Illinois Motorcycle Owners Beware

[SteveST1300]

I live in New Jersey and yes, there is a law against pumping your own gas but I have always filled my own motorcycles- the attendant sees to the pump and hands me the nozzle- when through I pas it back to him .

I also live in NJ I have never seen this enforced like above the attendant handles the pump and gives me the nozzle. No one has ever said anything to me.

 

[etalors]

No, I doubt very much if the motivation is liability, No gas station owner in his or her right mind would want to be forced to hire a whole bunch of unskilled, itinerant staff to pump gas. It would dramatically increase the workload of managing the gas station, without any corresponding increase in profitability.

If anything, it's a misguided attempt to create jobs for folks at the bottom end of the social ladder.

Michael

I agree with your assessment that this is designed to create low level jobs, to prevent a collapse in the economy. The economy is running on fumes anyways.

 

[Tony]

When we were driving through Oregon or Washington it was like that also. I got out of my car and looked at a guy who was starting to pump my gas and I said " I can do that" in which he replied " Its the law I have to do it" so what ever.

 

[Andrew Shadow]

Back in the late eighties I was screamed at and berated by a gas station attendant in Oregon for almost pumping my own gas. I was ignorant of the law. I knew it was a station with service. I pulled up, got out and waited a few minutes. The station was very busy and I knew it would be a while so I flipped on the pump and before I could put the nozzle in the tank the attendant came barreling towards me yelling and screaming that I wasn't allowed to pump my own gas. I thought that he was joking or was worried that I was going to pump and run. Even after he told me that it was illegal for me to pump my own gas I thought that he was just saying that to be a dick. Low and behold didn't I find out to my complete astonishment that it was illegal in Oregon.

Oregon has not allowed self-serve gas stations since 1951. In a strange twist of irony and in contrast to the direction that Illinois is going Oregon has changed the law and starting on January 01, 2018, under certain conditions, self-serve gas stations are allowed again.

 

[RedMotion]

Maybe Illinois wants to pass the law for safety reasons. You know, all those fires started when people pump their own gas and use cell phones at the same time...
I'm sure many will welcome the aspect of not getting out of their car in bad weather, though handing a youngster your credit card and hoping he doesn't skim it might be cause for anxiety.

 

[mortenk]

Don't come to WA...!! Highest gas taxes and almost 10% sales tax on everything but food.

Yes, but we we have the best MC roads! All worth it

 

[mortenk]

Back in the late eighties I was screamed at and berated by a gas station attendant in Oregon for almost pumping my own gas. I was ignorant of the law. I knew it was a station with service. I pulled up, got out and waited a few minutes. The station was very busy and I knew it would be a while so I flipped on the pump and before I could put the nozzle in the tank the attendant came barreling towards me yelling and screaming that I wasn't allowed to pump my own gas. I thought that he was joking or was worried that I was going to pump and run. Even after he told me that it was illegal for me to pump my own gas I thought that he was just saying that to be a dick. Low and behold didn't I find out to my complete astonishment that it was illegal in Oregon.

Oregon has not allowed self-serve gas stations since 1951. In a strange twist of irony and in contrast to the direction that Illinois is going Oregon has changed the law and starting on January 01, 2018, under certain conditions, self-serve gas stations are allowed again.

Rode 1,000 miles through Oregon last fall, and never noticed the difference. I filled my bike several times, so I guess most of the gas stations along major freeways now allow self service...

 

[ReSTored]

I think I remember reading somewhere that these laws come about because of self serve customers being more likely to fill up their vehicles and then drive away with paying. Attendants. who were held responsible for all gas pumped cash shortages, chased the vehicle (??) and ended up getting run over trying to stop a thief. So some dim witted politician (aren't all politicians dim witted???) came up with this law to presumably solve this problem .

 

[red one]

I think I remember reading somewhere that these laws come about because of self serve customers being more likely to fill up their vehicles and then drive away with paying. Attendants. who were held responsible for all gas pumped cash shortages, chased the vehicle (??) and ended up getting run over trying to stop a thief. So some dim witted politician (aren't all politicians dim witted???) came up with this law to presumably solve this problem .

No its not for safety reasons. Or fears over someone will steal gas as you have to prepay for your gas before you pump it right now. Illinois politics are about greed pure and simple. Lots of our Gov and congressmen have gone to prison in recent years. So usually when these idiotic laws pass some one is getting a kick back.

 

[ReSTored]

................. Illinois politics are about greed pure and simple. Lots of our Gov and congressmen have gone to prison in recent years. So usually when these idiotic laws pass some one is getting a kick back................

So, you're saying that Illinois politicians are corrupt and crooks in general. I'm absolutely shocked to hear this. I thought all politicians were motivated to selflessly serve their constituents for the common good, really.

 

[the Ferret]

The economy is running on fumes anyways.

I'm sorry, but that is just not true. The economy is doing very well at this point.

When it takes 45 minutes to get into any restaurant on a Friday or Saturday night where a meal for 2 averages $50 without drinks, when they can fill a 65,000 seat stadium to watch a sporting event where the seats average $8,000.00 a seat (cheapest was $5000), when you see nothing but new SUV's and pick-up trucks running down the road, if you check your 401K and see how it is doing, and see how low the cost of living increase on one's Social Security is, to me, these are real life indicators that the economy is NOT running on fumes.,

If the restaurant parking lots were empty, the stadium was 1/4 full, I saw a bunch of old clunkers driving around, my 401 was losing money every quarter and my cost of living increase for my social security was 5% instead of 2%, THEN I would surmise that the economy was in a slide.

All figures indicate a robust economy right now
.

How Is the US Economy Doing?

The U.S. economy’s health is determined by indicators like the gross domestic product (GDP), unemployment, inflation, and more. Here's what it means for you.

www.thebalance.com

 

[TipSTer]

Oregon still has attendants who pump your gas and run your card or take the cash. But, in probably 20 or more fill ups on my bikes, they have always let me pump my own to avoid those issues.
I was told the reason OR has their law is, that a few decades ago, the state governor's wife was filling her car and it caught fire while she was in process. Don't know it that is factual or not.....
What is ILs reason for their new law?????

Aways blamed on the wife of the governor eh. Is she hotter now

 

[red one]

I'm sorry, but that is just not true. The economy is doing very well at this point.

When it takes 45 minutes to get into any restaurant on a Friday or Saturday night where a meal for 2 averages $50 without drinks, when they can fill a 65,000 seat stadium to watch a sporting event where the seats average $8,000.00 a seat (cheapest was $5000), when you see nothing but new SUV's and pick-up trucks running down the road, if you check your 401K and see how it is doing, and see how low the cost of living increase on one's Social Security is, to me, these are real life indicators that the economy is NOT running on fumes.,

If the restaurant parking lots were empty, the stadium was 1/4 full, I saw a bunch of old clunkers driving around, my 401 was losing money every quarter and my cost of living increase for my social security was 5% instead of 2%, THEN I would surmise that the economy was in a slide.

All figures indicate a robust economy right now
.

How Is the US Economy Doing?

The U.S. economy’s health is determined by indicators like the gross domestic product (GDP), unemployment, inflation, and more. Here's what it means for you.

www.thebalance.com

I think elators was talking about Illinois. But you are correct the Economy has not been this good for a long long time.

 

[jonjonboo]

I was in Oregon @ a year ago in a company vehicle, every fuel stop I made I fueled the vehicle myself. I was told a few times by service attendants that I couldn't fuel myself, I just looked at them every time and informed them the company I work for does not allow anyone but a company driver to service their vehicle-they just walk away

 

[Al st1100]

I'm guessing the reason for this law is the same as so many others... liability. Probably sick of seeing lawsuits from people who douse themselves the sue the gas station because they weren't warned it could happen.

no, no, no....this is the way to create high paying new jobs !!

 

[CYYJ]

I think I remember reading somewhere that these laws come about because of self serve customers being more likely to fill up their vehicles and then drive away with paying.

There's an easy way to fix that, and that is to legislate a requirement to prepay or pre-authorize a fuel purchase before the self-serve pump will operate.

In British Columbia, Canada, the government did just that - although limited to night-time hours - after a self-serve attendant was injured in an altercation with a customer who would not pay. The end result of the law was that at night, you had to stuff your credit card in the pump and get it authorized before the pump would work, or, you had to go and pre-pay in cash what you wanted to pump.

Reasonable & sensible legislation, I think.

Michael

 

[Bush]

I agree with your assessment that this is designed to create low level jobs, to prevent a collapse in the economy. The economy is running on fumes anyways.

I think your President would disagree with that statement.

 

[Bush]

after a self-serve attendant was injured in an altercation with a customer who would not pay.

Actually, dragged underneath the thief's car for a several hundreds of feet and killed. He was caught and went to jail.

 

[ad.hom]

Given that, since before I was legally old enough to drive (or ride, or use a fuel pump...) I have always used self-service pumps....

I quite like the novelty of using attended pumps when in Europe.

Maybe that's just me though.

 

[TourNut]

Last time I got stuck with an "attendant" at a Greenville , Ohio gas station in 1978 , I turned around in time to see him pouring gas into my new GoldWing's tank , with him peering down into the hole with a lit cigarette w/ 1/2 Inch of ash , hanging out of his mouth . Oh yeah , I really yelled at him , " GET AWAY FROM MY BIKE ! " then asking him, if he was trying to blow himself , me & MY BIKE sky-high ? ! Talk about a moron !