Are you unable to remember driving up to a gas station

[raccoon]

and an employee of the gas station, called an "attendant," came out, asked you how much gas you wanted, checked your oil, and cleaned your windshield?

[realisticphish]

1. There are still places that do that

though they're rare. And the checking the oil part is rarer.

[Chan790]

30. The only redeeming quality of the state of New Jersey...

is that it's illegal to pump your own gas and the attendant always washes the windshield. Pretty sure they'll check the oil for you if you ask and pop the hood for them. It's generally expected that you tip the kid...$1 suffices.

Also, the gas is the cheapest of any I-95 state between the Canadian border and SC.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

2. I remember those.

It's been a long time, though.

[Gormy Cuss]

3. There are still attendants in New Jersey and Oregon

State laws prohibit self-serve there.

To answer your question, no. I am able to remember when that was standard service everywhere.

[raccoon]

4. I bet the mob is behind that law in NJ, I don't know what it is with Oregon.

:silly:


Edited to add emoticon.

[Gormy Cuss]

7. If by "mob" you mean the oil companies with refineries in that state, you'd be right. n/t

[TZ]

8. Uhh...

I thought it was the UNIONS not the Coporations that made that law. And having spent a lot of time in NJ, the mob doesn't fucking run everything. THats an idiotic stereotype

[raccoon]

11. Obviously I should've included an emoticon--edited my post above to add one. nt

[NoGOPZone]

17. Are service station attendants even unionized? nt

[TZ]

10. Nope we are all wrong. Its certainly NOT the mob

and its not the unions or corporations..Its an old law concerned with untrained people handling dangerous liquids.
http://ask.yahoo.com/20040715.html
I also beleive that if they repeal this law, a lot of jobs for blue collar people at these stations would dissappear.

[raccoon]

14. Whaddya know. nt

[Gormy Cuss]

18. "..jobs would disappear" -- as they have in the other forty-eight states.

IIRC the national move towards self serve was driven by the 1973(?)oil embargo run up in prices. People were willing to do anything to save a few cents per gallon.

The old law is the basis for retaining full service islands but I'd bet you a dollar that repealing that law was raised in the 1970s. That would be when other forces would have lobbied to keep it on the books. I was joking about the oil companies but I have NJ relatives who believe that, others who believe it was the unions (no one has told me they believe it was the mob, LOL.) I wonder if there's an authoritative account out there on any legislative attempts to change the law.

I know that these days NJ residents seem to like the fact that they can stay in their climate-controlled vehicles at the gas stations. It would be a hard sell to repeal it now.

[raccoon]

12. LOL! You're right about that. nt

[newcriminal]

20. And the gas is actually cheaper.

I live in PA on the border of NY and NJ. Gas is always cheaper in NJ than in NY or PA.

[Gormy Cuss]

23. True!

My relatives live in the same area but on the NJ side. We always wait until we cross into NJ to gas up.

[cwydro]

5. I remember.

And they gave away gifts with a purchase of 5 gallons or some such amount.

[raccoon]

6. And a "gas war" meant local gas stations lowered their prices to get your business,

instead of meaning that some big country invaded a little country to get their oil/natural gas.

[Fleshdancer]

9. I do, but only as a child watching it from the back seat.

The practice no longer existed in my area by the time I was old enough to drive.

[kayakjohnny]

13. I do remember getting service like that when I was a kid in the 60's.

It happened quite often in various places around Florida.

But not quite like these guys....

Talk about service.... (1:40)...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=onE7mib4Qrg

[Courtesy Flush]

15. And gave you free steak knives or glassware

My mom was still using those steak knives until she died four years ago.

[NoGOPZone]

16. I remember seeing something like that in the movie Back to the Future

At the 1955 Texaco station they also put air in the tires.

[SwampG8r]

19. i was that attendant

80 cents an hour
and i had to pay for any cash shortages in my till

[baldguy]

21. I remember being able to pull in with $5 in my pocket

And leave with a full tank & change left over.

[petronius]

22. I remember how startled was the first time I drove through Oregon and

was prevented from pumping - I just sat in the car pondering the tipping (or not) dilemma. However, I've never experienced the 'standard' service of wash, oil, fill, etc (I'm ~40, FTR).

What seems quaint to me is the notion of pumping your gas first and then going in to pay. That was standard when I grew up, but I think I last saw it decades ago in some friendly small town in Montana...

[Mr. Ected]

24. I played the part of "Attendant" for a few months, too

1976 in Kansas City, MO. Worked for a small station that was one of the few remaining that offered full service. Once got a $20 tip from a slightly inebriated lady in her twilight years. Made my day.

[hippywife]

25. No.

And my dad did just that job, as well as auto mechanic, when he and mom were first married, until he could find a better job. He still did it part time for quite a few years as a second job when I was very young.

[carlyhippy]

26. We have 3 places here that still do that, they don't check the oil tho

they pump the gas and clean windows. The gas costs the same as it would at a convenience store, so I give them the business, and I don't have to pump my gas and get it all over me (which is what usually happens, on my way to work)

[cherokeeprogressive]

27. The rubber hose stretched out beside the pumps... drive over it: DING DING.

Guy in a starched uniform steps out of the office...

Nope, don't remember that ;)

[Kali]

28. Pemex,, last January -

Not much self serve gas in Mexico. Plenty of windshield washers available too. Don't believe I have ever had the oil checked but I am sure they would if asked. (and a small tip)

[jobycom]

29. I remember them. Never understood their purpose.

Nothing more boring than sitting in a car watching someone else work for you.

[proteus_lives]

31. I don't know what you speak of.

I do believe I've seen examples in old-timey movies.

[KT2000]

32. Yes - a friend was upset his kid

did not know how to check the oil in the car. We discussed this and realized most of us learned how to do it from watching the gas station attendant!! His kid has never seen a gas station attendant.

[HEyHEY]

33. Yeah, now it's four times as much and you gotta pump it yourself

[HEyHEY]

34. Actually, we still have em in parts of Canada

In order to provide jobs for teenagers and such, many city's pass a law that you have to have attendants.