This is Hands Down the Most Annoying Thing About Maine Gas Stations

Gas prices are the highest ever

When talking about the most annoying part about getting gas in Maine -- and quite honestly, anywhere right now -- the first thing that may come to mind is, of course, the gas prices. In the last week, gas prices have gone up a disgusting amount.

During a three-day period in New Hampshire last week, gas prices at various stations between the Seacoast area and the southern part of the state were seen going from around $3.43 per gallon to over $4.00. Similarly in Portland, right down the street from I-295, within the last five days, one gas station rose from $3.50 per gallon to over $4.20.

It's not just Northern New England feeling the burn, though, as gas prices in Los Angeles are said to be approaching and in some cases, over $7.00 per gallon right now, according to ABC 7.

That said, when talking about the most annoying thing about Maine gas stations right now, while the high prices are definitely about to take over that number one role, there's one other thing that may trump it (at least for the next few minutes before prices rise another 50-cents/gallon by the time this article is finished):

Gas clips are gone from Maine

Within the last half-dozen months or so in Maine, more and more gas clips keep disappearing. In fact, it's quite possibly safe to say that there are no gas stations throughout the 207 that have any clips attached to their gas pumps anymore. Which is puzzling, considering our neighbors to the south in New Hampshire have them all over the place.

If you're asking yourself, "What in the hell are you talking about? What's a gas clip?" -- you know what we mean. That little notched clip that allows you to hold the handle in place and pump your tank full of gas hands-free, while you either keep them warm in your pocket, send a text message or two, or run inside to the gas station store real quick to try and become a millionaire with a Powerball ticket.

Regardless of all the research and Google searches that were made, there is absolutely zero information about why the gas clips disappeared in Maine. There's no law that was found stating that the clips are illegal, although, ironically, a 2015 issue of the Boston Globe mentioned that Massachusetts become one of the last states to legalize gas clips on January 1, 2015.

Static electricity at the gas pump could be an issue

In the same Boston Globe article, it was mentioned that the reason that gas clips became illegal back in the 1970s in Mass was due to the possibility of static electricity igniting gasoline fumes when customers set the handle against the clip and got back inside their car to warm up while they filled up.

And, as proven on the show Mythbusters, static electricity can in fact cause a fire at the gas pump.

Combine the static electricity risk with also the risk of a possible gas spill if the pump is left unattended and the gas clip doesn't properly disengage when the vehicle's tank is full, and it seems like safety is the main reason for ditching the gas clips.

All that logic said, it doesn't necessarily make it any less annoying. But, obviously practicing the idea of safety first goes a long way.