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Comment by pizzaknife | Hacker News Reader

this is insane to me. I have not been to a single station in the continental united states in the last 7 years where "pay inside" does not equate to "pay first"

That being said - perhaps its an "attendant" state? Several states have laws which restrict motorists from pumping their own gas, is this the scenario which you are talking to?

edit: grammar

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Laws saying you can't pump your own gas? Having to prepay inside? Wow, I'm flabbergasted, and it's a bit funny you're thinking it's insane the other way around. I guess it's what you're used to.

When tanking before paying, I also used to get into the car and move it so that someone else could fill while I was inside(it would start a new transaction when you put the nossle back), probably to you look like a dash from the bill. Then walk inside saying "hundred and fifty something on pump 3 is mine".

But I haven't seen a pump not accepting card in what, 20 years, here? So haven't used anything else for ages (and now got an electric car anyways)

I'm in Canada, not the US. But no, no attendant.

You fill up for $X, then walk into the store and say "I filled up on pump 3", then you pay.

thank you! This pattern essentially disappeared from the US with the exception of perhaps the very smallest and remote locations (public accessible) seemingly since the late 1990s (I do remember this pattern as you have described, just not in the last 20years)

> Several states have laws which restrict motorists from pumping their own gas

Just one now. Oregon just starting allowing it last month so New Jersey is the only one left.

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