By GARRET JAROS/YachatsNews
Sometime Friday, for the first time in 72 years, Lincoln County residents can drive into a service station, jump out and pump their own gasoline.
Or not.
The willingness to embrace Oregon’s new self-serve gasoline law is mixed, according to a survey of stations and customers Wednesday by YachatsNews. The biggest worry seemed to be about the loss of jobs.
Under a law passed by the 2023 Legislature, Oregonians across the state will have the option of pumping their own gas or continuing to have an attendant pump it for them. Gov. Tina Kotek is expected to sign House Bill 2426 into law on Friday and self-service will become legal as soon as the bill is signed.
The governor’s office said Thursday that Kotek would sign the bill accompanied by a letter that carries no force of law but allow the governor to express her thoughts on the policies being enacted.
House Bill 2426 was approved in June with overwhelming bipartisan support, putting an end to 72 years of mostly banning self-service in the state.
In 1951 legislators moved Oregon to attendant-service fueling because of safety concerns and as a way to maintain jobs. New Jersey, which did the same things for the same reasons in 1949, is the only remaining state that bans self-service.
While some station employees and customers in Waldport and Newport on Wednesday were aware of the pending change, others were not.
“I did not know about it,” said Jeff Dillon of Waldport while he got gas at the Town Pump in Waldport on Wednesday. “As long as it saves us a little bit of money that would be good. But at the same time, you think about maybe some people losing their jobs. That’s kind of a big deal also.”
A few pumps over, Dale Jahn of Tidewater, who was having several containers filled for his boat, also had not heard about it, but said he would start filling his own tank.
“It will make everyone happier that’s for sure,” Jahn said. “Except my wife. And hopefully all these guys won’t lose their jobs.”
Town Pump manager Edgar Herrera said people have told him they don’t want to pump their own gas, but he doesn’t mind the change despite concerns about safety.
“I don’t think it’s safe because sometimes people are on the phone and they just get in their car and drive away without putting the nozzle back,” Herrera said. “That’s my big concern.”
Herrera believes it will affect employee hours and said layoffs may be in the future.
The new legislation says stations must have an equal number of self-service pumps as it does attended pumps, but the price – at least for now — will be the same whether people help themselves or not.
Waldport Chevron manager Kelly Hardcastle does not oppose self-service but is not pleased about how it was decided.
“It’s fine by me, we are here to help, we’re here to assist, if they don’t want to pump it they don’t have to, we’ll do it for them,” said Hardcastle, who has worked at the station for 23 years and managed it for 15. “I just think it’s kind of rotten that we didn’t get to vote on it.”
Hardcastle believes attendants will be laid off because of the change, but also thinks voters will eventually overturn the legislation.
“Voters will overturn it because we’re already a little irate we didn’t get to vote on it,” she said. “Anytime it came up for a vote it was shot down.”
The station’s hours may be extended in the future because the self-service option will require fewer attendants to be on duty at one time, she said, but for now nothing will change.
Chevron attendant Morgan Nelson, who lives on the Alsea River just outside of Waldport, has mixed feelings about the change.
“That’s a tough one because I grew up pumping my own gas,” he said. “I hope that people are safe about it, use proper containers and aren’t smoking like some idiots. We will be here for people who are getting on in years or have special needs or just plain don’t want to do it. I don’t want my mom pumping her own gas.”
Nelson is concerned about attendants losing jobs but said he is not worried about losing his.
“I’m retired and just do it for beer and play money,” he said. “The owner told us things would pretty much be business as usual. He’s old school. That’s why I like working here.”
Chevron customer Larry Walters of Tidewater, shared his opinion while Nelson filled his tank.
“I think it’s bull,” Walters said. “It’s not going to cut the price down any. Other states that (have self-service) close to us pay more than we do. So it’s just cutting somebody out of a job. I don’t go along with it.”
Given the choice, Walters said he will likely stick with getting help.
“I am having some medical issues,” he said. “I’ve got a cane in the back. Everything I do is on the cane now.”
Self-service at the pump has never been banned completely in Oregon. Diesel customers have always been allowed to pump their own, and so have people using member cards at commercial fueling stations. Rural counties in eastern Oregon pushed for overnight self-service in 2015 because of staffing issues, according to AAA Oregon. A couple years later that law was expanded to all hours in some locations.
A 2021 poll by the Oregon Values and Beliefs Center showed 63 percent of Oregonians supported a self-service option.
Filling up in Newport
At Newport’s VP Racing Fuels, assistant manager Celia Gonzalez said she was unaware of the impending self-service option but thinks it’s a good idea — although she believes it will affect employee hours.
She does not plan on pumping her own gas, she said and then laughed.
“Depends whether it’s raining,” Gonzalez said. “I might do it sometime.”
VP attendant Michael Wehling of Newport summed it up matter-of-factly — “It is what it is” — although he thinks self-service should not be allowed.
“Leave it to the state of Oregon to make things confusing cuz it’s an option so how am I supposed to know if somebody does or doesn’t want my help?” Wehling said. “I think it will kind of take away from the tips that I make, so it takes money out of my pocket. It could potentially take away some hours that I’m working because they may not need me as much with people doing it themselves.”
He acknowledges that it is good for people in a hurry, but added there will be confusion and some frustration for some people handling debit or credit cards.
“So I think they’ll run into some minor little issues here and there, but I don’t think it’s anything that can’t be solved,” Wehling said.
VP customer Natalie Craft of Newport expressed concern about job losses, but was happy to learn that assistance will still be available.
“I think the disabled need more help and women need more help,” she said. “And still having attendants will help everybody, it will keep the economy going with jobs and help the people who couldn’t do it even if they wanted to.”
Craft has filled her tank while traveling but prefers the help because she has pain in her hands and neck from past surgeries.
Across the pump isle, customer Kim Kolbow of Lincoln City said she is fine with the change.
“It gives people the option,” Kolbow said. “Some people are in a hurry, sometimes late at night it can be difficult. I grew up in a state where everybody pumped their own so I like the convenience and I also like that there are jobs available for people that maybe don’t want to work in the fast-food industry or something like that. So I support the ability to choose.”
At the busy Fred Meyer gas station, northside pumps will remain full service while southside pumps will be self-serve.
“We are very pleased to be offering the same quality of service that we always have while now offering the self-serve islands,” said Lynda Bender, the assistant Newport store leader.
“And everyone is asking, but there will be no price difference,” she said, and no station attendants will be laid off because of the change.
“Absolutely guaranteed from corporate – zero,” Bender said. “No job losses, no change of hours. If things change in the future, then things change in the future.”
- Garret Jaros is YachatsNews’ full-time reporter and can be reached at GJaros@YachatsNews.com
