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Pump It Up

Long ago, in some back room deal or in some aptly named act (The Gas Station Attendant Employment Act, The Local Pump Logistics & Safety Act) it was determined that no one in New Jersey or traveling through New Jersey can pump their own gas. And while that may seem odd (it does), it adds a sense of quirky regionalism without the connotations of Snooki, the Situation, or the Real Housewives up north.

It also gives a chance to know an attendant you might see regularly. I love the guy who used to work at the Amoco at the Shopping Center but now pumps at the Sunoco on Nassau who always calls me, amigo, and who instantly has the camaraderie of a best friend even though we barely know each other. In its own small way maybe The Gas Station Attendant Employment Act/The Local Pump Logistics & Safety Act helps foster a sense of community.

What the act also does is give you a few moments to sit, be still, and contemplate the snow as it falls, melts, and slides down a windshield.

March 12, 2011 – moved video to Vimeo.