Internet Trolls Oregonians After Self-Serve Gas Law Takes Effect

It’s a new year with a bevy of new rules. For Oregonians, a self-serve gas law that took effect Monday has ricocheted to the top of Internet chatter.

House Bill 2482, which was signed into law last year by Gov. Kate Brown, allows motorists to pump their own gas in nearly half of Oregon’s 36 counties.

Oregon and New Jersey had long been the only two states in the U.S. to bar customers from pumping their own fuel ― a job performed by gas station attendants.

The new law likely would have gained little notice if not for a CBS affiliate in Medford, Oregon, which asked its Facebook followers to weigh in.

The responses they received ― both serious and whimsical ― prompted the post to go viral over the weekend. As of Tuesday, it had been shared more than 20,000 times and drew more than 18,000 comments.

A sampling of concerns:

“I don’t even know HOW to pump gas and I am 62, native Oregonian … I say NO THANKS! I don’t want to smell like gasoline!”

“I’ve lived in this state all my life and I REFUSE to pump my own gas … This a service only qualified people should perform. I will literally park at the pump and wait until someone pumps my gas.”

“I go to work at 5 in the morning. Not a lot of people at the gas pumps at that time in the morning. And yes, I will not feel safe pumping my own gas … Not to mention it’s freezing and rainy. So thank you to all who voted to change it. You have now taken away a nice luxury that most of us enjoyed.”

“Many people are not capable of knowing how to pump gas and the hazards of not doing it correctly. Besides I don’t want to go to work smelling of gas when I get it on my hands or clothes. I agree Very bad idea.”

“Yuck! Pumping my [own] fuel in freezing temperatures and handling a nasty ole fuel nozzle that 50 other people have touched that day (and who knows what cooties are on there), no thank you. It’s nice to not have to pump your own fuel.”

While it’s impossible to determine which comments are genuine and which are sarcastic, the Internet was quick to poke fun at the Beaver State.

Here’s a sampling of the responses:

“Apparently there’s an entire state of people in America who are incapable of filling their own car with petrol.”

“FEAR NOT OREGON!!!! I’ve decided to move to Oregon to open a school to teach people how to pump their own gas … I understand Oregon, adulting is hard and sometimes you [need] someone to show you how. I’m here for you.”

“Omg this post is hilarious!! I’m in Wisconsin and with the wind chill it’s currently -17. You know what I did this morning?! Had to pump my own flipping gas!! It’s not that hard people!!”

“Apparently most people in Oregon assume that in order to pump gas you must first remove all people from the vehicle and stand in the open while thugs attack from all angles, all while being sprayed with gas.”

“ERMAHGERD we gotta pump our own petrol!!! These comments have made my day.”




Sometimes I weep for my country.

Us British have had to fill their own tanks as long as I can remember,standing in the cold and sometimes rain while the cashiers sit in the warm and laugh at you !

nicko wrote:Us British have had to fill their own tanks as long as I can remember,standing in the cold and sometimes rain while the cashiers sit in the warm and laugh at you !

We have too, except in Oregon and New Jersey.

Another fine example of the government making laws to keep us "safe".

I had forgotten about NJ when we stopped there in August. Have to say it brought back memories of my childhood when you used to see lots more full service stations. My 1st boyfriend and my best guy friend were gas attendants during high school.

While it might seem strange or entertaining to us, If you have never tried something before it can be a bit stressful to change a lifetime habit, especially for older folks.

Cass wrote:I had forgotten about NJ when we stopped there in August. Have to say it brought back memories of my childhood when you used to see lots more full service stations. My 1st boyfriend and my best guy friend were gas attendants during high school.

While it might seem strange or entertaining to us, If you have never tried something before it can be a bit stressful to change a lifetime habit, especially for older folks.

Interesting.  NJ is the home state of Exxon--used to be called ESSO, which stood for Standard Oil of New Jersey, Rockafeller's original company.  http://www.exxonmobil.be/fr-BE/company/about-us/our-history/esso-on-standard?sc_lang=en-BE

Oregon has always been kooky, but I wonder if that played a part in NJ.

Original Quill wrote:

Cass wrote:I had forgotten about NJ when we stopped there in August. Have to say it brought back memories of my childhood when you used to see lots more full service stations. My 1st boyfriend and my best guy friend were gas attendants during high school.

While it might seem strange or entertaining to us, If you have never tried something before it can be a bit stressful to change a lifetime habit, especially for older folks.

Interesting.  NJ is the home state of Exxon--used to be called ESSO, which stood for Standard Oil of New Jersey, Rockafeller's original company.  http://www.exxonmobil.be/fr-BE/company/about-us/our-history/esso-on-standard?sc_lang=en-BE  Oregon has always been kooky, but I wonder if that played a part in NJ.

I understood it was a union thing but I could be wrong.

EDIT
Something to do with the NJ Gasoline Dispensing Act 1949.

Some say corruption, leveling the price/preventing price gauging and/or strong union activity from what I can find.

It falls under the same silly logic tjat says I can't buy a bottle of booze in Texas on Sunday. There are special interests that like it that way.

And Exxon hasn't been headquartered in NJ for 20 years.

Maddog wrote:It falls under the same silly logic tjat says I can't buy a bottle of booze in Texas on Sunday.  There are special interests that like it that way.  

And Exxon hasn't been headquartered in NJ for 20 years.  

Ah yes. The famous Blue Laws.

Years ago in Nocodoches visiting relatives when I was ahem...suffering from young lady problems, my poor grandfather had to drive for hours on a Sunday till he could find a store that was open and stocked what I needed.

Maddog wrote:It falls under the same silly logic tjat says I can't buy a bottle of booze in Texas on Sunday.  There are special interests that like it that way.  

Those are called 'blue laws', having to do with Christian evangelistic principles and consumption of alcohol on the sabbath. There seems not to be a religious interest in the NJ laws.

Maddog wrote:And Exxon hasn't been headquartered in NJ for 20 years.  

Yes, I know. Actually, it's over 100-years. Rockefeller predated Rockafeller Center, NBC, and the Rockettes, Standard Oil of California (Chevron Oil)...all Standard Oil of New Jersey spin-offs.

Maddog wrote:It falls under the same silly logic tjat says I can't buy a bottle of booze in Texas on Sunday.  There are special interests that like it that way.  

And Exxon hasn't been headquartered in NJ for 20 years.  

Hey now, them Southern Baptist good old boys are also fighting to keep your taxes low now, ya hear?

Ben Reilly wrote:

Maddog wrote:It falls under the same silly logic tjat says I can't buy a bottle of booze in Texas on Sunday.  There are special interests that like it that way.  

And Exxon hasn't been headquartered in NJ for 20 years.  

Hey now, them Southern Baptist good old boys are also fighting to keep your taxes low now, ya hear?

Maybe, but like their liberal brethren, they spend far too much time trying to control other people and their money.

#prayfororegon

Who G.A.S. ??


(Well someone had to say it!  That acronym is so well suited to this topic.)