Post by Don on Jan 4, 2018 7:17:23 GMT -5
After our trip to the Northwest this summer, I knew that people out there were a little strange.
Scratch "little."
‘I don’t even know HOW’: Some Oregonians panic about new self-service gas law
Other menial tasks he wants to teach Oregonians? Shoe-tying, phone-dialing, lawn mowing, and using a washer and dryer.
Forbes points out some lessons from the freak-out.
Oregon's Freak-Out Over Pumping Your Own Gas Shows Why Many Dumb Regulations Still Exist
I also hear there are problems with some environmentally-conscious Oregonians choosing "green gas" for their cars. (Diesel pump handles are green.)
Let the mocking begin!
Scratch "little."
‘I don’t even know HOW’: Some Oregonians panic about new self-service gas law
“I don’t even know HOW to pump gas and I am 62, native Oregonian . . . I say NO THANKS! I don’t like to smell like gasoline!” one woman wrote on KTVL’s Facebook post.
“No! Disabled, seniors, people with young children in the car need help. Not to mention getting out of your car with transients around and not feeling safe. This is a very bad idea. Grrr,” another woman wrote.
“I’ve lived in this state all my life and I REFUSE to pump my own gas . . . This [is] a service only qualified people should perform. I will literally park at the pump and wait until someone pumps my gas.”
By the time the law took effect, Oregon had become a virtual laughingstock among social media users who seemed to have visualized an entire state filled with hapless drivers.
“FEAR NOT OREGON!!! I’ve decided to move to Oregon to open a school to teach people how to pump their gas. Short-term business you say?” a man wrote and then listed a list of menial tasks he wants to teach people do. His Facebook comment has been liked 61,000 times.
“No! Disabled, seniors, people with young children in the car need help. Not to mention getting out of your car with transients around and not feeling safe. This is a very bad idea. Grrr,” another woman wrote.
“I’ve lived in this state all my life and I REFUSE to pump my own gas . . . This [is] a service only qualified people should perform. I will literally park at the pump and wait until someone pumps my gas.”
By the time the law took effect, Oregon had become a virtual laughingstock among social media users who seemed to have visualized an entire state filled with hapless drivers.
“FEAR NOT OREGON!!! I’ve decided to move to Oregon to open a school to teach people how to pump their gas. Short-term business you say?” a man wrote and then listed a list of menial tasks he wants to teach people do. His Facebook comment has been liked 61,000 times.
Other menial tasks he wants to teach Oregonians? Shoe-tying, phone-dialing, lawn mowing, and using a washer and dryer.
Forbes points out some lessons from the freak-out.
Oregon's Freak-Out Over Pumping Your Own Gas Shows Why Many Dumb Regulations Still Exist
Yet as hysterical as those reactions are, unfortunately, they’re actually not that far off from the state’s official justifications for the ban. As part of the Oregon law, legislators listed a staggering 17 different reasons to defend the state’s “prohibition on the self-service dispensing of Class 1 flammable liquids at retail.” According to the legislature, pumping your own gas is a “health hazard,” whereas requiring “properly trained” attendants to pump gas “reduces fire hazards.” In addition, self-service stations expose customers to “the dangers of crime and slick surfaces,” while leaving small children in the car to pay for gas “creates a dangerous situation.”
Meanwhile, established businesses are more than happy to fuel and exploit public panic for their own gain. For instance, New Jersey’s ban on self-service was heavily backed by the Gasoline Retailers Association, which faced greater competition from rival gas stations that allowed their customers to pump their own gas.
Meanwhile, established businesses are more than happy to fuel and exploit public panic for their own gain. For instance, New Jersey’s ban on self-service was heavily backed by the Gasoline Retailers Association, which faced greater competition from rival gas stations that allowed their customers to pump their own gas.
I also hear there are problems with some environmentally-conscious Oregonians choosing "green gas" for their cars. (Diesel pump handles are green.)
Let the mocking begin!
