Gas Station giggles

[Nyoibo]

Also getting into the car creates static electricity, they then go and touch the nozzle and bam, static spark ignites the petrol fumes, it's happened a few times.

[Lingering Grin]

Also getting into the car creates static electricity, they then go and touch the nozzle and bam, static spark ignites the petrol fumes, it's happened a few times.

Actually, that's how most gas station fires start

DO NOT GET BACK IN YOUR CAR WHILE PUMPING GAS!

The chance of your cell phone causing a spark is pretty much non-existent and yet we have a rule against that, but there's no rule about getting in and out of the car, which is MUCH more likely to cause a fire. (Hell, it's more than likely, it's a definite probability).

[PepperElf]

Well, Mythbusters did revisit the Cell Phone issue and I believe they were able to make an explosion.

However the part about getting back into the car? OMG yes!
It hasn't happened on my current car, but it's been wet / snowy since I got it really, so things might change once the weather dries up...

But on my old car, I use to get static electricity shocks nearly every time I got in and out of the car. I had to develop a habit of slapping the door when I got out... Not that this stops the static shock, but I found it didn't hurt as much...

So, if I'd gotten in the while pumping, I KNOW I'd have gotten a shock when I got out. And since I'm not in the habit of playing Fireball-Roulette... this is something I never did.

Oh, but speaking of gas... In VA it's *not* illegal to use the pumps in hands-free operation, although the gas station is allowed to disable it. It only happened once, but... yeah the pump didn't click off and gas started pouring out on the ground. I stopped the pump and put it back up, and went in to tell the man working there. Luckily it'd hadn't been much spilled, but... he still had to clean it up. And, granted it didn't stop me from using hands-free, but it did teach me to pay attention!

[Cat]

Yeah, I'm in CT and am very thankfully *most* stations still have that lil' latch....esp when I'm getting gas in the cold

[Nyoibo]

Well, Mythbusters did revisit the Cell Phone issue and I believe they were able to make an explosion.

Yeah, but they had to go through a lot to get that explosion.

Coming into summer now I'm getting more and more static shocks getting out of the car.

[Geek King]

Yeah, but they had to go through a lot to get that explosion.

Coming into summer now I'm getting more and more static shocks getting out of the car.

If I remember the episode, they never did get the cell phone to cause the explosion. They ended up basiacally supersaturating the air in a big box with gas fumes, and rigging a sparker. Gotta have a payoff explosion, after all.

[Dreamstalker]

Yup. That's what my mom hates about the show.

"How does that prove anything? They still got the intended result!"
"Yes, but were you watching what they had to do to get it? The myth claimed that X could happen under normal conditions. Under normal conditions nothing happened, in fact they had to get a couple hundred pounds of high explosive to get any result. Thus proving it can't happen the way the myth says."

[Lace Neil Singer]

I guess if you dropped your phone on the ground, there's a chance it could produce a spark.

[Talendor]

Yeah, I'm in CT and am very thankfully *most* stations still have that lil' latch....esp when I'm getting gas in the cold

Sorry to burst your bubble Cat but I believe that there is now a law prohibiting people from leaving the pump. Around where I live, all but 2 service stations have removed the metal piece and you have to stay at the pump. This is why I pack an extra pair of gloves to leave in the car.

[protege]

Quite a few stations in PA no longer have those "hold-down" latches. Too many idiots would depress them, and then walk away from the vehicle.

[Cat]

Sorry to burst your bubble Cat but I believe that there is now a law prohibiting people from leaving the pump. Around where I live, all but 2 service stations have removed the metal piece and you have to stay at the pump. This is why I pack an extra pair of gloves to leave in the car.

I'll to look out for that....I've only seen one station where they dont have the metal piece...maybe some towns are slower to adhere?


Guess I should stock up on "car gloves!"

EDIT: Oh, I never leave the pump, unless my bf is with me and I need caffeine.

[Pagan]

There's hope for New Mexico yet! I have yet to encounter a station here that doesn't have the metal hold-down-thingy on the gas pump. I also haven't noticed anyone actually walk away from the car while they're filling it either. Of course, I'm usually filling up at Sam's, where ya gonna go?

Go figure, we're usually the worst at everything in the country!