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Comment by Havoc | Hacker News Reader

>need to have some Work to feel like their lives have meaning.

Agreed.

Vaguely relevant story time for 1st world crowd: In my country (South Africa) it is illegal for the public to refuel their own cars. There is dedicated staff that does nothing else all day - essentially behave like restaurant waiters but for petrol stations.

Realistically the law is only in place for job creation purposes - it is by most measures unnecessary. And yet I've come to appreciate it: I don't need to leave my car. The people handling flammable liquids do this all day long & received training - much better than random McDonalds munching idiots. Credit card speedpoint gets brought to my car window, windscreen washed, tyre pressure checked etc. I end up (voluntarily) tipping 0.5 USD - a drop in the ocean. I have a million problems so a guy making my life easier there & smiling whilst doing so...I'm totally ok with carrying him on my tax/fuel bill.

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In the United States, Oregon and New Jersey also require an attendant pump gas for you. Supposedly gas stations have lower insurance premiums as a result.

"Supposedly gas stations have lower insurance premiums as a result."

I didn't know that part - presumably not lower enough to cover the wages, though, or we'd see it done voluntarily elsewhere.

>In the United States, Oregon and New Jersey also require an attendant pump gas for you.

Thank you. That is certainly news to me.

There is already technology being rolled out to automate pumping gas.

Thats the point - it could be done "easier" via self-help or automated but the law requires job creation. Us privileged people should seriously consider accepting that while it does not make economic sense, it does work from a convenience & social point of view. Both of those are powerful drivers.

It would be better just to pay people for nothing rather than requiring them to do useless work.

> It would be better just to pay people for nothing rather than requiring them to do useless work.

You miss my point entirely. It is not useless work. Sure its not economically efficient, but on balance I'd rather have people streamline the refueling process than sit in front of a TV and collect a paycheque.

Why? They could get a hobby or another job. Some socialists argue that employment is morally wrong because it's the equivalent of slavery. I never bought that because we currently need people to work in order for the economy to function. But if working is really unnecessary and force people to work anyways, well what is that?

That's a false dicothomy. If the were not wasting their times on a unnecesary job, there is also a chance that they found a useful occupation.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parable_of_the_broken_window

* dichotomy

And no it is not one. There is a big difference between "economically efficient" and "wasting their times on a unnecessary job", especially in the context of GMI.

>I'd rather have people streamline the refueling process than sit in front of a TV and collect a paycheque.

You make it look that these two are the only alternatives when they are not (e.g. people could also be studying or actively searching for a job). Pretty much the definition of false dichotomy isn't it?

Sounds like something that could be easily automated.

>Sounds like something that could be easily automated.

Yes and no. You underestimate the experience imo. e.g. Today I had two people dressed in red shirts (for valentines day) focusing on me, my car & what I wanted. Yes you can automate the physical refueling, but can you automate the conversation about the Tshirts specifically bought for Valetines day?

For a minor cost I can:

> Create a job > Interact with a person in a different class > Ease my daily burden > Improve safety > Assist the local economy (micro scale) > Improve social balances

As I said...I tip 0.5USD at petrol stations and I could totally get away with zero.

Yes the mechanical act could be automated but that is entirely besides the point.

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