Ask Away: Why can’t we pump our own gas?

New Jersey is one of two states where you can’t pump your own gas (Oregon is the other). In our case, the self-service ban dates back to a 1949 state law. Under the Retail Gasoline Dispensing Safety Act, motorists in New Jersey can’t pump their own gas, largely due to safety concerns, like breathing hazardous fumes and slipping on spilled gasoline, plus inconveniences to disabled and elderly people. A bunch of states passed similar laws, but have since repealed them. The cost of employing gas station attendants is largely offset by one of the lowest gas taxes in the nation, making New Jersey one cheapest states in the area to fill up the tank.

What do you wonder about New Jersey and its people that you want our reporters to investigate? Ask Away