Did you know it's illegal to pump your own gas in Oregon? IAmA gas station attendant in Oregon (it's more exciting than it sounds), AMA!

Why is it illegal?

ORS 480.315-320

From the official law it states 1) The dispensing of Class 1 flammable liquids by dispensers properly trained in appropriate safety procedures reduces fire hazards directly associated with the dispensing of Class 1 flammable liquids.

7) Exposure to toxic fumes represents a health hazard to customers dispensing Class 1 flammable liquids.

10a) The significantly higher prices typically charged for full-service fuel dispensing in states where self service is permitted at retail discriminates against customers with lower incomes, who are under greater economic pressure to subject themselves to the inconvenience and hazards of self-service.

11) The increased use of self-service at retail in other states has contributed to diminishing the availability of automotive repair facilities at gasoline stations.

14) Self service dispensing at retail contributes to unemployment, particularly among young people.

17) Small children left unattended when customers leave to make payment at self service stations creates a dangerous situation.

But honestly it's mostly about insurance. Right now all oregon gas stations pay really low insurance because only a few people are allowed to handle and operate equipment.

If all of the sudden we change the law to let millions of people operate equipment they never touched before, insurance costs would skyrocket as there would be so much damage to the pumps, from driving off with the pump in the car to getting gas everywhere. With higher insurance rates the gas stations would have no choice but to raise the price to keep making a profit. So in short we keep it the same way because it would eliminate jobs, raise prices, and piss people off. So we just keep going the same way it's been.

The significantly higher prices typically charged for full-service fuel dispensing in states where self service is permitted at retail discriminates against customers with lower incomes, who are under greater economic pressure to subject themselves to the inconvenience and hazards of self-service.

Just how much higher? o0

11) The increased use of self-service at retail in other states has contributed to diminishing the availability of automotive repair facilities at gasoline stations.

I don't exactly understand this point. What's the correlation between increasing self-service stations and decreasing automotive repair?

14) Self service dispensing at retail contributes to unemployment, particularly among young people.

Because a lot of younger people think its the bees knees to work at a gas station?

So basically, the assumption here is that Oregonians (is that the word?) are fucking retarded and in capable of using a machine as simple as a gas pump?

Ya. Pretty much. Those are not really the reasons though. It's just what the law makers said. Like I said, it's because of insurance. And yes Oregonians can pump gas. But I wouldn't say it's because they are retarded. They have just never ever had to before. In sure if they were raised in states you pump your own they would be fine.

I doubt insurance would be as expensive as paying employees to pump gas. Even if the store is only open 12hrs a day that is $45,000 a year to just have one pumper, and that doesn't include payroll taxes, benefits, and other costs associated with employees.

We don't get benefits. I don't know every factor that goes into it, but I do know insurance is one of the big ones.

So do all gas stations close at night, since they would need a worker there?

We close at night but there are a lot of stations that are open 24 hours with a barebones crew usually just two people. The thing is they usually are about 15-20 cent more expensive than us because at night when you have no gas they have no competition so they charge whatever they want. A temporary monopoly.

I'm confused. Is your equipment different from the ones everywhere else in the nation?

It's a little different than other places. At my station we don't have a dedicated fill button and we don't require pin codes or zip codes. Besides that I believe they are the same. The problem is nobody in oregon has ever touched a pump before so they have no idea how they work and nobody there to show them. It's like throwing infants in the deep end.

I'm sure there are some older people who have spent their lives never touching a pump, but most people get the hang of it in the first two or so times. For the rest, there could still be full-serve, just eventually phasing out.

I buy the argument that it helps with unemployment, maybe cuts insurance, but the statement that the state would be paralyzed if everyone were suddenly given a chance to pump their own gas is a little hard to take.

Yes I agree, my point was that in other states people are phased in at a steady rate but if they changed it here everyone would come in all at once and there would be a huge spike in incidents compared to now. The lasting effects would be the insurance could charge a lot more after that first spike so that even after everyone got the hang of pumping the insurance rates would be coming down a lot slower and that's what would keep gas at a high price. I didn't explain it very well before, sorry.

TIL: Everyone in Oregon except for the gas pumpers are morons who shouldn't be allowed to drive the machines they are currently not permitted to refuel.

Arkansas's new slogan is "at least we're not Oregon."

Source: they're too stupid to pump gas without creating any number of dangerous situations.

Like I said. They have never had to. I bet everyone here was nervous or had trouble their first time pumping gas or doing anything. And the first time you pump your own gas you probably have a parent there helping you along.

Nope first time I had to pump gas I was like 7 and my dad pulled up to the pump, handed me $20, and said put it in the tank. The great thing was, I did it no problem, though I do attribute my success to a newly found super power I like to call observation.

It's even more illegal for a child to pump gas. You have to have a valid license or driving permit to touch the pump even in other states.

What is the rate of filling-station accidents in Oregon and New Jersey compared to other states?

I don't have an exact number but in a year my station has not had one accident where insurance has had to cover the cost of any damages. I doubt stations in other states have that kind of record. Sorry I don't have more information on this, that's above my pay grade.

This was nice timing as I´m driving through Oregon in May on vacation. :)

As a dirty foreigner I´m used to pumping my own gas..

Can you describe what will happen when I pull over for gas? Do I exit the car, pay inside or directly to you?

After you pull up to the pump, roll down your window it might take a minute for the pumper to get to you if he's busy but most times they will be there right away. Let the pumper know how much you would like to get (or you can say fill it up if you are getting a fill) and what grade (regular, plus, premium.) It would go something like this Pumper: "hi, what can I get for you?"

You: "could I get a fill of regular please?"

"No problem did you want to do that cash or card?"

"Cash"

"Okay you're going to be on pump 3, here's a slip for you and you can head on in whenever you like"

"Thanks"

"You're very welcome!"

Some stations are different, in that cash can be taken by the pumper and other places cash is inside, same for cards. At my station, cash is inside but I can take in exact cash if I want and I can run all cards at the pump but debit cards are ran as credit. And if you have any questions just let them know its your first time in oregon and they will be glad to help you out. We are there to be helpful, we don't look down on people from out of state at all. In fact I like them better. Makes for more interesting conversation than just the damn weather which I talk about 50 times a day.

best story - go!

My most memorable experience here was a morning shift I worked with my old drug addict boss. His grandmother had died a few days before and he was a wreck. He got more high that day than any other day I ever worked. Eventually he passed out in the bathroom with the door locked. I had to run the station for 6 hours by myself, pumping gas and running inside to cover the register because i couldnt get a hold of any other employees, i paid a bum 10 bucks to stand inside and make sure nobody stole all our stuff, We have 20 pumps at my station so it was a crazy ass day. That was the day I stopped feeling bad for the guy and just hated him. Eventually the people for the next shift came in and I told them I think he's dead in there he has been in there for 6 hours. We just let him stay in there for another hour or two until his dad came in to take him to drug counseling. I told him your son Overdosed in the bathroom and I haven't seen him for almost 8 hours. Eventually he got him out of the bathroom. My boss said he was feeling really sick. Then the part that made me the maddest was he turned to me and said "are you just going to stand there all day drinking that soda or are you going to get to work?" His dad pulled him out of the store before I murdered him. So that's one of my most dramatic stories. Not in a good way though.

i paid a bum 10 bucks to stand inside and make sure nobody stole all our stuff

i LOL'd

I just took it out of the till honestly. When he finally closed out his register for the shift he was about $1000 short in a shift we normally only make $2000 tops. Before he passed out I was still ringing people up and when I opened the register there was $100 bills in the $1 slot and $20 bills in the $5 slot it was a nightmare. I would say over half the days I worked with the guy he was high out of his mind and the other half he was starting to go through withdrawal and was a complete dick to everyone. I actually preferred working with him when he was shitfaced because most of the time he would just pass out and I didn't have to look at his stupid smug face. He also thought none of us knew he was a drug addict or stole. He would literally walk in and take money out of the safe and walk out.

Is the dream of the 90s alive in the entire state of Oregon?

That show is exactly how it is in Portland. When I drive around in Portland I play a game with friends called "hipster or homeless." The only difference is the Mac books.

Fun fact: Motorcycles are the exception to the rule.

I think the attendant still has to hand you the pump, though.

Swiping a credit card and lifting the handle can be tricky. ;)

You are correct. That's exactly how it goes. Diesel trucks also have the option but most of the time they let us do it.

Do you ever get tipped?

Yes. But it's a rarity. Mostly we get tips from regular customers we see every day. I average maybe 2 bucks a week so it's not really worth mentioning. One day I made $20 in tips though. Best day of my life

Is this an Oregon thing (or your bad region thing)? I am from New Jersey and I tip a buck about 80% of the time. The 20% that I don't tip are the ones who are rude.

Probably just a different culture. Or you are just awesome. If I got a dollar 8/10 cars I could have retired by now. I would think its just you. If you go to the same station most of the time the pumpers there will know you and fight over who gets to pump your gas. And maybe even was your windshield and other stuff if its not busy. Like I said most tips come from the same dozen customers we see every day. You are just a cool person. Keep being cool.

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Not many people have. That's probably why I don't get tipped.

I usually tip on a particularly cold day, holidays or if they are acting nice. How much is acceptable would you say?

A dollar is more than awesome. When me or my co workers get a dollar all day we are in a good mood and bragging about it to each other.

More than a dollar is very generous.

Anything more than a $5 and you might give us a heart attack.

Since you have had the necessary training to pump gas, are you allowed to pump your own gas?

Only at my station. Since its an insurance thing, they only cover damages caused by employees that are on the clock. So actually I shouldn't even be doing my own when I'm not clocked in. And there isn't really any training. They showed me how the pumps worked for 3 cars and then the guy training me clocked out and went home. I figured everything else out on my own.

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I thought you would never ask.

http://muchasgraciasmexicanrestaurant.com/

Muchas is the shit in salem. I get the bacon breakfast burrito because I work morning shifts though http://imgur.com/eRHdgbD It's like a pound and a half of bacon, cheese, potato, and egg. It's as heavy as a brick.

Hell yeah! Come up to Saint Helens, the original Muchas is here and it has a free chips and salsa bar!

The one in salem does too! Best part about waiting for your food is snacking on chips and salsa. I know all the employees there too so I get free food once in a while.

How many pairs of shoes do you have at any given time?

Good question! I have one pair I use every day that i change out every few months and I keep 2 more pairs in my trunk, along with two full changes of clothes. One a work uniform, and the other just a street outfit along with some toiletries and a bunch of snacks and a couple pairs of gloves (if you get gas on you wash it off right away, it's so so so bad for your skin.) I didn't wear gloves my first few weeks and my skin looked awful. It's just getting back to the normal point. I learned my lesson after getting soaked in gas one day and not being able to do anything about it. My skin got all eaten up and I stink so bad of sweat and gas. The snacks are because anything you buy in a gas station is way overpriced and we don't carry the crackers I like.

Soaked in gas? Holy shit, how did that happen?

A guy brought in a truck he had not used in years. You know sometimes when it's hot you open your cap and it makes a whooshing noise? Well that's like built up fumes and pressure escaping from the sealed tank. Well when I did it to this truck the whoosh was like a punch of built up pressure and all the escaping gas pulled up some gas with it, not a crazy amount probably like a water bottles worth, but it was enough to cover my chest and all down my pants into my socks and shoes. Awful day it was. It happened again recently to a coworker. Another thing I didn't know happened is bees fucking LOVE making nests inside of old farm trucks. It's getting around that time of year. Last summer I got 4 bee hives but only got stung by two of the hives. Throughout the year I find abandoned nests. Always look before you stick your hand in there because spiders like it in there too.

How often do you deal with people who are visiting from out-of-state and have no familiarity with the laws surrounding pumping gas? Is there a sense of forgiveness associated or do they tend to get defensive and awkward?

Also, why are gas station attendants viewed so negatively?

Since I am on the freeway I get probably about 15-25 people from all over the country in an average day. Most times they know about the law if they have passed through before and just say "oh, sorry! I forgot I was in oregon!" For the new people I just say "first time in oregon?" They say yeah and then I just say "okay, just wanted to let you know it's illegal to pump your own gas in oregon, I saw your plates so I figured you didn't realize. It's not a big deal I just have to start the pump for you and if you want to finish yourself off that would be just fine. But just be careful because some places are not very nice about letting you know." This usually seems to work fine, they get it and I try not to be rude about it. Often times they will ask why it's illegal and I will give them the whole insurance talk. 99% of the time no problems. I can't tell you why we are looked down upon more than others. We wash windshields and check oil, do tire pressure and pump propane. Just this full service thing some people think of themselves as some kind of royalty and we are slaves to do their bidding, they get carried away. And if they get their card denied or something it's easier to yell at me than to admit they have no money. But it's alright. Because I can take it.

I just have to start the pump for you and if you want to finish yourself off that would be just fine.

Making money on the side I see...

Shhh.

Hush child.

As a Californian who recently drove a car from Portland to Los Angeles, I wish I had see more attendants like you. I had heard that pumps in Oregon were full service but I didn't know it was the law up there, more just an unwritten rule. First time I got to the pump I got out and started pumping gas some asshole comes running out yelling and screaming at me, threatening to have me arrested, I was so pissed I wanted to deck the guy for being an asshole. Instead I put the pump back, and when he tried to start filling up my car I told him I didn't need any gas and tossed a $5 out the window as we drove off. The next gas attendant was much nicer as you seem to be and explained everything.

I find the farther away from I-5 you are the less tolerable pumpers are of out of state people, I get like a dozen out of state people a day but I'm right off the freeway on the main road in the states capital, but that shouldn't be okay for him to have yelled at you especially if you have out of state plates. Some pumpers are just straight up assholes though just like any other store. I only get into it with customers if they get into it with me first. Or if they get into it with my co workers. I'm a large guy so they usually back off but I'm like a teddy bear and am fortunate to never have had to physically fight with a customer.

What's your opinion on "topping"(?) a gas tank? Good? Bad? Doesn't matter?

It's also against the law. But to me it's as bad as jaywalking. I will get written up of a customer tells on me for doing it though, so if they are in the car I never top it off unless they ask. In which case, I will I see no problem with it. If they get a full and go inside I will always top it off to the nearest dollar or .50¢ just to make it easier on the cashier inside and the customer paying. But like I said never unless they ask, a lot of people keep track of their mileage in little log books and if you top it off it screws up their calculations and they get pissed. And other times If I ask people get offended and mad at me for offering to break the law. So I find it easier my way.

What would you say the most exciting thing to happen to you on the job would be?

Not at my job but happened when I was at work. There is a fast food place close by, one time a guy was turning in the intersection at a crazy speed and lost control, he popped the curb and crashed through the drive thru menu and into the side of the fast food place. Another time that same fast good place got robbed and there was cops everywhere because the guy had some weapon and had grabbed some lady. The news came and I got interviewed but they didn't use the footage of me on TV. That was probably the most exciting. Another exciting time at my job was I found a $20 laying on the ground outside (after all the customers had left so there was nobody there that could have dropped it) so that was cool also.

Damn, do you get many people just driving away without paying?

Just had a teenage boy take off on Sunday without paying. $30 I have to pay out of my next check. It happens to other guys more often. I take extra care to watch people. So I only have about 5-6 drive offs in the year I've worked here. People try it every single day though. Can't really do much about it as much as it sucks.

And you have to pay for that yourself??

I don't have to pay it. But not paying it results in a write up for a shortage. Three write ups and I'm fired. I'm saving one of my write ups for a day I'm late (I start work at 5 AM and my commute to work starts about 4:15 so I usually am up at 3:30 AM and I have a sleep disorder called N-REM sleep pattern so basically when I sleep I don't dream, I don't have any sense of time and its nearly impossible for me to wake up by a normal alarm. It's like I am in a temporary coma. So I have special alarms and try to keep the same sleep pattern but I could always be late. So one write up I'm saving for that and my other write up I'm saving for a big drive off (like more than $150) $30 sucks but its not worth my job over.

Damn sorry to here about your sleep disorder

It's fine! After puberty came and went it got a lot more manageable as to where I can dream sometimes maybe once or twice a month and I'm in the process of trying to switch to a normal alarm clock instead of the ones I use now.

So are prices noticeably higher because of it?

http://money.cnn.com/news/storysupplement/economy/gas_prices_by_state/ We are not the lowest, but not the highest. Cheaper than the entire west coast and some of our surrounding states. My station right now is at about 3.60ish the lower insurance rates and cost of employing more people more or less even out to make the price about the same as anywhere else. NJ is the same scenario.

Back in the day I traded an attendant an eighth for gas. My friend in his stoner van did it all the time. Have you ever taken something other than cash for gas?

I don't smoke but one of my co workers does and he takes this deal all the time. I only have taken something for gas once and it was not by choice it was for collateral a lady got ten bucks in gas and her card was denied. She couldn't pay so I had to take her jacket as collateral until she came back to pay, she never came back so I had to cover the ten bucks and sold her jacket for $12 But I have been offered hand jobs, blow jobs, drugs, sex, booze, cigarettes, headphones, a puppy once, mostly food, and other stuff I considered but knew they were stolen so I declined. And none of the girls (and guy) offering sexual favors were not cute at all. Mostly drug addict women with scabs and stds all over. It wasn't a hard call. One time a co worker took some steak as payment for gas. He was going to the store after work to pick some up anyways and a customer couldn't pay but had just gotten groceries so he covered it. And anytime there is a shortage we have to pay it ourselves. There isn't a way to pump free gas, ever drop is accounted for, not even Walter white could get any free gas because our tanks have water sensors to detect if any water at all is diluting gas.

What about rock sensor? Toss a few gallons in rocks down the hole.

Probably would clog up the fuel pump but try it and lemme know how it works out.

Nicest car you've ever filled up?

I'm not familiar with cars but one weekend over the summer there was an antique car show or something so we had a bunch of really nice old cars coming in. All the guys pumped themselves though. No way I'm touching those cars. The coolest person I ever pumped was the drummer from Journey, Dean Castronovo (hope that's how you spell it) he is a cool dude and I went to high school with his son, he lives in my hometown. I am a music major so I chatted with him for a while. That was awesome.

I've only ever come across gas station attendants when my family visits Mexico (for other family). It's the norm down there. Do you get any especially rowdy customers? And have you ever done anything spiteful to them?

Yes all the time. Most of the time if they are assholes I just ignore it and move on because I am too busy to deal with their B.S. I don't ever do anything spiteful except if they are an above and beyond asshole I won't twist their gas cap on all the way so they slowly lose gas faster because of evaporation.

I'm hardcore like that.

One time a co worker dragged the nozzle across a lady's SUV (they are gypsy scammers who are the worst people I ever met in my life and they deserves it) to leave a pretty good scratch but it was partially on accident because she pulled up right next to the pump with only a few inches between the pump and he SUV I couldn't fit in between them.

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They have a gypsy fortune teller business. And a on site body shop, which means two guys will pound out a dent rub cream in it and say "wipe off in 2 hour, good as new" take your hundred bucks and leave, 2 hours later when you wipe it off and find an even bigger dent you can find them because they don't have a shop to go to.

What was the most dangerous thing that ever happened on the job?

I wasn't here this day, but one time there was a pumper who was filling up a gas can, he left it alone with the pump still going but he didn't wait until the gas had filled up enough to where the can would be to heavy to tip over. And guess what. The can tipped over and the pump kept going. About 15 gallons of gas all over the lot. He went to clean it up and poured our concrete cleaner on it to clean up the mess. It started a fire with really low blue and purple flames. He panicked and sprayed it all with the hose, which if anyone doesn't know just spreads the fire. We had to activate emergency shut off procedure (only time we ever had to) and the fire department came to clean it up. He no longer works at the gas station. The other potentially dangerous thing was a pusses of customer said he put a bomb behind the gas station and was going to blow the place up. He was lying but the bomb squad had to come through.

My mother-in-law lives in Oregon, and I was shocked to learn about this law the first time we flew out to visit. They live outside of Portland, but there's still a shitton of traffic where they're at. I half-expected to see one of these pumpers get a foot crushed when they were looking the wrong way. You mention that people have tried to purposely hit you, but how often (and/or how close) have you gotten to being hit by someone that just wasn't paying close enough attention?

Great question. Short answer is all the damn time.

I have made it a habit to never step out in front of pumps without looking both ways, as our station is on a street corner so people cut through all the time so they don't have to wait at a light. I usually have one close call a day but ill tell you something, a lot of parents send their kid in with cash and those kids run through the parking lot like they are playing frogger with a blindfold. I just hope I'm not working the day some kid gets crushed by a douchebag in his SUV. The closet call I have personally been in was I was walking by pumps and saw a guy in a red sportscar stop at a pump and after he stopped he decided to pull forward to the next pump but he wasn't looking so he accelerated right into me, I jumped forward and he barely clipped me but no harm no foul. Most of the time I am walking through and almost get hit its because I am super busy and running between cars and I stop just as someone is driving though but my forward momentum kinda pulls me forward so it looks like I am going to fall and they hit their breaks and screech to a stop. I've been talking to cops about having a patrol car sit in the lot for an hour or so and catch an idiot speeding through at at least 30 MPH and teach people a lesson. Also am talking to my boss about putting in speed bumps.

Have you had anyone try to convince you that they absolutely had to pump their own gas? If so, please share!

Yes that does happen a lot. Usually I just tell them I need to enter the information into the pump and I will let you pump it. And I just need to let them know that they agree to take responsibility if they damage the pump or their car. Never had a problem with that. Usually it's people don't trust me to touch their credit card so they swipe the card themselves and cover up the keypad like they are entering their safe number with a thief behind them. For the most part people don't cause any trouble. But I pump hundreds of cars every single day so there is always ass hats but its expected with that amount of customers.

I was curious about tips, what is the average tip? What is the highest tip you have received?

Average tip is nothing. When I do get a tip it's a dollar. The most I ever got from a single person was $5.00 and the most I got in a day (same day as the 5) was $20.00... I bought pizza.

I drove through Oregon on my way to Vancouver and almost endangered myself by pumping my own gas before the kind attendant saved my life. I didn't have any cash handy, so I gave him all the loose change I had as a tip. Is tipping expected? If so, it would really piss me off to live in your state.

You sound like a dick.

People that do shit like that make service industry workers hate life and other people in general.

The kid was just doing his job. If I let someone pump themselves that's a automatic write up.

Frankly, it would piss me off for you to live in my state too.

I think you're misinterpreting me. I unexpectedly blundered into a situation where a tip was expected and tipped the kid close to a buck (every cent of cash I had) despite the fact that his service was completely unwanted and unnecessary.

I get that he'd get in trouble if I pumped my own gas. I didn't give the kid any shit about it. However, the law is fucking stupid and your profession should not exist.

Sarcasm doesn't help when you want people to interpret you in a good way.

A tip isn't expected for any place.

I would rather get no tip than a tip of change. As would a lot of service workers. Most time you get change as a tip it's an insult.

If you did mean it in a good way then I'm sure it came off in a good way at the time.

What is your hourly rate working there? Is it much lower/higher than the rate of someone working at a chain station?

I make minimum wage. $8.95 in oregon. I believe they make the same at a chain station as me but their cashiers make maybe $9.00 which I don't.

Do you ever end up arguing with people who insist on pumping their own gas?

I was driving back to Washington from Oregon a couple weeks ago. I pulled into a gas station, remembered that somebody else was going to have to pump my gas, and decided to wait until I got back to Washington to get gas. It weirds me out to have somebody pump my gas while I just sit there.

Most people are cool. If they still are not comfortable with it I offer to let them pump the gas if they let me enter in the amount and swipe the card and that is only so I can keep track of who's on a card and who's cash so nobody leaves without paying. Because people try that every single day.

How many pumps are at most of your stations and how many pumpers operate those pumps?

I live off of I-40, which I think is the busiest interstate in the nation, and many of the stations have between 12-24 pumps. I can't imagine having to wait for an attendant to come pump my gas when people are waiting behind me to use the pump. Awesome IAmA.

Thank you! We have 20 pumps at our station, most stations have about 14-24 pumps but you can have anywhere from 4-40 pumps at a station how many pumpers there are also depends on the station.

most stations always have at least two guys, the one by my house has 14 pumps and 4 pumpers. at my station we have 3 shifts in a normal day a morning shift, a night shift and a "mid-shift" Basically the morning and night shift guys work 8 hours, when the morning shift guy clocks out the night shift guy clocks in and the mid shift guy clocks in so he does 3 hours with the morning guy and 3 hours with the night guy.

That's the ideal schedule but its not always like that. Some days I work a 10 hour morning shift with no help, some days I do a 9 hour morning shift and the mid shift guy comes and goes during my shift so the night guy doesn't get any help. It's weird right now because we just had a guy quit so the schedule is funky. We have only 4 pumpers employed at my work and we need 3 working every day and that's hard to schedule and keep us all at about the same hours so right now a guy works a 3 hour shift just because. Hoping it gets fixed quickly though!