quote:
Originally posted by k1xv:
First of all, you assume a 20 to 30 cent difference. The difference between Vermont gas prices and NJ prices is more on the order of a nickel or so.
Second, in NJ, at a busy station, you may wait up to 5 minutes before an attendant even comes to your vehicle. He starts the pump up, wanders away, and does not return for maybe another 5 minutes. During that time, the pump may have a false trip, and you either have to go out to restart it yourself, or wait for him to return to restart it, after which he wanders away again for a second time.
Then the aforementioned going away out of sight with your credit card, vs. paying at the pump at a self serve, where the credit card never leaves your hand. Then you wait another 3 minutes or so for him to process the card, and return with a slip for you to pay.
So you would prefer to spend all this time buying gas so that someone else will pump it for you???
Funny how Ive lived in NJ all my life (my location below is off, for reasons I will not get into), and have never found much of a time savings in doing it myself (which I can at a number of stations I frequent, and I do in other states). I guess Ive just always picked the right stations, and dont get fuel on the turnpike, where the service is horrible. Ive never had a 5 minute wait on either end, and have never had an issue. I grew up 5 miles from NYC, in north jersey., Youd think if the pumps are going to be crowded and take a while, it would happen there. Odd, but it just doesnt. False trips are rare, cant remember the last time that happened. And even if I did get out to restart it, or to complete the pumping and put the nozzle away, Im not doing anything more than I would in a self serve joint anyway. So whats the issue?
I know to look over my CC statement every month for odd purchases. Ive never had one, and my parents have never had one either. Theyve bought all their gas with CCs for at least the last 10 years, probably more, Ive bought with my CC for as long as Ive been able to drive (since 97). On no account have we ever had an odd charge. If I did, Id know, and I would be protected by the CC company.
You can come up with a million scenarios for every possible bad thing that goes wrong. IMO, you have a higher chance of someone with a cameraphone taking a snapshot of your CC numbers in a store than you do from a criminal vendor at a place of business.
Maybe VT does have relatively cheap gas, I dont know. What I do know is that DE and PA prices are 10-20 cents more expensive, and depending upon where you get gas, can be 20c or more per gallon more expensive. And I only buy at name brand stations. That said, the official state average gas prices have NJ listed at $1.92, DE at $1.94 and PA at $1.95. VT is listed at $2.01. I know or a fact, since im in each of the first three states daily, that these prices dont accurately reflect what I wopuld typically find if I needed fuel. So I have to guess that the VT price is quite a bit more than NJ, but you say you know because you are in both states, so be it.
All I know if I bought conoco (top tier fuel) for $1.679 per gallon today in NJ. The cheapest I saw in DE today was $1.799, with most more like $1.859 or higher.
Last I checked, I saved $3.40 per tank buying in NJ. Even if I wasted 10 minutes at the station because they were pumping it for me (which I dont spend anywhere near that much time geting ~20 gals), I still saved that much, and week by week, it adds up. I dont care about self serve vs full serve, Id pump it if I had to. But I can save some money and avoid breathing so many fumes, which is beneficial in my book.
JMH
. In NJ it's a state law that all gas stations and convenience stores have to be owned by foreign born people that speak English as a second or third language. The only exception is if they can't find a foreigner then a native born American can own the station or convenience store. It's rare but it does happen. Usually if it's out in the "boonies", like where I live
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