This post was inspired by Charles Royal, a reader of this blog.  Charles lives in Texas and took this picture in Fort Worth.

Maybe I’m not paying attention, but I’ve never seen a sign like this.  At first, I assumed it was specific to Texas.  But, with just a small amount of internet research, I found out that it is illegal in quite a few states.  I didn’t find a comprehensive list, but there are more than a few that require a person to be of legal driving age in order to legally pump gasoline.

At my recollection, they don’t teach kids how to use gas pumps in driver’s education.  Parents teach kids how to use gas pumps.  If you know that your kids are properly trained and can handle it, you (as their parent) should determine the age at which they can use the pump. I’m not saying there aren’t dangers at the gas pump, but I have never known a single person who ever got injured as a result of dispensing gas in an unsafe manner.  I even had a friend drive off with the gas pump handle still in her tank.  She proceeded to drive down the highway with it flailing around.  She realized it and returned it to the station and paid for the pump to get fixed, but nobody was hurt.  Banning kids from using the pumps will not accomplish anything except for having a bunch of kids driving around in their cars and not having a clue about what to do when they get to the gas station.

What about kids who are old enough to use lawn mowers and want to mow some yards for a few bucks?  They can’t get gas for it?  Of course not!  They can’t set up lemonade stands, either.  What are we thinking by trying to raise self-sufficient, industrious, capable youngsters?

Related posts:

1. Make Sense, Not Laws
2. Criminal Toys
3. Mall Photography
4. The Wolf Effect