Oregon May Let You Pump Your Own Gas, I Would Have Been At A Loss

PORTLAND, OR — In 2008, I moved to Oregon form New York City. I was 41-years-old and had never driven a car let alone pumped my own gas.

Within six weeks, thanks to tremendous perseverance (and even larger amount of pity from a DMV employee), I had a license. In New York, I'd been a firm believer in if I couldn't get there by subway, it wasn't worth getting there.

Clearly not the case in Oregon.

Yes, there's mass transit but it's rather limited in where it will get you someplace and when. As a reporter, it wasn't really a viable alternative.

So, driver's license in hand, my editor sent me to Joint Base Lewis-McChord, just outside Tacoma. It's a drive of about 140 miles from Portland. While a drive across town would have qualified as my longest driver ever, this was in another league.

I got up there, did the interview (it was a very good story) and then got ready to drive back. The gas tank was a little low and would need to be filled up before the drive south.

I pulled up to a pump, got out. Immediately, flummoxed. Again, yes I was 41. At the same time, as a driver, I was 6-weeks-old.

There was a lot of fumbling, trying to figure out what I was doing wrong. I became convinced that everyone was watching me. Truth is, no one probably even knew I was there.

Feeling humiliated, I jumped back in my car, drove to another station and gave an attendant $20 to fill the tank. He probably would have done it for free.

Oregon is now considering HR 5141.

The bill, while not eliminating station attendants, takes a large step in that direction. It would give people a choice, allow them to pump their own gas if they want.

Who could object?

Madison Walters, the political liaison for Local 555 of United food and Commercial Workers, the union representing gas attendants for one.

"We are deeply concerned about the ramifications of this bill for our members and for Oregonians who, due to age or ability, have difficulty pumping their own gasoline," Walters said, adding that while the bill would require stations to maintain a certain level of staffing, it's not enough.

"It nevertheless represents the first cut in a pathway that will lead to the reduction and subsequent disappearance of jobs, and a higher risk of spills and dangerous accidents."

Walters said having trained gas station attendants is also a smart health move, pointing out that Oregon and New Jersey – the only other state that forbids the pumping of your own gas – have much lower flu transmission rates linked to gas stations than the states where people pump their own.

This is especially true in the time of COVID-19, Walters said, adding that "as new, more contagious COVID variants appear, Oregon may want to re think adopting a policy that would lead to many traveling people necessarily grabbing a common pump handle."

Others think it would be able time.

Keith Harber moved to Oregon 10-years-ago from a state where he pumped his own gas.

"I was shocked to see long lines of cars running and waiting for attendants to plod around pumping the gas, providing receipts," he says. "Not only is it a waste of time and fuel, it is environmentally unfriendly.

"Please put an end to this stupid charade someone enshrined in this state, and step into a more modern era where consumers are not treated like idiots unable to pump gas."

Alan Scott sees it the other way, believing that the bill would only cause problems: creating long lines, leading to people losing their jobs, and driving up prices.

"Oregonians like to have their gas pumped by an experienced helper," he says. "As I've been told for years, if it ain't broke, don't fix it."

Several people, testifying before the state Senate's Committee on Transportation, pointed out that there are plenty of people who need help whether because of health reasons or they just don't want to jump out in the freezing rain (a regular occurrence in Oregon).

Bryan Maxwell, a doctor in Portland, says that "It is time for Oregon to get rid of the arbitrary bottlenecking of the process of fueling our cars, taxing gasoline to pay for unneeded jobs, and taxing the time of every Oregonian.

"Oregonians are not stupid, they can handle it."

While I'm not stupid, I'm not sure that I'd be able to handle it

At the same time, the law as been in place since 1951, gas station owners say that it's getting harder and harder to hire attendants, and the law would require that has stations maintain minimal staffing levels.

So, maybe after 71 years, a change might be not be the worst thing.