Getting Gas NJ Style- Authors Beware!

Okay, so over on Romancing the Blog the other day there was this post about writing what you know... the funny thing was the comments. Apparently a lot of NJ readers take issue to books that refer to people pumping their own gas in that fine state. Okay, First: How many books actually refer to people pumping gas? In New Jersey? Come on. Second: Why would there be any reference to this, unless the character was making note of how odd it is that it is against the law to pump your own gas.

I just don't see how this can be such a big thing, because how many plots are furthered by the need for a character to be pumping his/her own gas? In NJ no less. It is such a mundane thing (unless, again, you are making reference to the bizarro NJ law) that it shouldn't be in the book. As the reader, I would be more annoyed at having to read however many words needed to be dedicated to this action to imply that gas was being pumped and that it was being pumped by someone other than the attendant. In fact, I can scarcely think up a scenario that this would truly forward the plot. Stopping the car to get out for a Slurpee or to pull a Britney Spears and use the restroom- eeewww barefoot, would be more interesting than pumping gas.