A new law that took effect this week in Oregon will allow residents in rural counties to pump their own gas — a divergence from the state’s decades-long history of having attendants pump gas for drivers.
Under House Bill 2482, which took effect Monday, retailers in counties with a population of less than 40,000 are allowed to have self-service gas pumps. Drivers in 15 counties can now pump their own gas any time of day, while those in three other rural counties can do so after business hours, between 6 p.m. and 6 a.m.
The Internet machine roared, fueled by a local TV station’s now-viral Facebook post asking people to react to the new law. Some commenters were angry and perturbed by the possibility of having to pump their own gas in the cold, while those from other states scoffed.
“I don’t even know HOW to pump gas and I am 62, native Oregonian . . . I say NO THANKS! I don’t like to smell like gasoline!” one woman wrote on KTVL’s Facebook post.
Source: Washington Post