Smg Petroleum

I grew up in NJ, one of two states where pumping your own gas is illegal. (Good job, Oregon).
The perfect example of seemingly well intentioned laws never leaving the books and becoming an embedded part of daily life (why fossil fuels are dangerous, flammable and best left to professionals to operate!), NJ born drivers have to adjust when driving out of state.
Or, in my case, moving out of the Garden State to the uncivilized world where people must pump their own gas.
So while cruising around the ‘hood in my Zipcar Mazda Marci I’m drawn to signs that read «Full Service». Smg petroleum is one such place, a would-​be oasis of gasoline service with a smile. Perhaps I was inhaling…
To be fair, I’ve had mixed experiences with the attendants at Smg Petroleum. Note that I’ve never really seen a sign that reads «Smg Petroleum» either. Most folks will recognize this as the Gulf Station across the street from Trader Joe’s on Metropolitan.
There’s been the inevitable confusion about the Zipcar system of paying for gas. There’s been the long wait for the attendant to emerge from his shack and acknowledge my existence. Mixed in with these negatives have been some cases of customer centric behavior but that’s far less common.
So now I’d rather drive with less than a full tank before starting a 4 hour drive north and take my chances pumping my own gas in Connecticut. Despite the 1940’s fears of communists and flammable material, somehow I escaped the oil fires: not once while pumping my own gas have I witnessed a scene like the Kuwaiti oil fields during Gulf War I. Let that be a lesson, New Jersey and Oregon.
The only thing missing from Smg Petroleum is a «u» between the «m» and «g». Oh, and consistent customer service.