Pumping Gas

Today was the second time in my life that I put gasoline in a car. The first time was about a month ago. I’m a Jersey Girl. It is against the law in New Jersey to pump your own gasoline. I never had to deal with a gas pump.

One day, a bunch of us female bank officers were attending a meeting in Pennsylvania. We needed to put some gas into the fleet car. None of us knew how to do it. There I stood in a full-length Beaver coat pleading with the fellow in the next car to help me.

By the time I left New Jersey, I had learned to pump Diesel fuel in to an 18 wheeler. Even though we had two Diesel-powered trucks for nine years, I never pumped fuel into a personal vehicle until I pumped gas.

None of my friends can understand my pride. They’ve all been pumping gas since their teenage years. I’m certain that somewhere in Oregon, the only other state that prohibits self-pumping, my counterpart is nodding in agreement.