I spent most of my life in a suburb of Detroit, MI: the Motor City of America. I've been pumping my own gas for 20+ years now. Imagine my surprise when I went to work in Portland, OR and attempted to fill my own gas tank, only to be told by the 'trained fueling operator' that it was against the law for me to fill my own gas tank. I was not "qualified" to handle class1 flammable liquids!! I thought it was a joke but, unfortunately, it's quite true. There is a fine of up to $500 if I am caught trying to perform the 'fueling operation' on my own.

ORS 480.315-320

Yep, ORS 480.315-320, that's the one. Check it out on the Oregon State government website: leg.state.or.us

The following is taken directly from the text of ORS 480.330:

"An owner, operator or employee of a filling station service station, garage, or other dispensary where class 1 flammable liquids are dispensed at retail may not permit any person other than the owner, operator or employee to use or manipulate any pump, hose, pipe or other device for dispensing the liquids into the fuel tank of a motor vehicle or other retail container."

ORS 480.385, Civil penalty for dispensing law violation:
Civil penalty shall become due and payable 10 days after order: up to $500.

There are 17 declarations listed which try to rationalize this completely irrational law. Too many to list in this writing but here are some of my personal favorites:

1) The dispensing of Class 1 flammable liquids by dispensers properly trained in appropriate safety procedures reduces fire hazards directly associated with the dispensing of Class 1 flammable liquids.

7) Exposure to toxic fumes represents a health hazard to customers dispensing Class 1 flammable liquids.

10a) The significantly higher prices typically charged for full-service fuel dispensing in states where self service is permitted at retail discriminates against customers with lower incomes, who are under greater economic pressure to subject themselves to the inconvenience and hazards of self-service.

11) The increased use of self-service at retail in other states has contributed to diminishing the availability of automotive repair facilities at gasoline stations.

14) Self service dispensing at retail contributes to unemployment, particularly among young people.

And, last but not least.....we can't forget about 'the children':

17) Small children left unattended when customers leave to make payment at self service stations creates a dangerous situation.

No, I'm not kidding: those are all for real.

Declaration 7 states that exposure to fumes presents a health risk to customers. Yet the 'qualified fuel dispensing operator' wears no mask, follows no special procedure and has no form of protection from these "dangerous fumes". There is nothing this 'qualified' person does any differently than I would do myself. Exposure to dangerous fumes for them is OK, apparently.

Why can't I do this myself again?

Declaration 10a is by far the most outrageous: "high prices of full service discriminate against low income customers who are subjected to the inconvenience and hazards of self service."

The keyword here is 'convenience'. Convenience is a luxury, not a right. Oregon lawmakers should learn the difference.

I'm amused that Oregon's legislature would play the "low income discrimination" card in this argument. At the time of this writing, Oregon has the highest gas prices in all of the contiguous United States thanks to taxes and restrictions imposed upon it's service stations. Oregon's self serve ban demands that gas station proprietors hire full time attendants to pump gas. This forces gas prices up, not down. Where is the concern for the low income folks now? The poor of Oregon now pay higher gas prices than most other states in the country. Rather than cut taxes, lift restrictions, and lower prices for everyone the state of OR has decided it's better to impose higher taxes and charges for all: including the poor.

Declarations 11 & 14 claim that self service stations contribute not only to unemployment but also to diminished availability of service stations. When government interferes and restricts free market evolution, the result can only be stagnation. Can you imagine life if the government had stepped in to halt the 'diminished availability' of blacksmiths, chimney sweeps, 8 tracks tapes, rotary phones, etc, etc. If there is market demand for a business or service it will survive without intervention.

There is no data to support the claim that self-serve gas stations have led to higher unemployment rates in other states. Most self serve stations are equipped with automated electronic pumps and surveillance. More high tech equipment = more high tech maintenance & sales = more high tech jobs. Oregon has the highest gasoline prices in the country. It also has the highest unemployment rate. Oregon lawmakers claim to be passing these laws in an effort to reduce unemployment and help the low income citizens. Obviously, the opposite effect has taken place. Perhaps it is time to rethink the current strategy.

And the best for last...

Declaration 17: small children left alone while paying for gas poses a 'dangerous' situation. Again, I could find no data anywhere to support this claim. There is not a higher rate of injury to minors at self service stations vs. full serve stations. A vast majority of self serve stations are equipped with pay at the pump service, so you never need to leave your child or the perimeter of your car.

It has been over five decades since this law was first imposed and a primary argument for keeping it intact are "so many people wouldn't know how to pump their own gas anymore". It is yet another step up the government ladder of dependency, where we leave Liberty, Freedom and choice on the ground below.