Pumping gas? (Portland, Eugene, Green: fit in, employment, subsidized)

[Oregonbeachlover]

My pragmatic reply to this thread is that at least nobody will have to go to work with stinky gas-smelling hands as what used to be what happened to me before we moved to Oregon.

[rosecitywanderer]

I am at a loss to understand all these mysterious 'gas-smelly' hands. I think it must be psychological. I'm in Tempe, Arizona and just got gas. Just smelled my hands...NOTHING. The handle doesn't get drenched in gas so the only way I can see this happening is if you dump it all over your hands with the pump.

Whatever...I'm done with this thread.

[backdrifter]

Only in Oregon would a debate about something like this become so heated...

[Oregonbeachlover]

I need to apologize. I came in at the end of this thread and I didn't realize it was a serious one.

[backdrifter]

Originally Posted by Oregonbeachlover

I need to apologize. I came in at the end of this thread and I didn't realize it was a serious one.

And it really shouldn't be that serious!

[davefr]

Originally Posted by backdrifter

Only in Oregon would a debate about something like this become so heated...

Eliminating full service gas and talk of adding a sales tax are 2 areas that get naturally laid back Oregonians worked up in a frenzy!!

[pw72]

Gas smelly hands? Never had that condition in pumping my own. However, if real, it could conceivably cut down the swine flu transmission I suppose.

[michnewbie]

the state fire marshall set this law down years
ago and why change it.....you wouldn't get cheaper fuel.
It keeps old druggies working and paying taxes.

[Niftybergin]

Originally Posted by rosecitywanderer

I am at a loss to understand all these mysterious 'gas-smelly' hands. I think it must be psychological.

Maybe the folks who pump their own gas and regularly come away with gas-smelly hands are the same ones who catch vile diseases from public toilet seats.

Myth: Toilet Seats Are the Dirtiest Thing in the Bathroom - ABC News

[Fooseball_Freak]

In Oregon and New Jersey it is illegal to pump your own gas. I live in Portland, OR, if I drive 5 minutes over the bridge to Vancouver, WA, I pay $.10 per gallon more to pump my own gas, go figure!
What would happen if the rest of the country adopted this model? Think about this, in Oregon there are 7,600 gas station pump attendants or .2% of the population of the state. Applied to the U.S. Population of 300,000,000 it would amount to 600,000 pump attendants across the country. There are 121,446 gas stations in the U.S. that pump 360,000,000 gallons of gasoline per day, or, 2964 gallons each. If you divided the 600,000 attendants across the 121,446 station each station would have approximately 5 attendants (sounds about right). If each attendant earned $8.40 per hour or $17,472 per year it would cost the station (read taxpayer) $.081 per gallon or about 3% of the current cost per gallon.
Consider that 600,000 newly employed workers would earn a combined income of $10,465,200,000.00 per year and that federal taxes at the rate of 11% would amount to $1,151,172,000.00 in additional revenue to the U.S. Also consider that the average state tax rate for this income level is about 6% and would amount to $627,912,000.00 in additional states revenue. Also consider that the average unemployment check is $293.00 per week or $15236.00 per year and would amount to a $9,141,600,000.00 reduction in benefits nationwide.
Now, add the additional revenue together with the reduced benefits and it comes to $10,920,684,000.00 per year or $29,919,682 per day, divide this by the 360,000,000 gallons used each day and it amounts to $.083 per gallon for a net savings of 2 tenths of a cent per gallon to have it pumped by someone else.
Of course this is a simple exercise that misses some costs and savings, for example; how many people are robbed each year at the pump and at what cost?, approximately 15 fires per year (and growing) occur because of improper use of the pump that would probably be prevented by attendants (one fire alone was estimated to cost $150,000 in damages), local income/employment taxes are not included in this exercise, the positive effects on the economy (other than above) are not included such as increased spending by the newly employed or what about the reduction in gas theft?

Check out OR, NJ and their surrounding states gas prices @
Gas Price Heat Map - Washington Gas Prices