If Gov. Tina Kotek signs Oregon House Bill 2426, Oregonians will be able to pump their own gas.
It will be the first time in 72 years that all Oregonians will be able to fill up their tanks on their own. For some, it’s about time. For others, the news is not welcome.
Jean Fletcher of Lexington said she would rather have attendants pump her gas.
“I don’t like having to get out of my car because I’m old and I hurt,” she said on Friday while getting gas at Space Age Travel. She said there are times when she drives into Washington where self-service is the norm.
“I usually have my husband pump the gas,” she said.
Shelly Pierce lives in Washington but regularly travels to Oregon. She said she’s not a fan of having to wait for an attendant.
“It’s just stupid because just about everywhere in the country you can pump your gas,” she said. “I don’t know why they think people in Oregon can’t do it.”
Jackie Hamlin is another Washingtonian who travels to Oregon on occasion. She was at Pilot Flying J in Stanfield on Friday and said she supports House Bill 2426.
“I think it’s way overdue,” she said, adding she likes pumping her own gas. “It’s just faster and easier for me,” she said.
Phil Wagoner of Hermiston said he likes the convenience of self-service stations.
“I’m fine it,” he said. “I travel a lot to other states around the Pacific Northwest and have to pump my own gas. It’s convenient, especially when it’s late and gas stations are closed. Sometimes in Oregon, you’re out of luck if the station is closed.”
Jeanette Curtis of Hermiston said the bill is a double-edged sword.
“It’s more convenient not to have to wait for someone to do it for you,” she said. “But on the other hand, I worry about attendants losing their jobs. I think a lot of people will be out of work.”
Pendleton resident Karl Davis said he’s OK with pumping his own gas.
“It doesn’t matter to me one way or another,” Davis said. “But they should offer a discount if you pump your own gas, but I know that’s not going to happen.”
The fact is that many Oregonians have been able to pump their own gas for several years.
A 2015 law allowed drivers to pump their own gas after hours in rural communities. Then, in 2017, the law was expanded to include self-service at all hours in Oregon counties with smaller populations. In fact, everyone who spoke with Northeast Oregon Now on Friday was pumping their own gas.
“We’ve been doing it for the last few years,” said Pierce.
There are issues beyond convenience and jobs with House Bill 2426. Concerns exist over the safety of having the public pump their own gas. A report from the National Fire Protection Association found an average of 4,150 fires at service stations per year from 2014 to 2018. The report said an average of three civilian deaths, 43 civilian fire injuries and $30 million in property damage occur per year due to service station fires. A total of 56 percent of the fires were vehicle fires. Nearly half of the fires at stations were either dumpster fires or caused by electrical shorts inside the service station building. The report does not indicate if vehicle fires were caused by mechanical failure or human error.
If Kotek signs House Bill 2426, there will still be stations with gas attendants as Oregon counties with large populations will be required to have a gas attendant and offer full-service.
Kotek has yet to indicate if she will sign the bill into law.
I like filling my own tank in the self service lane because it frees the gas station attendants to help others like handicapped people in the full service lane without the stress of having to be everywhere all at once, making service faster and easier for both the customer, and the employees
My husband is handicapped and cannot stand for any length of time. If I am not with him he cannot get out and pump gas. There needs to be someone available for the elderly and handicapped.
Read the bill! It states stations will be required to provide half of their pumps to remain full serve. It is about choice. If you want to fill up yourself you can and if you want full service you still have that option. How does this keep him from getting gas?
I’ve been to two local stations where you can’t even find an attendant already. Not really happy to see this, but there’s no stopping the march of progress.