New Jerseyans are known for their inability to find a consensus on debates like whether it should be called pork roll or Taylor Ham, but the Rutgers-Eagleton Poll has found one area of agreement: the state’s residents don’t want to pump their own gas.
Nearly three-quarters (73%) of those surveyed said they prefer having their gas pumped for them, with only 22% saying the opposite.
“There is apparently one thing all New Jerseyans can agree on nowadays and that’s the time-honored Jersey tradition of having your gas pumped for you,” said Ashley Koning, an assistant research professor and director of the Eagleton Center for Public Interest Polling (ECPIP) at Rutgers University–New Brunswick.
Mixed Poll Message
The poll came a week after the introduction of a bill that would remove full-service requirements for most of the state’s gas stations.
“Let’s also remember that this single survey question does not reflect the full debate and complexities of the moment that include a global pandemic, an employment crisis, and now an oil crisis,” said Koning. “Context plays a crucial role in public opinion. A large majority wants full service in the Garden State, but this preference does not mean automatic opposition to a self-serve option.”
Demographic Differences
Although support for having gas pumped was widespread, the poll found Democrats (82%) were more likely than Independents (70%) and Republicans (64%) to signal support.
Additionally, White residents (30%) were about twice as likely to say they want as Black (15%) and Hispanic (17%) residents to say they would prefer pumping their own.
Eighty-seven percent of women preferred having their gas pumped for them, compared to 37% of men. Conversely, 37% of men preferred pumping their own gas, compared to 11% of men.
“Call it a gender gas gap, if you will,” said Jessica Roman, a research associate with ECPIP. “We often talk about inclement weather and gasoline smell when it comes to some of the drawbacks of self-service, but there are also significant gender-related issues, like feelings of safety, that could be driving this wedge.”
Oroho-Sponsored Bill to Save Money
The “Motorist Fueling Choice and Convenience Act” would allow the state’s gas station to offer a mix of self- and full-service gas pumping, with caveats lined out for those with disabilities. Additionally, pricing could be adjusted for self-service gas.
Assemblywoman Carol Murphy (D-7), Assemblyman Ned Thomson (R-30), and Assemblywoman Annette Chaparro (D-33) are serving as sponsors of the Assembly bill.
State Senate Minority Leader Steve Oroho (R-24) served as sponsor for the Senate version of the bill.
“It’s time to bring New Jersey up to speed with the rest of the country with this common-sense approach,” Oroho said. “Over 300 million people already have the freedom to pump their gas. Why shouldn’t the people of New Jersey be included?”
With nearly 3/4 of the public opposed to this bill, why are legislators pushing this through? Probably because they’re in the pocket of gas station owners, who would save money by hiring fewer workers. This idea stinks, literally. NJ needs the jobs.
The option will exist for an attendant to pump gas for those who can’t or don’t wish to. I traveled all over the US and find the NJ pumping law archiac. Gas stations have blocked pumps for lack of attendants and attendants are hard to find. The arguments of gas smell are not correct or are the safety concerns. If you own a boat or airplane in NJ, you pump your own fuel. My daughter who was born and bred in NJ had to learn to pump her own gas when she visited Georgia. Please people get with it–it is not hard.
Jobs, jobs, and more jobs. That’s the answer I have for you. This saves money primarily for owners, not workers. Customers *might* enjoy a small savings, but those electing/needing full service will pay a huge premium, and that unfairly discriminates against the disabled, some vulnerable people, who feel afraid to pump gas in a bad area, and anyone who doesn’t want to touch the same pump touched by every other person before him/her, given that the pandemic has not actually ended. Also, in states like NJ where full service is the rule, some basic maintenance/screening is done by attendants, and that saves both drivers and taxpayers money and their very lives e.g. if a car has low tire pressure, it is more prone to blowouts/accidents.
I lived in New England for many years. Pumping your own isn’t that hard, but it’s a lot more convenient to have it done for us. Someone suggested elsewhere that Gov. Murphy’s approval ratings would soar if he simply said “no self service gas in NJ.” They were being facetious, but they’re also not wrong.
I should also have mentioned in my previous comment:
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Stop throwing the word “freedom” around – it may be an option or a choice, but once self-service is allowed, attendants become invisible and significant price differences between self- and full-service emerge. Our system isn’t broken; why try to fix it?
If the majority don’t want this then why is is being forced? We all know it ultimately isn’t about saving money or convenience for the general public!
Howard, you clearly didn’t read the bill because it states in section 9a that a station must provide full service at the self serve price to anyone with disabilities operating a motor vehicle with either a placard or a wheelchair license plate when they request it. So please spare us with your false narratives of how this will discriminate against people with disabilities. Also, I’ve lived in NJ for 7 years and not once has an attendant performed maintenance or screening when I pulled up to fill up. They don’t even speak to you unless it’s to ask for your zip code and then they start the pump and just walk away. Some people probably don’t want to have to wait for 10 min for someone to acknowledge them when they pull up to the station? If you want full service, you can still go to the station and wait for someone to do it for you as it’s not totally being eliminated (as stated in the bill that any station with more than 4 pumps would have to offer both).
What do people with hand injuries do? It is very hard to pump gas ⛽️!
Mr. Oroho should find something more useful to do! Freedom!? Stop! What about a woman with kids in the car during a snow? What do elderly folks do if they feel unable to pump their own? I’ll tell you what: they will pay a $0.50 per gallon premium to have someone pump it, if they can find one. Let not even start one split lanes and which side of the car your filler is one. UGH!
I am 80 years old and have been a New Jersey resident all of my life. I really don’t want to start pumping my own gas at this age. Seniors would be sitting ducks for criminals in this situation as well as weather constraints making it too dangerous for the elderly. Who are these reps any way? Who is getting a kick back on pushing this bill through? Kill it before it gets any further along. I’m proud of New Jersey for being the only state to have no self pumping at gas stations. We don’t want to be like everyone else. Life is difficult enough without making it even worse!
The only change I would agree with is stop making it illegal to pump your own gas. If someone wants to get out of their car and pump it themselves to perhaps speed up the process it should be legal as long as the owner of the station is ok with it. I also think there should be no difference in price. To do otherwise would be discriminatory to the disabled and elderly who are unable to pump gas themselves.
Who is going to over turn the lawsuit back in 1949 against Irving Reingold,who wanted pump your own gas, and the ruling by the superior court was it was deemed unsafe to pump your own gas thus no self pumping of fuel is allowed in NJ.
It’s not about being hard to do it ourselves or not. Their selling point to us (always) is saving US money. It saves THEM money. Prices WILL go up. We’re already checking out & bagging our own purchases in stores. The cost of service has always been factored into the purchase price, except now they want us to provide the service for free while still leaving its cost in the price.