Wow, $100 hold for buying $30 gas.

[Elixer]

It's really annoying too, I hate waiting for someone to pump my gas whenever I'm in Jersey. Sometimes they get all pissy if you get out of your car and act like you are going to pump yourself (not that you can anyhow, they are locked down).

Just what is the reason they don't allow people to pump their own ? That sounds pretty idiotic.
It can't be because of theft, since if that was the case, then they would make you pay first, like most other states do when gas started to get higher than $2.50 a gallon.

 

[MomentsofSanity]

There are a lot of places in this area where you can pay after pumping. And, I'll bet there are places in Canada that do insist on paying before you pump.

Here are. Here that is typically limited to overnight hours and even then it's not a general rule. More a practice some stations adopt.

 

[Oakenfold]

Just what is the reason they don't allow people to pump their own ? That sounds pretty idiotic.

I'm curious also. A state law that prevents people from pumping their own gas?

 

[xanis]

I'm curious also. A state law that prevents people from pumping their own gas?

http://www.mentalfloss.com/blogs/archives/15455

My fellow Flossers Jason English & Chris Higgins will never know the joy of getting out of the car and filling their own tank. No, it’s not mental deficiency or lack of opposable thumbs. They simply live in states where it’s illegal to do so.

Jason lives in New Jersey, where the state legislature decided in 1949 that “because of the fire hazards directly associated with dispensing fuel, it is in the public interest that gasoline station operators have the control needed over that activity to ensure compliance with appropriate safety procedures.”

Higgins lives in Oregon, where a similar law was passed in 1951, supported by a whopping 17 declarations rationalizing the prohibition of “any person other than the owner, operator or employee [of a dispensary where class 1 flammable liquids are dispensed at retail]” from using “pump, hose, pipe or other device for dispensing the liquids into the fuel tank of a motor vehicle or other retail container.” Violating this law would get Higgins slapped with a $500 fine.

In plain English: New Jersey and Oregon don’t trust people to not blow themselves up while pumping gas, and would rather leave the job to professionals (gas station attendants), who undergo rigorous training where they learn that it’s bad to smoke while pumping gas, bad to leave the car running, and bad to put gas anywhere except a car’s fuel tank or other approved containers.

 

[Oakenfold]

How many employees do gas stations need to have just to fill up vehicles at rush hour? That must be insane to get gas in NJ.

 

[xanis]

How many employees do gas stations need to have just to fill up vehicles at rush hour? That must be insane to get gas in NJ.

It's usually not *that* horrible. I used to work in the Princeton area and all of the gas stations had enough employees working that it wasn't that bad.

 

[Oakenfold]

It's usually not *that* horrible. I used to work in the Princeton area and all of the gas stations had enough employees working that it wasn't that bad.

Good to hear, I guess the idea just sounds very frightening to those of us that have never had full service stations. If it was snowing outside I could probably be very patient..

 

[Firebot]

The way it works in the US is so weird. Here it's so much simpler. Gas up till the pump stops, go in store, tell clerk your pump number (most of the time they've been watching so they know) pay for whatever gas you took, go back to your car, drive off. No holds, no guessing how much gas you need.

I heard they want to look at changing it though.

This isn't a US specific thing at all. If you use pay at the pump in Canada anywhere, the same hold on your card will happen, no matter the gas company. In BC, you are not allowed to do what you describe (pay at the kiosk). With the recent drive away attendant death in Toronto, laws are probably going to change in Ontario also.

 

[Ben90]

Why does a hold matter?

 

[amdhunter]

Why does a hold matter?

What if I didn't have $100 available? I would have been hit with overage charges and whatnot.

 

[KeithTalent]

What if I didn't have $100 available? I would have been hit with overage charges and whatnot.

Then you have bigger problems outside of your gas tank.

KT

 

[sze5003]

If you are that strapped for cash on your debit card that's why you use a credit card. The hold goes on there and by the time your bill comes the transaction would have been completed and the hold reversed.

I haven't had anything but 1.00 holds on my debit card and I'm with a credit union so usually if I say it's debit it comes out immediately out of my account. If not, the next day.

 

[Svnla]

What if I didn't have $100 available? I would have been hit with overage charges and whatnot.

Do you know that if you use over 30% of your credit limit and/or nearly max out your credit limit, it could have an adverse effect on your credit score?

Max out credit limit and minimum payment = bad, very bad.

 

[Red Squirrel]

This isn't a US specific thing at all. If you use pay at the pump in Canada anywhere, the same hold on your card will happen, no matter the gas company. In BC, you are not allowed to do what you describe (pay at the kiosk). With the recent drive away attendant death in Toronto, laws are probably going to change in Ontario also.

Yeah I did hear about that, and that it might happen here too. I have been seeing lot of stations getting upgrades so perhaps it's already in the works. I guess we'll just have to get used to it.