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Fill 'er up: Let the buyer beware By Sean Wolfe Ashland Daily Tidings Most visitors to Oregon are surprised - sometimes delighted - by a few of the state's everyday quirks. Besides the absence of sales tax, there's the fact that motorists aren't allowed to pump their own gas - a law in place only in Oregon and New Jersey. Motorists fill up at the Texaco on the north side of Ashland on Friday. The price of gas at the full service aisle (right) costs more than it does at the mini-serve (left), sometimes to the surprise of drivers. Ashland Daily Tidings/SEAN WOLFE But some are confused - and sometimes upset - by the difference between full serve and mini-serve in a state where customers aren't allowed to touch the pump. In some cases, it's a squeegee on the windshield and an offer to check the customer's oil that separates full from mini - but the main difference is in the price at the pump. In Ashland, there's just one example: The Texaco station at Exit 19 - the city's northernmost exit - is the sole gas station that offers full serve. The price difference is significant: $1.79 a gallon for unleaded gasoline in full serve, when others in the city charge $1.35 for the same product. Robert Hartsook, a Texaco customer visiting from California earlier this week, said he was blindsided by the stiff price. "I travel through Oregon all the time, and today I just pulled in and filled up. I didn't pay much attention to what lane I was in. And it cost me $45 bucks to fill my tank. I won't be coming through this station again, I'll tell you that," Hartsook said. Texaco's practice, and those similar to it are, in fact, complying with the letter of the law, which requires fuel stations to advertise their lowest price for each grade of gasoline, and has no signage size requirements. The law does require any sign posting a price to be visible from the street, and display the price clearly and conspicuously. In Texaco's case, the advertised price on its mast is for mini-serve. But the aisles distinguishing the level of service are well-marked with bright red awnings. Greg Sohnrey, the manager of the Texaco station, agreed that the pricing structure is unpopular with some customers and employees, but said it was an important source of income. "A lot of people don't like it, a lot of employees don't like it - because it costs more. But we have to stay in business," Sohnrey said. Rick Parsons, manager of the Truax Oil 76 Station on Highway 66, said it's been his policy to only offer mini-serve, adding that he treats all of his customers with the same level of service, free of charge. "We ask to check the oil, we do windows, we clean headlights - we do it all. Unless it's raining cats and dogs. The customers like it, and they don't pay a thing for it. It's just good customer service," Parsons said. LINKS: DAILY TIDINGS: Main | News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Opinion | Columnists | AP News | Subscribe | Archives | Weather | Classifieds | Contact Us | Privacy REVELS: Main | Calendar | Dining | Movies | T.V. OTHER: Road Cams Copyright 2003 Ashland Daily Tidings 541.482.3456. 1661 Siskiyou Blvd., Ashland, OR 97520. Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. - Advertisers -