OK, the fears, one by one:
1. Skimming an Apple Pay transaction. If the pump starts, then the card number transmitted is only good for that transaction. The skimmer (person behind the skimming) will have a card number that can no longer be used. It is a benefit of Apple Pay. Plus, your personal information doesn't go through the transmission.
2. Stealing your phone. OK, they steal it. Heck, give it to them. Then, go to your computer and wipe your iPhone. If they can use your fingerprint, or get the code in the 10 attempts they have, your liability is still low ($0-$50). The pain in the rear for replacing your phone, I admit will cost you.
3. Exploding gas stations from cell phone usage. The odds are so low it's laughable. There is exactly one video that I've seen that has a guy on a phone, but the explosion doesn't come from him, but about 8 feet away from him. Since it isn't broadcast widely (it being gas station explosions by cell phones), I think it's an urban legend. See
http://www.snopes.com/autos/hazards/gasvapor.asp for further information. I'm not saying that it cannot happen. I'm saying it hasn't
(EDIT: saw other posts on this...)
4. Oregon and full service gas. Oregon has about as many "full service" gas stations as any other state. What they did is have "mini-serve", where they take your card, slide it in the machine like the other 48 states (New Jersey, I cannot comment on... I just don't know how they do it out there), and hand your card back to you, and have one guy pumping gas for all 24 pumps for your "convenience". The sucky thing is Costco, where you have to get out, put your own Costco card in, then your payment card in, punch your PIN, while the attendant does the horribly risky thing and put the dispenser in to fill your tank. Then, you have to wait until the pump stops, and the overworked guy has to pull out the gas nozzle and s/he gives you the receipt. Gas, instead of being a 8 minute ordeal, turns into a 10-12 minute pain. But, hey, those guys stay employed, right? (like unemployment is so much lower in Oregon than the other 48 states because of that whole gas station gig.)