Snowflake Oregonians freaking out over self-serve gas

Perhaps New Jersey is the only state that can appreciate the meltdown people are having in Oregon over a new law that lets counties with smaller populations finally pump their own gas. Do the rants sound familiar?

"I don't want to smell like gas all day!"

"Why should we stand out here in the cold and the rain!?"

"It can be dangerous with people setting themselves on fire!"

Meanwhile the rest of the United States sits back and laughs at the Oregonians, just like they laugh at us in New Jersey. Somehow 48 other states make this work without issue. Miracle!

I've said it for years. We are wasting our own time by clinging to the past and not allowing self-serve. Wednesday night as gas stations were getting busy with people preparing for the storm, I stopped at one myself. The attendant looked right at me when I pulled up, so he knew I was there. Two minutes later while I was still waiting, two other cars pulled up to pumps. Did he fill customers in order? Nope. He tended to them both before he was going to get to me. But he didn't have the chance. After nearly five minutes of waiting, I finally jumped out and swiped my credit card and began pumping, just as I should legally be allowed to in the first place. Only then did he come running over and in a thick accent said, "No, you cannot, no, you cannot." At least I think that's what he was saying. I just put my hand up and said, "I've got it." He pressed more, and more sternly I said, "I've GOT it!" He backed down.

It's a ridiculous waste of time. And it doesn't save you money. For those who always insisted it did, did you notice the price jump when the politicians handed us a gas tax hike? It brought New Jersey from one of the lowest gas taxes in the nation to one of the highest, and that's what our low prices were always about. In fact economists agree that self-serve would probably drop the price per gallon about 5 cents.

Maybe we're finally wising up in this state. Maybe more people are seeing the light about self-serve, especially younger people. Take our poll and let us know.