I think it’s a great example of how attached people are, especially in the USA, to the idea of “normality” as if it is an absolute rational thing, when in fact it’s highly conditioned and artificial.
There are plenty of things most of the rest of the people making fun of the Oregonians would be just as irrationally averse, afraid, or opposed to. It doesn’t make either side right or wrong, just different.
I think the inaccurate part of all sides of the reaction (and similar issues & reactions) is the part where we decide the people with a different idea of normal are somehow defective.
I certainly do it myself, and it can be fun to indulge in a bit. All them folks who drive those automatic transmissions, and the people looking forward to self-driving cars, or who don’t understand their computer’s file system, etc etc etc…
There are also many many things I prefer to “wimp out on” and have other people do for me, such as changing my own oil, mechanical work, eating insects, or cleaning fish…
Oh, and pumping gas can be dangerous… I have seen cars in self-service states draggnig the gas hose by the still-inserted nozzle around town, and there have been fires. Also many people who prefer and enjoy having others do it for them, though yeah, I don’t find it difficult, usually… depending on how easy and in what state of repair the pumps are.