Pumping gas

In many years in Belgium, I cannot remember a petrol station where an employee fills up for you.

I have travelled extensively all over Europe and I'm sure that filling you own petrol tank has been the norm for at least 30 years. In fact many petrol stations in Belgium are completely unmanned - you pay by credit or debit card and serve yourself.

About 20 years ago I stopped at a filling station in the northern Vosges in France and was so surprised that the attendant filled the tank for you that I almost forgot what the French for "fill it right up" was. In wide travels in Western Europe I haven't come across anywhere similar since, and, as Kasseistamper says, the totally unmanned station is becoming increasingly common.

Is anybody going to tell the American to get her fat ass out of the car and do it herself? Ok, I will.

Is there anybody to tell MikeK1300Gt that the person asking might not be American, but simply disabled and having a hard time to leave the car and fill the gas herself? So you have never seen a disabled person drive a car? I see - you must be Belgian.

I don't drive at all so no personal experience but a short Google search reveals that indeed for example some Octa stations offer this (they call it Octa+ avec service à la pompe in FR). Use to search on this page to find the nearest to you: https://www.octaplus.be/fr/station/votre-station/

As stated, a person does not have to be fat and lazy to want something like this. They can for example be in a wheelchair (and yes, some people in a wheelchair do drive on their own).

If the person is an American and lives in New Jersey or ....I think...Oregon, it is illegal for her to pump her own gas regardless of her ability or inclination. It is a law leftover from the early 1950's, that was put on the books for safety reasons at that time. It has yet to be overturned in NJ. Frankly, I prefer not to arrive at work not smelling of gasoline. I was also able to have my windows washed ect. Service was like the Texaco commercials of the 1950's. Such bliss to relax as someone took care of it. It was a rude awakening to have to return to pumping my own gas, but I adapted. I went back to the my father's old system of filling up the car for the week on Saturday as part of the day's chores. BTW, daily life with the petrol station became the year 2010 in Belgium, but far more of my daily life went back in time....not saying all of it was bad, just saying.

Right, might not be American but "pumps gas" or rather thinks somebody else should be "pumping gas". I do apologise to this disabled person who is not American. I suppose it is possible, but if anybody would like to take a large bet with me. ;-)

The long and short of it is simple economics.
If your car was filled up for you, someone would have to be employed to do that.
If an extra member of staff was taken on, the price of petrol at that station would rise to cover salary costs.
If the price of petrol rises, customers would fill up where it is cheaper.
And, finally, does anyone else actually expect NOT to have to fill up their own car?

It still happens in Southern Italy