Harry Paidas: Recent developments show self-service is here to stay

The era of self-service began for me in the 1970s when gas stations began offering the ability to pump one’s own gas while also paying at the pump.

I still remember the first time I pumped my own gas. I was driving my dad around and pulled into a station in Warren that was offering both full-service and pump your own.

As was customary when I drove, my dad reminded me to have the attendant check the oil and make sure he “does a good job cleaning the windshield.” I responded that I was going to pump my own gas and take advantage of the price differential and forego the oil check and windshield cleaning.

Dad was stunned. “You can do that?” he asked. I explained to him that I could, and that technology had been introduced so that I could pay at the pump without human interaction. After absorbing this concept, dad said, “OK, do what you want but here’s the money for the gas.” I thanked him but told him that I was going to pay by inserting my credit card and we would be on our way.

It was a first-time experience for both of us, but it was upsetting for my dad. As we drove off, he said, “I get that it was cheaper and more convenient that you did that, but if you and everyone else does that, there won’t be any need for gas station workers anymore.”

He was right. Gas station attendants are a rare breed these days, unless you are traveling to New Jersey where it is illegal to pump your own gas.

I found out the hard way about this New Jersey law when I was traveling there recently. With my gas tank nearing E, I pulled into a New Jersey gas station and noticed a line of about five cars. I also noted a gas pump that was open with no cars.  So, I pulled around the line and made a beeline for the open pump.

As I began to pump my own gas, an attendant came running over waving his arms as though I had missed a field goal and yelling, “You can’t do that!” Startled, I asked what it was I couldn’t do. “You can’t pump your own gas,” he yelled. Angry, I told him that I knew how and that it wasn’t that difficult.

After he realized I was an out-of-stater and ignorant of this unique New Jersey law, he calmed down, took the hose from my hand, and pumped the gas for me. I apologized, paid him and thanked him. As I left the station, I noted the drivers in the cars in line were waving – with one finger.

The point is, for five decades I have been pumping my own gas and yet there are two states, New Jersey and Oregon, that still subscribe to what I consider an ancient practice. Normally, I am on the side of preserving tradition, but this just seems outdated. Of course, my dad would say that if you want to be a gas station attendant, move to New Jersey or Oregon.

The self-service concept evolved as technology became more prevalent in our lives, and it continues to force us to adapt.

We can all point to recent self-service innovations that we find either advantageous or frustrating. Thanks to the pandemic, I forced myself to try a few of the self-service options available and found them to my liking.

For example, a trip into Sheetz or GetGo allows one to hit a touch screen and order whatever is on the menu, and it is actually a pretty simple process once you get the hang of it. A little more challenging is Sheetz’ new method of paying and by-passing the traditional line (and without being subject to the one-finger wave). Both places also have self-service coffee and, just in case you need them, some workers (more like troubleshooters) are there to help.

I can just hear my dad saying something like “I remember when a gas station fixed a flat tire; now all they can fix is a flatbread.”

Have you been to Walmart or Giant Eagle recently? Same type of thing. Scan your items, touch the screen a few times, pay with your card and get on your way. Walmart in particular has rearranged the store so there are many more self-service stations than cashier lines – proving my dad’s words about lost jobs prophetic.

There is no doubt that more is coming. Technological advances are occurring at a rapid pace. In our quest to service ourselves however, we will need to be cognizant of the negative impact on socialization. As much as I enjoy self-service, I miss the human contact that continues to disappear with each machine that is introduced.

Somehow, telling a machine to have a nice day isn’t quite the same as telling a human. Yet, not having to wait in line is a blessing.

Harry Paidas is faculty emeritus at Mount Union and writes a monthly column for The Review.  He can be reached at paidashp@mountunion.edu. 

This article originally appeared on The Alliance Review: Harry Paidas: Recent developments show self-service is here to stay