Since this thread seems destined to never die, I thought I'd throw in the trivia fact that New Jersey and Oregon are the only two states where the customer is not allowed to operate the pumps at service stations.

 

Just got my Maxima at the end of March, this has never happened. It has happened on previous cars, but ONLY at specific gas stations/pumps. To be happening every time, that's very odd. Ridiculous to be more exact.

 

My wife just about died when we moved here from NJ and had to pump her own gas. Fourteen years later she's still bïtchin' about it.

The fact that gas prices in NJ an OR are NOT out of line with most other states (certainly not the most expensive) -- despite having to pay the pump jockeys -- does raise some interesting questions about the pricing policies in the other 48 states.

The few full service stations around here charge about a buck a gallon premium for it.

 

You have to compare the gasoline price in NJ and OR with and without having to pay for the salary of a pump jockey. Since this is not legal, no one living there knows exactly what they are paying (via a higher price per gallon) for this service. But having worked in the oil industry for 35 years, I'm in a position to provide an educated guess.

If all of the gasoline being pumped from a station is pumped by a jockey, then the dealer can add about 2 cents per gallon and clear enough extra to pay the jockey's salary. But if only 4% (or less) of the gasoline is pumped by the jockey, he will need to add up to $1 per gallon to pay that salary. I would say that this additional cost in a large NJ (or OR) station runs between 1.5 and 3 cents per gallon, depending on station volume and whether the jockey earns minimum wage or more.

The comparison of gasoline prices between NJ (or OR) and other states is not valid because each state sets their own state tax level for gasoline. Supply and distribution costs also vary enough to make good comparisons between states hard to do.

CA's prices are out of sight because of their environmental restrictions on gasoline formulation -- causing a few older CA refineries to stop making gasoline for CA -- further restricting gasoline supply in CA. Their gasoline formulation is so restrictive that it turns out that there is only one refinery in the world (outside of CA) that can make any real volume of this boutique product.

 

When I mentioned "pricing policies" I was mainly referring to those state taxes. You are absolutely correct that most people don't know the true cost of the gas itself.

Part of my wife's displeasure with pumping her own gas when we moved here was that the pump price was about .15 higher in NC than it was in NJ at that time.

 

It only happened once to me and I also think that it was a safety thing with the pump.

 

hey nismomax80, i have a 2007 maxima se but i was wondering where you got your nismo grille from, It looks really nice

 

No problems with mine so far.

 

Mine clicks off and then I can always ease another gallon and a half into it....
pain in the ****.

as for jersey... yes, their taxes are lower which allows them to have lower prices & full service....

BTW... they were the only state under $3.00 for regular