Sunday, August 5, 2007

How Smart Do You Have To Be To Operate a Gas Pump?

Many years ago, I mentioned the absurdity of Oregon's law that prohibited self-service gasoline stations--a scheme for creating jobs for unskilled people with no other job prospects. One huffy liberal Oregonian responded that there was a good public safety reason for the law: Oregonians weren't smart enough to pump their own gas without training. Other Oregonians laughed at this, and correctly identified that the ban was a jobs program.

This evening, we stopped at the Albertson's gas station and minimart on the way home, and the lone clerk had to run outside. "There was a customer from Oregon--he couldn't figure out how to operate a gas pump." I shake my head in disbelief and horror. This guy can drive a car, but can't figure out from the very detailed instructions on the pump out to fill up his car? I am beginning to understand Oregon politics a bit better.

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