Illinoisans should be allowed to pump their own gas, and we at The Daily Eastern News believe it will likely stay that way.

Illinois House Bill 4571 would enact that no gas may be pumped at a gas station unless it is pumped by an attendant employed at the gas station, which means people wouldn’t be able to pump their own gas in Illinois anymore beginning Jan. 1, 2021.

This bill is still in its very early stages; it was filed on Feb. 5, and it’s just now seeing the Rules Committee. It has many, many more steps to go through before it becomes an Illinois law.

While we at The Daily Eastern News could see the benefits of full-service gas stations in busier cities in Illinois like Chicago, we don’t believe it would benefit the majority of Illinoisans as a whole.

People pump their own gas in Illinois, and it’s something we’ve come to accept and never really think about.

In fact, there are only a few full-service gas stations in Chicago. In rural, less-populated areas in Illinois, they’re even more rare.

We could see the proposed bill benefiting busy cities because there are more customers.

Requiring gas attendants to pump the gas for gas stations that see customers all day, every day might make the process go smoother and quicker.

If approved, the proposed bill could also create more jobs for people.

Additionally, gas stations might also have their attendants perform checks on the car, which would definitely improve the overall quality of customers’ visits (even though it would also take up more time).

But we also predict an increase in gas prices if this bill becomes law. This is additional labor, which needs to be accounted for somehow. Raising gas prices to keep up with the increased costs associated with the bill is certainly a possibility.

Gas stations would also likely need to consider tighter security to protect the gas attendants while they’re out on the job. This would require the employment of even more gas attendants.

This law would cost money for both gas stations and customers.

Moreover, it would inevitably cost everyone time.

Requiring gas attendants to pump gas is always going to take up the customers’ time. This is just annoying and unnecessary.

People pump their own gas, take up their own time and care for their own cars. Why change that?

In summary, don’t fix something that isn’t broken.