The Good Old Days

I can remember the good old days when I would roll up to a service station. Tell the attendant what grade of fuel, the amount and ask to have them look at the oil stick….and maybe check the tire pressure. But those days are gone. Now we get out in the elements and pump our own gas. And we have learned how to check on our oil and air.

But a state representative from Chicago yearns for yesteryear. Camille Y. Lily, a Democrat, introduced House Bill 4571 last week in the Illinois House of Representatives. With the exception of Facebook posts, there hasn’t been much written about it. If it became law, it would effectively make it illegal for you to pump your own gas.

As with so many pieces of legislation in Illinois, it came from elsewhere. Oregon and New  Jersey were the first to ban self-service gas stations. Only recently did Oregon roll it back in rural areas.

Of course, if this goes through the House, Senate and gets signed into law by the Governor, gas prices will go up. Somebody will have to pay the attendant. I don’t know if this is an attempt at creating low skill jobs which will be paid at our new minimum wage….or if Representative Lily is just bothered by the act of filling her own tank.

I looked up her other efforts while in Springfield. Lily also gave us legislation recognizing her sorority. Delta Sigma Theta Day passed the House.   

Now she’s hoping to pass the gas station attendant bill.

Lily is wanting to return us to….the good old days.