Norman Mehl’s recent letter to the Santa Maria Sun (“Let’s pump our way into better financial shape,” Feb. 3) suggested a partial solution to California’s unemployment problem and weak economy would be to bring back the full-service gasoline station, hire service station attendants, and have them pump our gasoline as is done in Oregon.
It’s an interesting concept, and I’m not necessarily against the return of the full-service gasoline station. But I can think of no better way to introduce $5-per-gallon gasoline in California. A mid- to large-sized service station would require at least two additional employees. Many service stations would require two shifts. So it looks like many service station owners would have to hire three or four additional employees. That’s not feasible, as there is a low profit margin on gasoline sales. Most gasoline stations make their money on other goods and services.
And Mr. Mehl suggested paying minimum wages to the attendants. It seems to me that we have enough minimum-wage job openings already in California. The fast-food restaurants are hiring, the last time I checked. One of the things California needs in order to financially refurbish our state would be high-paying jobs, not minimum-wage and part-time jobs.
He also suggested many drivers would tip the service station attendants for pumping gasoline. I’ve never seen that done, and I am old enough to have had considerable experience with the “full-service” gasoline stations of yesteryear.
This article appears in Feb 17-24, 2011.