New Jersey is the only state in the US that mandates attendants to pump gas for all customers, a regulation that has been in effect for 73 years and is supported by a majority of citizens. On T-shirts and bumper stickers that proudly proclaim “Jersey Girls Don’t Pump Gas,” the idiosyncrasy is sometimes worn as a badge of respect.
Self-service gas proponents reintroduced a bill earlier this month that would allow cars to pump their own gas, an attempt backed by a gas station industry association that resurfaces on a monthly basis. The concept, which is widely seen as a political third rail, has never gained traction.
However, proponents of the bill, who have presented it as a matter of driver choice at a time when most major grocery and retail businesses provide self-service checkout options, believe that a series of events have given it a greater chance.
Because gas costs are so high, the possibility of even pennies in savings is more appealing. During the pandemic, finding workers has gotten more difficult, prompting station owners to shut down fuel pumps on a frequent basis. In a televised news conference, the governor expressed a new willingness to consider the notion as a method to make New Jersey more affordable.
Is it legal to pump your own gas in New Jersey?
Since 1949, New Jersey has been one of just two states where you cannot pump your own gas. Although there have been few exceptions in recent years, the Retail Gasoline Dispensing Safety Act prohibits any form of self-service gassing. The goal of this bill is to pay tribute to all of the gas station employees in the Garden State.
When it comes to gas stations, New Jersey takes pleasure in being able to provide a full-service experience to its residents. One of the main reasons for the prohibition on self-service pumping is this. Health and safety concerns, on the other hand, are a different matter. Gas prices in New Jersey are a little more than the rest of the country because of full-service gassing. It does not appear to worry New Jersey residents, who appreciate having gas attendants take care of their automobiles when it comes time to fill up. A fine of $50 to $250 could be imposed if this law is broken. Repeat infractions will result in a $500 fine.
In New Jersey, is it possible to fill your own tank?
Drivers in New Jersey have been prohibited from pumping their own gas for 73 years. It is the only state in the country that does not permit it.
Why do you believe it is illegal to pump your own gas at a gas station in New Jersey?
In 1949, New Jersey outlawed the selling of self-serve gas, according to How Stuff Works. Given the harmful nature of gasoline, the Retail Gasoline Dispensing Safety Act was deemed a public safety measure. This is Jersey, after all, and practically every other state in the Union permits residents to pump their own fuel. This is not the reason why we can’t get gas in New Jersey after 70 years.
The underlying motivation for the regulation was to prevent one tiny business owner from undercutting other larger gas stations, which is exactly what you might have assumed at first look.
Irving Reingold opened a 24-pump gas station on Route 17 in Hackensack, NJ, in 1949, according to HSW. Reingold only charged 18.9 cents per gallon, whereas his competitors charged 21.9 cents per gallon. How was he able to sell his fuel for such a low price? Why pay people to pump gas, he reasoned? Customers could pump it themselves, saving him money, which he could pass on to them. Would customers, on the other hand, be willing to go along with it?
They were flies on a hog when it came to it. His tough-guy competitors, on the other hand, were not pleased with this innovation or his sudden success. Reingold was unquestionably a businessman. This was most likely not his first time. We know this because his opponents shot bullets all over his fueling station. Reingold’s bravery (together with the fact that he had already installed bulletproof glass) allowed him to take the blow and continue with his new business venture.
In New Jersey, why can’t you fill your own tank?
At fashionable yogurt shops, you can make your own soft-serve ice cream.
However, in New Jersey, you are still unable to pump your own fuel. Why?
Trenton politicians have squashed another attempt to save motorists money at the pump, ostensibly in the name of safety.
Since 1947, when the first self-serve gas station opened in California, self-serve gasoline has been the norm across the country.
All gas stations were full-service prior to that.
The fact that the “Pump jockeys not only fill your tank, but they also check your oil, radiator water levels, and wash your windows… and maybe even give you a complimentary pair of steak knives for your 35-cent-per-gallon purchase.
Do you recall the good old days?
Trenton legislators passed the Retail Gasoline Dispensing Safety Act in 1949, which stated:
“Because of the fire hazards directly associated with dispensing fuel, it is in the public interest for gasoline station operators to have the necessary control over that activity to ensure compliance with appropriate safety procedures, such as turning off vehicle engines and not smoking while fuel is dispensed.
That law, which is the only one of its kind in the country, is still in effect in New Jersey. However, according to recent polls, 73 percent of Garden-staters prefer to be served by attendants. In a lifetime of driving, some of them have never pumped their own gas.
The penalty for breaking the statute is $500, but it is rarely enforced.
You’re more likely to get a scolding than a citation if you pump your own gas in New Jersey, providing you can activate the pump, as I’ve discovered from personal experience.
According to a 2015 research, the state had given zero citations for that horrible crime in the previous two years “a crime
Despite pleas from gas station operators to keep competitive, the town of Huntington on Long Island has a similar prohibition on self-serve.
Residents in the Garden State have been attempting for years to get the restriction on self-serve lifted.
Dean O’Scanlon, a member of the State Assembly, sponsored a bill to allow self-serve in 2015 “People who assert that New Jersey residents are intellectually incapable of pumping their own gas without catching fire irritate me.
According to cynics, New Jersey’s self-service prohibition is designed to protect thousands of pump jockey jobs while also allowing station owners to increase their profit margins.
Legislators in Connecticut appear to trust Nutmeggers to pump their own gas.
New pump technology helps to prevent mishaps, and examples of motorist self-immolation are quite rare… at least so far.
Is New Jersey the only state with a full-service gas station?
Shaphin Poirier sat in her car at a modest gas station in South Jersey as an attendant completed filling up her tank.
While she is capable of pumping her own gas, “Do I really want to? No, not at all “Poirier stated. She pointed outside to the chilly April rains.
“I prefer it precisely the way it is,” Poirier said of New Jersey’s 73-year-old restriction on self-pumping gas.
Only New Jersey and Oregon allow drivers to legally pour themselves gasoline, while the rule in Oregon is lifted in rural regions. This year, legislators in both states presented proposals to modify that.
The “Motorist Fueling Choice and Convenience Act” in New Jersey would allow all gas stations in the state to offer self-service. Those with more than four pumps would still need a full-service option between the hours of 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. Customers who pump their own gas would be able to get a discount under the measure. The bill in Oregon did not make it out of committee before the end of this year’s brief legislative session.
Is it customary to tip gas station personnel in New Jersey?
Yes, tipping certain hotel personnel, particularly the person who cleans up after your mess, is considered a necessary politeness.
Hotel housekeepers should be tipped $2 to $3 per night, according to the AARP; $5 if there are more than three persons in a room/suite. The group proposes putting the money in an envelope with a “Thank You” on it so they know it’s for them.
“Tip every day because different employees may be cleaning the room every day,” according to Business Insider.
Do you give the gas station employee a tip? It’s a typical query among visitors to New Jersey, the country’s only state where you can’t pump your own gas.
Is it possible to pump your own gas in New Jersey in 2022?
It is illegal to pump your own gas. For decades, this has been the law. New Jersey politicians are now considering whether or not to put an end to it. Some drivers and lawmakers are suspicious, but gas station owners claim it will help alleviate a labor shortage and lower prices.
Do you give cash to gas station attendants?
Tipping is typical only if the station has both full-service and self-serve choices, and the fuel prices are the same in both. Because these conditions aren’t usually met, there’s no need to tip. Nonetheless, even in towns where full-service is required by law, let us remember our common humanity. Tipping a couple of bucks is appropriate if an attendant goes above and beyond in some way, such as checking the oil or assisting you with directions. As much as Miss Conduct despises to consider it during this glorious and hard-earned summer, the same applies when the weather is bitterly cold.