Edit: Thanks everyone, that's really interesting. My only experience with attendants is in South Africa where you don't need a law, because the gas station doesn't trust the customers, and the customers don't want to risk opening their doors and get mugged ;)
Right now, a number of my Oregonian friends are upset that they've legalized it. Mostly because it's a loss of a cultural touchpoint, but also because they don't want to have to get out of their car in cold Oregon rain to pump their own gas.
Do you think full service gas stations positively affected the economy via tourism? I ask because I've never experienced one and if one wasn't too far out of my way on a road trip I might have checked it out and the surrounding area.
Funny story, though: the first time I drove down to Portland and stopped for gas just before the state border, there was a woman at the pump next to me with a very concerned look on her face. As I was getting gas for my own car, she turns to me and (slightly embarrassed) asks if I can show her how the pumps work. Of course, I did, but it definitely threw me for a loop until I remembered that law existed.
I don't know why her parents had never taught her; they had taken out-of-state trips that would have offered the chance.
new jersey is the only other state with such a law (and it's even more restrictive than the oregon law was)
I get the same feedback when mentioning this to other bikers.
FTFY. The industry is incentivized to reduce cost, politicians are incentivized to increase votes.
I used to routinely drive between PA and NY and always made sure I had plenty of gas so I didn't have to stop in NJ.
