another tipping question: gas stations in NJ

[mikech]

ok, i've seen a number of posts in the past discussing tipping (or not) in various situations; i haven't seen this issue addressed so i'm asking about it, if it's been mentioned before i apologize.

typically, when i get gas i always use self-serve pumps, since it's a lot more expensive for full-serve. the problem, however, is that in the state of nj ALL pumps at ALL gas stations are full-serve, by law. i think i've read somewhere that this is also the case in oregon, i'm not sure. anyway, i drive to atlantic city on a pretty regular basis, so i often have to fill up on gas in jersey.

my question is: given that i have no choice of pumping my own gas there, is there an expectation that i tip the attendant? i assume that he gets paid an hourly wage for his job, is that correct? if i'm supposed to tip, how much should i tip?

[mason55]

When I have to fill up in NJ I don't tip. My thought has always been that if they're not giving me the option then I'm not going to tip.

Think about normal tipping occupations. It's all stuff that you could do yourself but choose to have someone else do. Instead of eating out you can cook in. Instead of ordering delivery you can cook for yourself. Instead of valet you can park your own car. But if I'm in NJ and need gas I have no option.

[mikech]

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My thought has always been that if they're not giving me the option then I'm not going to tip.

[/ QUOTE ]
that's kind of the way i've felt about it too. tipping is generally something you give for someone performing sort of a luxury service for you that you could've done for yourself otherwise, but in nj you can't pump your own gas.

however, when it's the middle of the winter and it's 10 degrees out and those guys are standing out there pumping gas, i feel like a schmuck if i don't give 'em a buck or two.

all I know is in Texas we pump our own damn gas

[MikeNaked]

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all I know is in Texas we pump our own damn gas

[/ QUOTE ]

Texas: usually the only thing people from Texas know.

In Oregon, it's all full-serve too. I have a regular guy who I go to for gas who's really friendly and knows me well. He get a buck per tank. Otherwise when I go other places, unless it's really gross weather, they just get a thanks and a wave.

Edit for clarity.

[bwana devil]

can we get this posted as a sticky? /images/graemlins/tongue.gif



http://www.findalink.net/tippingetiquette.php

i say it sarcastically but there's actually a lot of good info in the link.

[bwana devil]

[ QUOTE ]


Texas: usually the only thing people from Texas know.

In Oregon, it's all full-serve too. I have a regular guy who I go to for gas who's really friendly and knows me well. He get a buck per tank. Otherwise, unless it's really gross weather, they just get a thanks and a wave.

[/ QUOTE ]

am i reading right? if the weather's nice he gets a tip. bad weather he gets the shaft. huh?

[MikeNaked]

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[ QUOTE ]


Texas: usually the only thing people from Texas know.

In Oregon, it's all full-serve too. I have a regular guy who I go to for gas who's really friendly and knows me well. He get a buck per tank. Otherwise, unless it's really gross weather, they just get a thanks and a wave.

[/ QUOTE ]

am i reading right? if the weather's nice he gets a tip. bad weather he gets the shaft. huh?

[/ QUOTE ]

Nah, my guy always gets one. Other schlubs have to be wearing Goretex for consideration.

mike, your from oregon? Good luck with that.

[mikech]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]


Texas: usually the only thing people from Texas know.

In Oregon, it's all full-serve too. I have a regular guy who I go to for gas who's really friendly and knows me well. He get a buck per tank. Otherwise, unless it's really gross weather, they just get a thanks and a wave.

[/ QUOTE ]

am i reading right? if the weather's nice he gets a tip. bad weather he gets the shaft. huh?

[/ QUOTE ]
i'm more likely to tip 'em too if it's freezing out. it's sort of a gulit-tip or sympathy-tip.

also, thx for the link, some good info there, but i don't think it really touches on what i'm asking about: gas stations in nj (and oregon).

"Full-Service Gas Stations

If you receive service (clean windshield, check fluid levels, etc.), the tip varies from $1-5 depending upon how much they do. $1-2 for a good job on the windshield, and $3-5 for windshield and fluid check. If you have to ask the person to do these things or they do a poor job, then I wouldn't tip anything for windshield only or $1-2 for the full whammy.

There is one big exception. If the price of gas at the self-service pumps is $1.70 and the price for full-service is $2.50, then they are already charging you for the service."

[Publos Nemesis]

I went to college in NJ and had to get gas there a lot. I never tipped unless the weather was awful or if it was a holiday. I think I gave a guy a $5 tip on Christmas one year for a $20 purchase. If NJ is going to have socialist laws to employ more gas attendents, you should not have to tip.

[bwana devil]

i know it wasnt addressing exactly what you were asking. i only provided it because it was the 83rd question about tipping today. we havent had a run on tipping questions in a while and all of a sudden they all showed up at once. i could have posted that link in anyone's thread. there was some good info in it though.

but yeah, youre right, nothing specific to your issue. im busted. /images/graemlins/blush.gif

[RustedCorpse]

This is seriously my biggest pet peeve on the east coast. I want to pump my own gas. I like to pump my own gas, I like to get out and streach and stuff. If you don't give me the choice to pump my own gas I'm not tipping. Now if for some reason I'm in another state and I have someone pump my gas by choice then I'll tip.

(Sidenote: My roomate's girlfriend, despite being a spoiled brat in many aspects, didn't know how to pump her own gas till 24 when we were all driving to VA this is why self service is a good thing)

[TheIrishThug]

have lived in jersey my whole life, the thought never crossed my mind that pumping gas could be considered a tip-able job.

[istewart]

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have lived in jersey my whole life, the thought never crossed my mind that pumping gas could be considered a tip-able job.

[/ QUOTE ]

[wonderwes]

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all I know is in Texas we pump our own damn gas

[/ QUOTE ]

Right on. Gas even though it has come down a lot, is still costly. Just seems silly to tip for that.

[ChipWrecked]

I didn't know about Oregon until I was trying to gas up a rental car on the way to PDX. I thought the guy was going to knock me out. "You're in Oregon, now."

Wow, state sanctioned [censored] jobs. I'll pass, thanks.

[Landon_McFly]

Strange someone brought this up. There's a gas station near my home that has attendants pump the gas for me. When I started going there I assumed you were supposed to tip them, so I always gave them $1 extra. (By the way, this place ALWAYS has the cheapest gas prices in town.)

Few weeks later I went back and my mom was driving, and I noticed a sign that said "please don't tip attendants".

WTF?

Can't argue with that though. Whenever someone gives me flak for not tipping I just point to the sign. What's even crazier though is that if YOU WANT TO PUMP YOUR OWN GAS AT THAT STATION YOU HAVE TO PAY A $5.00 SURCHARGE.

Oh, it all makes since now. If you want them to pump for you, don't tip. But... if you want to pump it yourself, give us an extra $5.

KEEP IN MIND THAT THEY ALWAYS HAVE THE CHEAPEST GAS PRICES IN TOWN. Someone please explain how they stay in business. They have to be screwing the customers somehow.

I think it's rigged. Definately rigged.

[B00T]

I live on the border of NY/NJ. The only time I tip in NJ is if the guy cleans my windsheild. This happens once every twenty times I go.

[jdl22]

I lived in Oregon until a few years ago and I've never heard of anyone tipping a guy pumping gas for any reason. This includes washing the windshield and back window.

[mikech]

[ QUOTE ]
if YOU WANT TO PUMP YOUR OWN GAS AT THAT STATION YOU HAVE TO PAY A $5.00 SURCHARGE.

Oh, it all makes since now. If you want them to pump for you, don't tip. But... if you want to pump it yourself, give us an extra $5.

KEEP IN MIND THAT THEY ALWAYS HAVE THE CHEAPEST GAS PRICES IN TOWN. Someone please explain how they stay in business. They have to be screwing the customers somehow.

I think it's rigged. Definately rigged.

[/ QUOTE ]
this makes no sense. you have to pay extra to pump your own gas? where do you live?

[correia]

I have lived in NJ all my life and have never myself nor seen anyone else tip a gas station attendant, unless they perform an extra service like washing your windows or something like that.

[Emmitt2222]

Yeah, we don't tip. We also have some of the lowest gas prices that I know of. How people find it an inconvience for someone else to do a job for you is beyond me. You can still get out and stretch except now you have more time. It is funny though that when kids who grow up here go out of state we usually don't learn to pump gas until we are old [I was 18 I think]

[jb9]

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have lived in jersey my whole life, the thought never crossed my mind that pumping gas could be considered a tip-able job.

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I lived in jersey most of my life, and I never once thought of tipping for gas. I generally considered it a nuisance to not be able to do it myself.

[turnipmonster]

I never tip if they just pump gas. however on road trips (when the windshield is covered in bugs), I always tip them for washing the winddshield/windows etc.

[moondogg]

[ QUOTE ]
Yeah, we don't tip. We also have some of the lowest gas prices that I know of. How people find it an inconvience for someone else to do a job for you is beyond me. You can still get out and stretch except now you have more time.

[/ QUOTE ]

Which part of the problem. In any other state, I can swipe my card, pump my own gas, and be on my way in under 5 minutes. In NJ, it can easily spend 15 minutes or more, especially if they are understaffed (which they usually are).

[4_2_it]

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KEEP IN MIND THAT THEY ALWAYS HAVE THE CHEAPEST GAS PRICES IN TOWN. Someone please explain how they stay in business. They have to be screwing the customers somehow.


[/ QUOTE ]

You actually believe that you are getting 100% pure gas at the cheapest place in town?

[danzasmack]

I tried to tip once and the guy told me I gave him too much $.

[chucksim]

One time at the plaza on the ACE I had a guy wash my windows when it was cold and windy. I threw him a couple bucks. Otherwise, if they are their usual surly selves with nothing extra, they get nothing extra.

[NobodysFreak]

here's a tip: get a new job.

anyone who can drive a car can pump their own gas.

[The Don]

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have lived in jersey my whole life, the thought never crossed my mind that pumping gas could be considered a tip-able job.

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I lived in jersey most of my life, and I never once thought of tipping for gas. I generally considered it a nuisance to not be able to do it myself.

[/ QUOTE ]

Same... I am from Jersey and go to college in Baltimore. I never once even considered giving a tip for gas.

I also like pumping it myself better in MD.

[ QUOTE ]
here's a tip: get a new job.

anyone who can drive a car can pump their own gas.

[/ QUOTE ]

Im pretty sure its a law in NJ. Ive never been to a gas station in NJ that HAS a self pump.

[MonkeeMan]

NEVER tip a gas attendant in NJ. He's a trained professional and it's against his code of ethics to accept tips. Also, if you try to pump your own gas they're trained to [censored] you and your car up, so don't do that either.

[NobodysFreak]

Its the law here and its ridiculous. If you can drive a car you can opperate a pump.

[PoBoy321]

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have lived in jersey my whole life, the thought never crossed my mind that pumping gas could be considered a tip-able job.

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Agreed. As for the guy who said that he likes to get out and stretch while he pumps his gas, in NJ, you can get out, walk into the convenience store, get a cup of coffee or whatever you want, come back out and whammo-jammo, tank full of gas.

[TeeJayORTj]

I usually pay with credit card so never leave a tip. But a few times I would get gas and the total would be in a dollar of a nice increment like 10 or 15 or 20 and being the nice guy I am would let them keep the change.

But I agree, If I dont have the choice I feel no obligation to tip.