The first thing that you might notice about Oregon is their low speed limits on the road. Great! especially for bicyclists and pedestrians. It means I can drive my usual slow speed without getting honked at, or getting 'the finger.'
There are other differences. The strangest is that a motorist is not allowed to pump their own gasoline, although that rule is changing. If you are careful to preface your question with an "I'm not from Oregon, so why...", you can ask the gasoline pump attendant why Oregon has this strange law. One of these guys told me it was for 'safety' and to preserve jobs.
'Safety?' Well, if you go back in time a few decades, when smoking was more common, the 'safety' argument makes more sense. But today?
And as for the 'job preservation' argument, I also got that as an answer to my question why the grocery store didn't have a self-checkout lane. Couldn't one just as well argue that buying food at a grocery store steals job from people who work at restaurants?
But I didn't argue with the woman. Instead, I found it amusing. Perhaps that is the secret to being an 'international' traveler: don't be too judgmental or argumentative. Just do things 'as the Romans do, when in Rome,' and be glad that not all places are alike.
I have even jumped on board with the 10 cent deposit on aluminum cans. (But what about all the plastic bottles?) The recycling machine takes these cans automatically, and then prints out a receipt. A sign says that you are limited to 144 cans per day. Hey, maybe I should start picking cans up from public lands -- I could make $14.40 per day. (grin)
Seriously, I have always supported bottle deposits, in part because it reminds me of childhood days.
But there is one Oregon law I dislike: I prefer thin plastic bags at the grocery store, for free. Thick plastic bags or paper bags are not convenient as kitchen trash bags or for picking up after the dog.
On the other hand I would love to fantasize about overly thick national forests getting cut down for paper bags!
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