Earlier this week New Jersey became the last place in the United States where you aren’t allowed to pump your own gas.
The New Jersey law dates back to 1949. Every few years some residents argue that a repeal of the law would help lower the cost of gas at the pump, while supporters say that doing so would be at the cost of tens of thousands of jobs as well as cause an “emotional toll” on adult motorists who would have to learn how to handle the pump on their own, says NJ.com.
There’s a bit of validity to that claim. As of January 1st, residents in some rural towns in Oregon can pump their own gas. The law pertains to counties with a population of fewer than 40,000 people. Drivers in 15 of those counties can pump their own gas at any point during the day, while those in the three remaining affected counties can pump their own gas during the evening, from 6pm to 6am. Judging by some reactions on social media, Oregonians are not taking the change well.
Oregon's @KTVL posted a story on Facebook about Oregonians pumping their own gas. The resulting panic from the natives in the comments was glorious: https://t.co/V3DP05Vzyspic.twitter.com/bIoOBq6Hi0
— Mitchell Byars (@mitchellbyars) January 2, 2018
In Oregon gas stations are not required to have self-serve pumps, it merely offers them the option to do so.