wouldn’t let you pump your own gas. > > Plus, most place if someone’s disabled or infirm, they can signal the attendant and they’re supposed to come pump for them. > > I get pretty irritated when I have to wait and pay more for someone to do something that I can do myself faster and for free. Yeah, if I had to pay for full service, I’d be like, screw that. ---
**Author:** ![Dallas\_Jones](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dallas_jones/32/3277_2.png) [@Dallas\_Jones](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dallas_Jones)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2011, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-experiences-with-full-service-gas/570389/29 "2011-02-06T21:24:23Z")
> [@bump](#): > > No, it’s completely and absolutely asinine. Not only does it make your gas cost more because you have to pay some asshole to pump your gas, but it takes longer than if you just did it yourself. Would you care to back that statement up with any actual facts? [http://gasbuddy.com/GB\_Price\_List.aspx?cntry=USA](http://gasbuddy.com/GB_Price_List.aspx?cntry=USA) Oregon: 3.217/gal Washington, across the river self-serve: 3.236/gal New York: 3.358/gal Tenton, New Jersey: 3.092/gal, Toms River NJ: 3.01/gal You cannot back up your opinion with facts. It _seems_ reasonable that paying an attendant should increase the price per gallon, but that isn’t how it actually works. You have two exceptions to the self-serve norm, Oregon and New Jersey. Please demonstrate that the actual price is higher than the surrounding states. I’ll wait. ---
**Author:** ![Quimby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/22d042/32.png) [@Quimby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quimby)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2011, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-experiences-with-full-service-gas/570389/30 "2011-02-06T21:27:13Z")
> [@bump](#): > > No, it’s completely and absolutely asinine. Not only does it make your gas cost more because you have to pay some asshole to pump your gas, but it takes longer than if you just did it yourself. > > Last time I had to drive through part of NJ on the NJ Turnpike, I had to stop for gas before returning my car at Newark Airport. I had to wait in line at the gas station, mostly because you had some slow-moving goons who wouldn’t let you pump your own gas. > > Plus, most place if someone’s disabled or infirm, they can signal the attendant and they’re supposed to come pump for them. > > I get pretty irritated when I have to wait and pay more for someone to do something that I can do myself faster and for free. Guess what bump, Jersey’s gas is among the cheapest in the nation. Enjoy getting out of your car in January. I can wait the 25 seconds it takes someone to walk over to mine. ---
**Author:** ![Nametag](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nametag/32/406_2.png) [@Nametag](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nametag)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2011, 11:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-experiences-with-full-service-gas/570389/31 "2011-02-06T23:13:19Z")
New Jersey charges less tax than any neighboring state, a difference that comes to about 25 cents per gallon at a minimum, and rises to over 30 cents in New York City, and damn near 40 cents in Pennsylvania. Of course gas is cheaper. Oregon not only collects far less gasoline tax than Washington or California, they collect less than Idaho, where gas is 24 cents per gallon cheaper, and the same amount as Nevada, where gas is 6 cents per gallon cheaper. ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2011, 4:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-experiences-with-full-service-gas/570389/32 "2011-02-07T04:34:32Z")
> [@Dallas\_Jones](#): > > Would you care to back that statement up with any actual facts? > > [http://gasbuddy.com/GB\_Price\_List.aspx?cntry=USA](http://gasbuddy.com/GB_Price_List.aspx?cntry=USA) > > Oregon: 3.217/gal > > Washington, across the river self-serve: 3.236/gal > > New York: 3.358/gal > > Tenton, New Jersey: 3.092/gal, Toms River NJ: 3.01/gal > > You cannot back up your opinion with facts. It _seems_ reasonable that paying an attendant should increase the price per gallon, but that isn’t how it actually works. > > You have two exceptions to the self-serve norm, Oregon and New Jersey. Please demonstrate that the actual price is higher than the surrounding states. > > I’ll wait. I’m pretty sure that’s not what he meant. Full service stations cost more than self service _in the same towns/state_. Self serve is usually 10-15 cents/gallon cheaper than the full service stations nearby. ---
**Author:** ![GESancMan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gesancman/32/2923_2.png) [@GESancMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GESancMan)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2011, 9:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-experiences-with-full-service-gas/570389/33 "2011-02-07T09:31:43Z")
> [@kopek](#): > > For people in “full service only” states - how are motorcycles handled? To be frank even before “self serve” I always insisted on pumping my own even if the attendant was standing there passing the the nozzle. Trust me, should something happen with the employee pumping, the station won’t like the cost of replacing my paint job. I think - but I’m not positive - that motorcycles are exempt from the law in Oregon, riders can pump their own gas. ---
**Author:** ![madmonk28](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madmonk28/32/20811_2.png) [@madmonk28](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madmonk28)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2011, 9:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-experiences-with-full-service-gas/570389/34 "2011-02-07T09:46:54Z")
I remember full service when I was a kid, but the only time I have experienced it in the past 25ish years has been driving through NJ. I always find it a pain in the ass. ---
**Author:** ![Barrett\_Bonden](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/5e9695/32.png) [@Barrett\_Bonden](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Barrett_Bonden)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2011, 1:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-experiences-with-full-service-gas/570389/35 "2011-02-07T13:56:55Z")
> [@Quimby](#): > > I can wait the 25 seconds it takes someone to walk over to mine. I’ve waited twenty minutes in line at the Vince Lombardi Service Station on the Jersey Turnpike because the guys there can’t be arsed to run four pumps simultaneously instead of two. I won’t be making that mistake again. ---
**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:** [February 7, 2011, 2:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-experiences-with-full-service-gas/570389/36 "2011-02-07T14:35:28Z")
Well the Turnpike is a terrible benchmark to use. That is the one place where self-service would be better. Overall in NJ the gas-pumping is as quick or quicker than self-service. Especially back in the days before card machines built into the pumps. I don’t mind pumping my own but I do prefer the current system. Of course I also avoid filling up on the Turnpike or Garden State Parkway. ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2011, 2:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-experiences-with-full-service-gas/570389/37 "2011-02-07T14:52:04Z")
Anybody see the super bowl commercial where the modern driver was terrified by the attention paid to him and his car by the 4 service attendants at a 50’s-style gas station? ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2011, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-experiences-with-full-service-gas/570389/38 "2011-02-07T15:01:14Z")
> [@installLSC](#): > > That reminded me that it’s been a decade since I’ve seen a full service gas station. A decade? It has been many decades in Australia. I remember going to New Zealand in the 90s and some guy approached us at the pump and I assumed he was going to rob us. ---
**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:** [February 7, 2011, 3:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-experiences-with-full-service-gas/570389/39 "2011-02-07T15:20:06Z")
> [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](#): > > Anybody see the super bowl commercial where the modern driver was terrified by the attention paid to him and his car by the 4 service attendants at a 50’s-style gas station? That was my favorite commercial last night. ---
**Author:** ![LouisB](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/dfb087/32.png) [@LouisB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LouisB)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2011, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-experiences-with-full-service-gas/570389/40 "2011-02-07T16:45:11Z")
There is a full service gas station about a mile from where I live; I go there occasionally just to have air pressure in my tires checked; I can no longer bend over far enough and kneeling is out of the question. So, for me, they perform a service I can’t do for myself. I think most of their business comes from old farts like me but plenty of us welcome it even though gasoline is about a dime higher than at self-serves. They clean windows and offer to check oil, too. I grew up with nothing but full service gas stations and I wish there were more of them. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-experiences-with-full-service-gas/570389.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-experiences-with-full-service-gas/570389.md?page=3)