Well, in NJ's defense, their gas is dirt cheap, even with paying someone to fill your tank. I grew up there and there was no self-serve for as long as I can remember. Though we always did get out and self serve if the attendant was too busy, and no one ever complained to us. I have filled up my bike myself in NJ plenty of times too. They don't want to bother and I don't want to have to get off my bike and put it on the center stand.

Anyway, I highly doubt it will be cheaper in IL if this takes effect. But it really is cheap in NJ.

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I have filled up my bike myself in NJ plenty of times too. They don't want to bother and I don't want to have to get off my bike and put it on the center stand.

You pump gasoline into the gas tank while you sit on the bike?

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Originally posted by Prefontaine:

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Originally posted by radioman:
Why would anyone want to pump their own gas.

One, I don’t want them scratching shit up, or dribbling fuel down my paint in a hurry.

On my sportbikes, it’s easy to set it, go to another customer, overfill it and have overfill all over the tank. Sportbike filling is very particular. You don’t just shove it end, requires eye balling the whole way.

I also don’t want my groceries delivered to my door. I want to pick my own produce.

This convenience society has no bounds.

Never considered the motorcycle angle. And now that I have one in the garage, I agree.

On the Indian, it has a split fuel tank with 2 filler holes (and the left one is reverse-threaded, can't imagine the pump jockey figuring that one out.

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Originally posted by GWbiker:

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I have filled up my bike myself in NJ plenty of times too. They don't want to bother and I don't want to have to get off my bike and put it on the center stand.

You pump gasoline into the gas tank while you sit on the bike?

I've only filled the Indian a couple times so far, but have seen it mentioned on a few forums/YT channels to fill up with the bike upright, to maximize fuel volume in the tank.

I've, thus far, filled up on the kickstand.

Local gas station around here can barely staff the midnight shift. I have seen them closed several times a month due to no employees. Could only imagine what would happen if they would have to pump gas and man the store at the same time. They would probably have the lock the store to come out to pump gas.

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Originally posted by P250UA5:
On the Indian, it has a split fuel tank with 2 filler holes (and the left one is reverse-threaded, can't imagine the pump jockey figuring that one out.

"uhh, We're gonna need a bigger wrench."

Here in PA we are all pump-your-own but NJ is strictly we-pump-it-for-you and I hated it.

Before she passed away, I'd regularly go to NJ to visit my mother and I inadvertently would forget I wasn't in the land of pump-your-own when heading home. I'd always fuel up in NJ because it was cheaper than PA (and still is) and God forbid you start to get out of your car and reach toward a pump, they would come running and act like you just tried to murder someone.

Why is it that the vast majority of states treat people like adults when it comes to gassing up your car but a handful seem to think they can't be trusted and must be treated like drooling idiots or children?

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Originally posted by PASig:

Why is it that the vast majority of states treat people like adults when it comes to gassing up your car but a handful seem to think they can't be trusted and must be treated like drooling idiots or children?

Because of drooling morons like the idiots in the videos on the previous page.

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Originally posted by Balzé Halzé:


Because of drooling morons like the idiots in the videos on the previous page.

I'm not buying that. Those kind of things are so far and few between.

There's got to be some kind of labor union reason.

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I'd always fuel up in NJ because it was cheaper than PA (and still is) and God forbid you start to get out of your car and reach toward a pump, they would come running and act like you just tried to murder someone.

Hmmm... Well, maybe I should re-think my opposition?
If it will lower costs and therefore the price comes down... I'll let someone else pump.

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Originally posted by chellim1:
And why are motorcycles owners considered competent to fill their own tank but no one else is?

Silly question, Everybody knows we're just better at stuff.

Be nice to us drooling idiots. I did that back in my mid teen years. It was a good paying job for a 15 year old. The station manager was my best friend's father. They even had trouble staffing the station back then. Worse, they had thieves working as mechanics. He figured he could trust me.

It was hard work for a teen. It would even be hard work these days with all the pumps and needing to remember where the as filler was on all the cars. And checking the tires, oil and washing the windshield. And dodging grease bomb lobed by the high and mighty "mechanics". They'd shoot at you with the grease guns when you weren't looking. A high pressure grease gun would easily shoot a stream all the way to the road.

Low pay for them because they had to support a wife and sometimes a kid on high wages. I only made about a buck and a quarter. They often made one seventy five if they weren't stealing too much.

Then came the day when I saw a flash or reflection from the woods across the road. Someone was watching. So I took care of all the cars that came in, then called the manager and reported what I saw. He was unconcerned. It seems the stations owners had hired some private eyes to watch. Lucky for me I got a clean bill of health. The mechanics not so much. Seems they stole about every third fill up. Today we have video recorders. Not in the early 1960s.

So at the end of shift, the guys did what they always did. They cranked back the price on the premium pump and filled up their jalopies. Then cranked up the price to where it should have been. Paid the full amount shown, probably a dollar or two. Then rung it up on their cash register key. But the next day they were in jail, not "working".

I went into my early experience because you couldn't expect better today. When you don't pay someone a living wage, they figure out how to steal from you. Its worse when they get to dish out product and then take in the money for it. Even stupid people are kind of smart when it comes to figuring out how to steal. You can fire them, but the next guy will be no better. I didn't steal because my wages were great for my needs. Might be a lesson.

and! if Illinois does indeed pass the law , will california be next ?

I worked at a HESS station pumping gas my last few years in HS. It was a good job for a HS kid.

Considering who is in charge in Illinois, I can't see this going smoothly. Prices will likely go up, soome 24 hr convenience stores will have issues manning the pumps at night, etc.

I am sure Iowa and other surrounding states are anxious for it to happen as well

Grew up in N.J., moved to PA as an adult.

It is entertaining to watch N.J. tourists come to PA and pull into a gas station.

For a while they will sit, and sit and sit some more - waiting for an attendant.

Sometimes a little light will go on in their head - WE have to pump our own GAS?

Then they get out and try to figure out how the pump works....

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Originally posted by GWbiker:
You pump gasoline into the gas tank while you sit on the bike?

Why wouldn't I? A fully loaded BMW R1200GS is a pain in the ass to get on the center stand in the rain with the ground wet. My current BMW S1000R has a Wunderlich tank bag that has a cutout around the fuel cap, so I don't even have to lift the tank bag to fill up. When you're on a trip that requires several tanks to get where you're going, it's nice to have a totally full tank.

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Originally posted by Rick Lee:

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Originally posted by GWbiker:
You pump gasoline into the gas tank while you sit on the bike?

Why wouldn't I? A fully loaded BMW R1200GS is a pain in the ass to get on the center stand in the rain with the ground wet. My current BMW S1000R has a Wunderlich tank bag that has a cutout around the fuel cap, so I don't even have to lift the tank bag to fill up. When you're on a trip that requires several tanks to get where you're going, it's nice to have a totally full tank.

Just be sure you're not smoking while you do it, and also take care to ground yourself during the process.

flashguy

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Originally posted by PASig:
Before she passed away, I'd regularly go to NJ to visit my mother and I inadvertently would forget I wasn't in the land of pump-your-own when heading home. I'd always fuel up in NJ because it was cheaper than PA (and still is) and God forbid you start to get out of your car and reach toward a pump, they would come running and act like you just tried to murder someone.

This is because the station is the one that is fined if you pump your own gas, not the person. $50-$500 per "offense".

The reason NJ gas used to be so much cheaper has nothing to do with who pumps it. NJ used to have a much lower tax scheme than other states. But that changed, never let it be said that NJ politicians would let something go untaxed. In 2016 they added a .25 tax per gallon to make sure NJ is extorting its "fair" share.

One more reason to avoid getting out of the car in IL, I have been driving between Indy and DFW a great bit lately. Due to their silly CCW laws I make it a habit to make sure my tank is full before I enter IL so I don't have to stop.

This will be one more reason...god knows what this will do to the price.

This just in:
Now another news show has just said that the state is going mandate the option! of having your gas pumped for you upon request, with an additional charge,
for the elderly and the handicapped, or blind .

and Not !
100% gas pumped for you .

well , thats a whole nother story