Hess Express

hey just wanted to say gas was cheap (at the time) and the Vietnam veteran that served was awesome, helpful, and courteous. thanks!

Okay Hess, I want to like you — you’re pretty much the ONLY gas station on my route to work, have a decent little convenience store, and are right on Route 70. But… I can’t. You’re kind of like the drunk guy at a party who nobody will admit to inviting — all over the place, illogical, and often times rude or angry.
First off, during rush hour, this place is an utter madhouse. They tried to cram as many pumps as possible into a small lot, which results in «gridlocks» at times, with people trying to get into whichever spot they can. For the gasoline pumps, this isn’t that huge of a problem, at least not any more than any other busy gas station at rush hour. No, the biggest issue here is the diesel pumps — there’s a mere *two*, and they’re both crammed in the same area, and surrounded by gasoline pumps. If you’re like me and have a diesel vehicle, be prepared to wait /​fight over the pumps, since there will be folks trying to fuel with gas (blocking the diesel pumps) — or gigantic trucks with 300 gallon tanks that’ll be there for like 20 minutes. To even further slow things down, you can’t pay at the pump (unlike for gas), and need to go inside the mart. Seriously, would it have killed them to put a diesel island in this location, or in the very least put a second pump on the other side of the station?
The workers here are a mixed bag as well. In NJ, it’s legal to pump your own diesel (not gasoline), and I often do since it’s a hell of a lot quicker than waiting around for the distracted /​elderly /​burnt out pump worker to meander over and start filling. It’s a real coin toss as to the attitude I get when I do this. Some days, they give the ol’ thumbs up. Other times I get a crotchety worker who gives me a sneer and nasty comment about how they «would have come over in a minute». Maybe it’s a Hess thing, because come to think of it, I get these same attitudes at just about every Hess I’ve been to — making me yearn for the generally happier employees at places such as Wawa.
Fuel prices aren’t that great, and with very few exceptions they seem to be 8−10cents higher per gallon than other places in the area. Chalk it up to being right on a major highway /​price gouging, I guess. Finally, one last issue is that they close at 10PM, meaning if you’re driving along Rt 70 at night and the fuel light goes on, you’re probably going to have to hunt around elsewhere for a station. Between the hours, the attitudes, and the terrible pump /​lot layout, the only reason I ever have to go here is when I’m sucking fumes. Otherwise, I’ll limp up to work and fuel up elsewhere.