
You Can Now Pump The Gas Yourself In Oregon’s Rural Places, And People’s Reactions Take Stupidity To Another Level

BoredPanda staff
Oregon passed a law at the turn of the year which allows people in rural areas to pump their own gas. So what? Is that it? What do I care? All the above are perfectly understandable reactions to a seemingly mundane piece of legal news, which you wouldn’t expect to make much of a splash outside of the few counties affected.
However, this is a big deal for some Oregonians, many of whom have reacted to the law change with a fury that many outsiders find bizarre, and quite amusing. Scroll down below to check out some of the reactions from the internet at large, and feel free to add your own take on the issue in the comments!
What do you think ?
At first, I wasn't sure what the "pumping your own gas" even meant (sorry, not an English language native). Do I understand it correctly, that it's the process of opening the caps on the fuel tank, lifting the pistol (and choosing the right one!) without it spilling, moving it and putting it in your car, pressing a handle to allow the gas to go into the tank, then having to stop it, take it out, put it back on the stand and close both of the caps on the tank? Wow, now, writing it all down, it does seem like a lot of work, I feel so sorry for them!
at first I thought they refer to autogas (LPG). And I could understand somebody not willing to tank LPG to his/her car by herself, as for eg. in my country customers are hardly never allowed to pump LPG by themselves at a station, so maybe it's more complicated or dangerous than pumping gasoline or diesel. But then I realised that they mean gasoline... omg :P Seems I'm risking my life at least twice a month :P
I didn't think i was so hard core, pumping my own gas until I read this
Oregon is just fucking lazy . That's all why should I do something myself if someone will do it for me ?
Yes, LPG not being self-service I get, my dad had an LPG tank in his car and you have to make sure the nozzle is firmly connected before you start pressurising the tank, and while decoupling the nozzle there was always a little pressurised gas left in the link it so you had to release it with care. Still, once you know how it's also not that arduous.
Katarzyna, where do you live? In Poland most autogas "pumps" are self-service.
Ida Knows about LPG but CNG pumps here, where it's used a lot, is self-service and takes credit or debit cards only...
Almost correct! But it even stops by itself!!
No, not entirely. It's about sorting out the variable instructions for paying for the gas, having your credit card refused because you aren't where they think you are supposed to be, getting the credit card refused because you have never ever had to pump your own gas and pay with a card, buying an electric car because you just can't face all that...its a process.
One time I accidentally put, like, a teaspoon of diesel into my mom's Toyota Highlander and I panicked and cried.
We here in the States are a bit different in naming conventions. If we called it petrol, like other places that speak Engilsh, it might have been understood quicker.
dunno, im from oregon
I agree northern Canadian here if it is not 30 degrees Celsius in the winter you do not know what life is all about just put save 5 cents on the gallon serve yourself then they will all be thinking they are pulling the wool over Trumps eyes
I can relate to you completely and I LIVE in the U.S, I didn’t know not pumping your own gas was even a thing.
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Google oppertunity: Start your home business right now. Spend more time with your family and earn. Start bringing 67$/hr just on a laptop. OK Very easy way to make your life happy and earning continuously.last week my check was $3700. Start here... http://cutt.us/vZgFY
I....I....didn't even know that a whole state was full service gas. I've never been to such a place. I can hardly believe this is real. Nobody in the state ever pumped their own gas? How is this even possible?
Yep, New Jersey too. Throws them too. Personally, whenever we pass through OR, it freaks me the hell out that I CAN'T pump my own gas.
We had an insane fear of being yelled at, which you would, if you pumped your own. Meanwhile, as we sat there waiting for the attendant who is always grumpy-looking, time is ticking ultra loud in my head as I hold the urge to jump out and do it myself.
In Oregon, you got to have at least 4 years of College to even get a job pumping gas, preferably a Masters in Rocket Science, and a 4th Degree black belt to fight off the transients, it's a hard job, and even then 60% percent die pumping gas.
It was simply illegal to do it in Oregon. Basically a law to create jobs.
Like a bathroom attendant in bars. Unnecessary.
When I moved to Oregon, I actually got yelled at the first time I stopped at a gas station because I started pumping my own gas. Had no clue it was full service and you AREN'T ALLOWED to pump your own gas.
That is so weird! They must have scared you, being yelled at all of the sudden for a normal task.
New Jersey also.
It's more like mini-serve and the idea is sound. They BELIEVED if a trained professional pumped the gas then there would be fewer spills and fewer cases of overfull tanks causing pollution. The reality is you have a guy who WILL top off tanks and spill a little to make that extra few cents.
Same
I knew that... in fact when I drove into Oregon and New Jersey the first time, I was reprimanded for trying to pump it.
When I first moved to Oregon, it was weird for me, too. I kept getting out of the car... and being told to get back in. It was just uncomfortable. Now, 4 years later, there is NO WAY I'm pumping my own gas again! :)
Oh WOW! thats just....seriously?!?!?!
Would this fall under Natural Selection?
I have a feeling there will be a lot of people running out of gas and walking in Oregon.
That would be great for the environment.
Yep. That's how you become a transient. I have a vision of convenient stores packed with abandoned cars and mournful people wandering about and commiserating with others about their inability to get home. So sad!
No, its just fear of the unknown, it sounds dumb because most of us are accostumed to pumping our own gas, but for someone who has never even seen a self serving station, its only human to not want to meddle with gasoline
To be honest, my (pretty old) driving instructor once witnessed an old lady who was a bit lost when she pumped her own gas. Turns out her husband had recently died, and in all the years they had been married, she never once got to pump the gas herself, her husband always insisted on doing it for some reason (being gentlemanly, control, or whatever. She didn't mind). Now that he was dead, she was faced with a gasoline pump for the first time in her life. Mind you, it was only a confusion of maybe a minute or two, and mostly caused by caution when doing something unfamiliar. She didn't die.
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zoolander much?
This comment is hidden. Click here to view.
No, it doesn’t. Ffs.
At first, I wasn't sure what the "pumping your own gas" even meant (sorry, not an English language native). Do I understand it correctly, that it's the process of opening the caps on the fuel tank, lifting the pistol (and choosing the right one!) without it spilling, moving it and putting it in your car, pressing a handle to allow the gas to go into the tank, then having to stop it, take it out, put it back on the stand and close both of the caps on the tank? Wow, now, writing it all down, it does seem like a lot of work, I feel so sorry for them!
at first I thought they refer to autogas (LPG). And I could understand somebody not willing to tank LPG to his/her car by herself, as for eg. in my country customers are hardly never allowed to pump LPG by themselves at a station, so maybe it's more complicated or dangerous than pumping gasoline or diesel. But then I realised that they mean gasoline... omg :P Seems I'm risking my life at least twice a month :P
I didn't think i was so hard core, pumping my own gas until I read this
Oregon is just fucking lazy . That's all why should I do something myself if someone will do it for me ?
Yes, LPG not being self-service I get, my dad had an LPG tank in his car and you have to make sure the nozzle is firmly connected before you start pressurising the tank, and while decoupling the nozzle there was always a little pressurised gas left in the link it so you had to release it with care. Still, once you know how it's also not that arduous.
Katarzyna, where do you live? In Poland most autogas "pumps" are self-service.
Ida Knows about LPG but CNG pumps here, where it's used a lot, is self-service and takes credit or debit cards only...
Almost correct! But it even stops by itself!!
No, not entirely. It's about sorting out the variable instructions for paying for the gas, having your credit card refused because you aren't where they think you are supposed to be, getting the credit card refused because you have never ever had to pump your own gas and pay with a card, buying an electric car because you just can't face all that...its a process.
One time I accidentally put, like, a teaspoon of diesel into my mom's Toyota Highlander and I panicked and cried.
We here in the States are a bit different in naming conventions. If we called it petrol, like other places that speak Engilsh, it might have been understood quicker.
dunno, im from oregon
I agree northern Canadian here if it is not 30 degrees Celsius in the winter you do not know what life is all about just put save 5 cents on the gallon serve yourself then they will all be thinking they are pulling the wool over Trumps eyes
I can relate to you completely and I LIVE in the U.S, I didn’t know not pumping your own gas was even a thing.
This comment is hidden. Click here to view.
Google oppertunity: Start your home business right now. Spend more time with your family and earn. Start bringing 67$/hr just on a laptop. OK Very easy way to make your life happy and earning continuously.last week my check was $3700. Start here... http://cutt.us/vZgFY
I....I....didn't even know that a whole state was full service gas. I've never been to such a place. I can hardly believe this is real. Nobody in the state ever pumped their own gas? How is this even possible?
Yep, New Jersey too. Throws them too. Personally, whenever we pass through OR, it freaks me the hell out that I CAN'T pump my own gas.
We had an insane fear of being yelled at, which you would, if you pumped your own. Meanwhile, as we sat there waiting for the attendant who is always grumpy-looking, time is ticking ultra loud in my head as I hold the urge to jump out and do it myself.
In Oregon, you got to have at least 4 years of College to even get a job pumping gas, preferably a Masters in Rocket Science, and a 4th Degree black belt to fight off the transients, it's a hard job, and even then 60% percent die pumping gas.
It was simply illegal to do it in Oregon. Basically a law to create jobs.
Like a bathroom attendant in bars. Unnecessary.
When I moved to Oregon, I actually got yelled at the first time I stopped at a gas station because I started pumping my own gas. Had no clue it was full service and you AREN'T ALLOWED to pump your own gas.
That is so weird! They must have scared you, being yelled at all of the sudden for a normal task.
New Jersey also.
It's more like mini-serve and the idea is sound. They BELIEVED if a trained professional pumped the gas then there would be fewer spills and fewer cases of overfull tanks causing pollution. The reality is you have a guy who WILL top off tanks and spill a little to make that extra few cents.
Same
I knew that... in fact when I drove into Oregon and New Jersey the first time, I was reprimanded for trying to pump it.
When I first moved to Oregon, it was weird for me, too. I kept getting out of the car... and being told to get back in. It was just uncomfortable. Now, 4 years later, there is NO WAY I'm pumping my own gas again! :)
Oh WOW! thats just....seriously?!?!?!
Would this fall under Natural Selection?
I have a feeling there will be a lot of people running out of gas and walking in Oregon.
That would be great for the environment.
Yep. That's how you become a transient. I have a vision of convenient stores packed with abandoned cars and mournful people wandering about and commiserating with others about their inability to get home. So sad!
No, its just fear of the unknown, it sounds dumb because most of us are accostumed to pumping our own gas, but for someone who has never even seen a self serving station, its only human to not want to meddle with gasoline
To be honest, my (pretty old) driving instructor once witnessed an old lady who was a bit lost when she pumped her own gas. Turns out her husband had recently died, and in all the years they had been married, she never once got to pump the gas herself, her husband always insisted on doing it for some reason (being gentlemanly, control, or whatever. She didn't mind). Now that he was dead, she was faced with a gasoline pump for the first time in her life. Mind you, it was only a confusion of maybe a minute or two, and mostly caused by caution when doing something unfamiliar. She didn't die.
This comment is hidden. Click here to view.
zoolander much?
This comment is hidden. Click here to view.
No, it doesn’t. Ffs.