FDU Poll: New Jerseyans Don't Want to Pump Gas
Residents agree with rule requiring attendants to pump gas.
A majority of New Jerseyans would prefer to pump fists, not gas.
According to the latest recent statewide poll by Fairleigh Dickinson University's PublicMind, 63% of voters said they support the state’s rule that an attendant must pump gas. Only 23% opposed the rule, while 14% said they weren’t sure.
There were no differences in the vote according to age of voters, according to the poll, but women were much more likely to support the rule than men. Just over 70% of women supported the rule, while 55% of men were in favor.
Read the release below for more and take our poll.
New Jersey voters are pumped up about not pumping gas. According to the most recent statewide poll by Fairleigh Dickinson University’s PublicMindTM, 63% of voters say they support the Garden State rule that requires a gas station attendant to pump their gas. Just 23% say they oppose it. And 14% say they’re not sure, or they have mixed views.
There are no differences by age. The majority opinion is consistent from the very youngest drivers to the very oldest.
“Clearly, this is an aspect of life in the Garden State that Jerseyans have embraced,” said Peter Woolley, a political scientist and director of the poll.
However, women are significantly more likely to support the rule than men. Female support is very strong at 72%-15%, while men support it by 55%-31%.
“I don’t call it pampering,” said Woolley, “until I go to Pennsylvania and try to figure out how the pump works.”
But there are some political undercurrents. Self-described conservatives support the rule by 55%-29%, while liberals approve by the much more robust margin of 70%- 21%. Republicans approve by a hardy 61%-25%, but Democrats by a hardier 72%- 19%.
“Some voters think the regulation is government interference,” said Woolley. “Others think it’s sensible and convenient.”
New Jersey is not unique in this respect. Oregon also forbids customers to pump gas.
“We’ll run the question again in summer, when it’s not snowing or pouring rain, and it’s not too hot either,” said Woolley. “Perhaps then drivers will be more inclined to get out of the car to work the pump themselves.”
The Fairleigh Dickinson University poll of 800 registered voters statewide was conducted by telephone using both landlines and cell phones from Jan. 2 through Jan. 8, 2012, and has a margin of error of +/-3.5 percentage points.
Sandee Faasse Russo
8:29 am on Monday, January 23, 2012
Yes and no. Pumping own is faster. Pumping own would be a disaster.......in NJ.
tina
8:49 am on Monday, January 23, 2012
pumping your own will not lower gas prices, and will put people out of work
Russ
9:35 am on Monday, January 23, 2012
I agree with Tina. More unemployed people.
MikeL
10:13 am on Monday, January 23, 2012
Does anyone know the history of this law? I grew up on Long Island, where you'd have to pay a lot more per gallon for "full serve," but found it odd that I had to wait for a free attendant once I crossed the border. What's the rationale behind attendant pumping in New Jersey?
Michael
12:01 pm on Monday, January 23, 2012
Personally I'm not lazy and my time is valuable so I'd rather do it myself so I don't have to wait around for the guy to eventually get back to my car.
Par70
7:30 pm on Monday, January 23, 2012
Having full serve has nothing to do with being lazy. It seems based on your comment that you are just impatient.
Michael
4:20 pm on Tuesday, January 31, 2012
Actually I'm originally from PA so I guess I'm just used to it and not a huge fan of waiting 20 min for the one guy working 8 pumps to get back to me
Sir
12:50 pm on Monday, January 23, 2012
If your week is defined by needing an extra 2 minutes as a result of an attendant pumping your gas - you have much larger issues. Seriously.
Ernie
1:22 pm on Monday, January 23, 2012
As a salesman for many years traveling by car, my territory covered the states of NY,Pa,Del,Va,WV,Md,NC and DC. Believe me folks, you don't want to pump your own
gas. I don't care if it is raining, the sun is shining or it is snowing you don't want to do it. Find out for yourself, travel across the country fill your tank several times, not just once on a casual trip to Pa but do it often, in the morning, when you're alone
at night at a station or anytime. If you feel we should change, you will soon change your mind. I hope our state never changes the law the oil companies are rich enough
without taking out saving money on a gas attendant's pay.Remember you heard it here first you were warned.
Carmine J. Castagna
1:34 pm on Monday, January 23, 2012
I was surprised that no one was naive enough to use the argument that self-service gas lowers gas prices. I'm sure that the next survey will dig up some of those people. As for the individuals that feel that they need the two minutes saved by pumping their own gas, I'd venture to guess that they are the same ones that won't take the time to pull over to the curb to use their hand-held cell phones. Only two states have (so far) gotten this argument right. Let's keep it that way.
Kevin Guhl
1:44 pm on Monday, January 23, 2012
Frankly, I like being spoiled by having someone else pump my gas for me.
La Quin
4:02 pm on Tuesday, January 31, 2012
me too! and i don't want to smell like gas either
Josh
2:47 pm on Monday, January 23, 2012
To all the individuals who claim more unemployed people. I lived in Michigan for almost 4 years and was very happy to pump my own gas, and just so you all know an attendant has to be at the station in order for it to be open (even though they don't pump the gas). In NJ I find numerous stations where I get the benefit of only 1 person working and having to wait long periods of time for them to make it over to my car. Sometimes I could have pumped myself and left before they even get to my car.
All I ask is let me pump my gas if I want to.
Par70
7:28 pm on Monday, January 23, 2012
Go live in another state or get a job as a gas attendant. It is an over-rated blessing to be allowed to pump your own gas.
LV Mom
3:10 pm on Monday, January 23, 2012
As one who sometimes gets impatient waiting for the single attendant to wait on me as well, I do find the rule a blessing. NJ residents pay less for gas for just this reason. By having an attendant pump your gas, the insurance costs for them is much cheaper thereby putting the savings in your pocket. Think about it. You don't have people standing out there smoking, talking on cell phones, driving away with the pump still in their car, etc. As someone who grew up doing this as a family business, it does have its pros and cons.
LV Mom
3:16 pm on Monday, January 23, 2012
And I forgot, no pump and run without paying.
Angelo
3:27 pm on Monday, January 23, 2012
from wiki: New Jersey banned self-service gasoline in 1949 after lobbying by service station owners. Proponents of the ban cite safety and jobs as reasons to keep the ban.
Likewise, the 1951 Oregon statute banning self-service gasoline lists 17 different justifications, including the flammability of gas, the risk of crime from customers leaving their car, the toxic fumes emitted by gasoline, and the jobs created by requiring mini service.
The town of Huntington, New York bans gasoline self-service to save jobs. The ban went in effect in the early 1970s during a recession.
FourScore
6:36 pm on Monday, January 23, 2012
If the law was amended so that service stations had the option of offering self serve, BUT... they also had to offer full service, AND they could not charge more for full service, then I can't see why anyone would be against it. Those who want to pump their own can, those who want the attendant to pump it can (at the same price), and the service stations can lower their operating costs.
Everyone wins!
Par70
7:26 pm on Monday, January 23, 2012
This issue is rolled every year by those in Big Oil -- the savings, the savings, the savings. Yes -- there will be short-term drop of 10-15 cents at most. This savings will be more than covered by the large amount of Gas Attendants fired. Well now those people are unemployed -- and the state will have to cover that. Then guess what a year or less later -- the prices will rise. The net benefit -- larger profit for the Gas Companies, more people out of work and less benefit for traveling public in NJ.
Please note other states have full serve -- however -- no one ever seems to be there when it is late at night, during bad weather, etc. This is not always the case -- but it is what I have seen across the states.
Unless there is a huge savings -- I am happy to have someone else pump my gas. It is one of the FEW perks of living in NJ.
Josh
8:27 pm on Monday, January 23, 2012
Par70 You refer to a large amount of gas attendants being fired, but everytime I pull into a gas station there is 1 attendant working the station no matter the time or day. And in other states the self-serve pumps are not allowed to be used unless there is a person working at the station (usually sitting inside), but still someone working. So unless the NJ stations are planning on being closed those attendants will still have a job.
I do not expect a savings and after consideration agree with LV Mom and think prices would probably go up because of Insurance.
LV Mom
11:00 am on Tuesday, January 24, 2012
Look around us. When I go visit relatives in NY the price is anywhere from 30-40 cents higher (this is not in the city). The price in PA is higher. The insurance has to be the big savings, so if we were to have self serve, then the insurance rates would have to rise to cover all the idiots out there who do stupid things, and we in turn will pay "more" at the pump like every other state.
Publius
11:21 am on Tuesday, January 24, 2012
To make sure people compare apples to apples, from a very quick look on-line about gasoline taxes, the fed tax is 18.4 a gallon. NJ's gas tax is 14.5. NY and PA both are 31 cents plus. So part of the differentis LV Mom mentions is added taxes imposed by NY and PA. While some part of the differential is no doubt insurance, a good chunk of the difference is tax.
Publius
11:27 am on Tuesday, January 24, 2012
Publius neglected to take a position on the merits. I think the NJ law is fine, I routinely gas up before making short runs into PA and NY, which I do frequently with kids in colleges out of state. Besides, I think NJ could use the gas tax on fuel I buy here instead of supporting our two more expensive neighbors. Also, nothing says loving when going to visit people in NY or PA like reeking of gasoline from the fumble, fumble, what do I do next drill pumping klutzes like me invariably go through. If it is not broke, don't fix it. It is not broke.
Mark Lipinski
6:22 pm on Friday, February 3, 2012
TO MICHAEL who writes that he is "not a huge fan of waiting 20 min for the one guy working 8 pumps to get back to me" .... are you kidding? 20-minutes? LOL I am also a PA native and I've never waited any longer than 5 - 6 minutes for a clerk to pump my gas in NJ in all the years I've lived here and I'm VERY impatient and Type-A. I've waited at least that long at times to pump my own gas in PA. Dude, if you're waiting 20-minutes for someone to pump your gas I suggest you find another station or get a new watch.
Carol C.
6:33 am on Saturday, February 4, 2012
I was thinking the same thing....20 minutes? Really?? If that were true, it is easily remedied by going to a different gas station. And several comments mentioned the 1 lone attendant; the stations I frequent have 2-3 employees and I am usually still fumbling to find my cash as they approach my car, I don't seem to wait very often. Again, an easy fix - try another station. I have lived in other states and have pumped my own, but really prefer leaving a gas station without my hands smelling of gas. New Jersey has it right in this case!
FourScore
12:34 pm on Saturday, February 4, 2012
Of course, the gas stations that have the cheapest gas are the ones that are going to have the most cars. For example, the Delta's on Rte 46 are usually the cheapest and can get pretty busy. It could take you 15 minutes or more to fuel up depending on how many cars are waiting in line. A self serve island would certainly speed things up.
What annoys me most about this is that the people who don't want self serve want to force their will all those of us who do. If there was a choice of both where you wouldn't pay more for full serve than self serve, then everyone would be happy.