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I love the way you write, very entertaining. As a consumer, as long as there is one good self-service option I'm happy. When I'm in the car with two kids and n

I love the way you write, very entertaining. As a consumer, as long as there is one good self-service option I'm happy. When I'm in the car with two kids and need to get petrol, I'll drive the extra distance to pay at the pump rather than having to go into the store. I don't think all companies need to go down this route. There's value in segmentation for those customers who can't or won't embrace technology. Take the recent OECD survey on computer skills [1]: only a third of people can complete medium-complexity tasks. [1] https://www.nngroup.com/articles/computer-skill-levels/ https://www.nngroup.com/articles/computer-skill-levels/

Mathnerd314 10y ago
> I'll drive the extra distance to pay at the pump Another data point is New Jersey, where gas attendants are required: http://mentalfloss.com/article/74549/why-cant-you-pump-your-own-gas-new-jersey http://mentalfloss.com/article/74549/why-cant-you-pump-your-...
- douche 10y ago
  New Jersey is the worst. I always have to remember to fill up before I cross state lines into that place, so I don't have to deal with people yelling at me if I absent-mindedly jump out and start gassing up. Also, one very minor gas station-related automation point: if you run a gas station, and take the clip out of the pump nozzle, so that your customers are forced to stand there and squeeze the trigger the whole time they are fueling, rather than setting it and letting it click off when the tank is full, you should burn in hell.
  - striking 10y ago
    I wonder if you couldn't make your own 3D printed replacement for that. Just a little piece of ABS that would get dislodged when your car is full.
    - douche 10y ago
      There's already a shutoff in the nozzle that prevents overfilling when the level in the tank reaches the end of the nozzle, at least on any pump I've used in the past decade. A Leatherman is just about the right size to jam in there and hold the trigger open if the metal clip has been removed.
    - escardin 10y ago
      Use your gas cap.

Mathnerd314 10y ago

> I'll drive the extra distance to pay at the pump Another data point is New Jersey, where gas attendants are required: http://mentalfloss.com/article/74549/why-cant-you-pump-your-own-gas-new-jersey http://mentalfloss.com/article/74549/why-cant-you-pump-your-...

douche 10y ago
New Jersey is the worst. I always have to remember to fill up before I cross state lines into that place, so I don't have to deal with people yelling at me if I absent-mindedly jump out and start gassing up. Also, one very minor gas station-related automation point: if you run a gas station, and take the clip out of the pump nozzle, so that your customers are forced to stand there and squeeze the trigger the whole time they are fueling, rather than setting it and letting it click off when the tank is full, you should burn in hell.
- striking 10y ago
  I wonder if you couldn't make your own 3D printed replacement for that. Just a little piece of ABS that would get dislodged when your car is full.
  - douche 10y ago
    There's already a shutoff in the nozzle that prevents overfilling when the level in the tank reaches the end of the nozzle, at least on any pump I've used in the past decade. A Leatherman is just about the right size to jam in there and hold the trigger open if the metal clip has been removed.
  - escardin 10y ago
    Use your gas cap.