Am I supposed to tip the gas station attendant?

[senseless]

I stopped into a full serve gas station for a fill up. My co-worker was surprised that I didn't tip the gas station attendant. I must admit I've never thought to do this, especially since service is so minimal these days. He insisted that a $1 tip was expected, but I don't think so.

 

[Mac'nCheese]

No Way!

 

[SDub90]

I've done it when he/she has cleaned the windows, but I don't think it's expected.

 

[optophobia]

I've done it when he/she has cleaned the windows, but I don't think it's expected.

I agree. If they do more than pump gas then I guess you give if you feel they deserve.
I once was in a full serve, and while the guy was pumping he said hey, you have a nail in your tire. I looked and sure enough there it was. No problem he said, as he told me to get back in the car. Withing 5 mins, he had extracted the nail, and plugged it. I asked him how much? Oh, no charge....

I tipped him $5, and then used that as my gas station all the time until I moved. Everytime I went back he would fill up my washer fluid if it needed it, and clean my windows sometimes...

When its just full service... Some stations even charge more per gallon for full serve, so you should probably not tip then unless they do something out of the ordinary.


Anyway if you feel you have to , then try to avoid Oregon, cos you are not allowed to pump your own gas there.

 

[leekohler]

Umm..no.

 

[Mr. McMac]

I pump my own gas

 

[aristobrat]

I pump my own gas

Ate New Jersey and Oregon the only two states where you are not allowed to pump your own gas?

 

[jknight8907]

I pump my own...even in Oregon, as I drive a diesel.

 

[yg17]

Why the hell don't OR and NJ let you pump your own gas?

 

[optophobia]

Why the hell don't OR and NJ let you pump your own gas?

New Jersey banned self-service gasoline in 1949 after lobbying by service station owners. Proponents of the ban cite safety and jobs as reasons to keep the ban.Likewise, the Oregon statute banning self-service gasoline lists seventeen different justifications, including the inflammability of gas, the risk of crime from customers leaving their car, the toxic fumes emitted by gasoline, and the jobs created by requiring mini service.In addition, the ban on self-service gasoline is seen as part of Oregonian culture. One commentator noted, “The joke is when babies are born in Oregon, the doctor slaps their bottom, ‘No self-serve and no sales tax’

[Wikipedia]

 

[Signal-11]

Why the hell don't OR and NJ let you pump your own gas?

Silly laws.

I don't tip in Jersey, or in developed countries that are always full service. I will if I have a choice and go to the full service pump or if the country is underdeveloped/poor.

 

[macswitcha2]

I stopped into a full serve gas station for a fill up. My co-worker was surprised that I didn't tip the gas station attendant. I must admit I've never thought to do this, especially since service is so minimal these days. He insisted that a $1 tip was expected, but I don't think so.

Tipping is an act of being generous even though some have made it a requirement. It's on you if you want to tip, regardless of who it is that is serving you.

 

[0098386]

They still do that? I thought it was all self-service now, it is in the UK at least.

 

[Ttownbeast]

Why the hell don't OR and NJ let you pump your own gas?

In Oregon the state believes that its own citizens lack the competency to handle a flammable liquid safely (probably true in some cases near the capitol), in New Jersey its that way just because they are douche bags and want to be different like the whores and guidos with the popped collars and fake and bake tans they show on cable TV all the time. Oddly neither state has regulations concerning training the pump attendants to dispense fuel any more safely than citizens in the other 48 states can do on their own using basic common sense. The big difference is its against the law to pump your own fuel and that's it--so someone gets paid a minimum hourly wage to do the same task.

 

[Gregg2]

Um, like, you know, there was a time in the U.S. when there wasn't a single solitary "service station" where customers were allowed to pump their own gas.* I was a "gas jockey" back in those days - my first part time job. I never got tipped. These days, who knows if they expect it, there are so few places that still give full service. (There was a time when the islands were parallel to the building. The one nearest the building was full service, the one nearest the street [only two, usually] were self-service. This didn't fly, as there were drive-offs even when the gas was so cheap! You don't see that layout much anymore.)

*This would be a good one for those "Today's (insert level) graduates have never known..." lists.

 

[dukebound85]

Tipping is an act of being generous even though some have made it a requirement. It's on you if you want to tip, regardless of who it is that is serving you.

well said

I dont mind tipping, I just hate the expectation to receive it

 

[cloroxbleach4]

My big question is do the tip the car hop at Sonic?

 

[Signal-11]

My big question is do the tip the car hop at Sonic?

If there's a drive thru at the same location and she's wearing skates, yeah.

Dudes, you lose.

 

[kellen]

Used to live in Washington, oddly enough gas was cheaper in Oregon even having to pay these attendants.

Now I live in Philly, again its cheaper to get gas in New Jersey.

Inquired about the reason with one of the attendants and was told that gas is cheaper because the stations have cheaper insurance due to customers not pumping their own gas. Who knows if he is right, but thats what they said.

Tipping always threw me for a loop. I don't, but sometimes are unsure. What is weird is to meet people from NJ who do not know how to pump gas. Not a joke.

 

[senseless]

New Jersey gas tax is 18 cents per gallon less than Pennsylvania. That's the only economic advantage to living in New Jersey.

 

[TuffLuffJimmy]

I pump my own...even in Oregon, as I drive a diesel.

I live in Oregon. Driving a diesel does not circumvent the law. You're not allowed to pump your own gas here.

 

[Disc Golfer]

^ Right, you just have to pull up to the "diesel" pump instead of the "unleaded", where you are met by the pump attendant.

(There was a time when the islands were parallel to the building. The one nearest the building was full service, the one nearest the street [only two, usually] were self-service. This didn't fly, as there were drive-offs even when the gas was so cheap! You don't see that layout much anymore.)

I know of one station here in town that operates this way. The pumps closest to the station are full service and cost 10¢ more per gallon. I can't imagine driveoffs are terribly common anymore unless the car is stolen or the driver is simple, what with the advent of security cameras and paper trails that begin with a license plate.

 

[ucfgrad93]

Wow, I had no idea there were still employees that pump gas. I thought they went the way of the dinosaur a long time ago.

 

[jknight8907]

I live in Oregon. Driving a diesel does not circumvent the law. You're not allowed to pump your own gas here.

Oregon prohibits self-service of Class 1 Flammables. Diesel is not one of these. While an attendant will usually pump it for you, that is not required by the law

 

[Gregg2]

I can't imagine driveoffs are terribly common anymore unless the car is stolen or the driver is simple, what with the advent of security cameras and paper trails that begin with a license plate.

This one is from 2008
http://www.volunteertv.com/home/headlines/19367424.html

I suppose if I searched long enough, I'd find more recent ones, perhaps with some national statistics.