Darwin Award Hopeful

[Lace Neil Singer]

Tho someone should have told him that Darwin Awards only count when you don't take innocent people with you when you carry out your death wish.

This guy was leaning out of his van window, on the forecourt, surrounded by explosive petrol vapour and flammable fuel, SMOKING. I only wish I was joking. When my collegue Kate went out and told him to put it out before he killed us all, he was actually surprised. -.- I weep for humanity.

[SqueakerBot]

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There was suposed to be a kaboom! An Earth shattering KABOOM!!!

[VenomX]

When we sold gas(petrol) our customers would always smoke in their cars as we pumped the gas. I asked if we could make them put it out and our boss told us no. He said we couldn't tell people what to do in their own cars.

[garth1]

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There was suposed to be a kaboom! An Earth shattering KABOOM!!!

That makes me very angry Huf...Huf...Huf..., very angry indeed.

[mharbourgirl]

When we sold gas(petrol) our customers would always smoke in their cars as we pumped the gas. I asked if we could make them put it out and our boss told us no. He said we couldn't tell people what to do in their own cars.

In their own cars maybe, but they're on PRIVATE PROPERTY. So you can bloody well ask them to stop endangering the neighbourhood, I would think.

I think there are actual laws around my neck of the woods about that, not just company policies. I think you can't even smoke on the property of the fuel stations nowadays. Holy crap your boss was a moron. Glad you're still alive.

[Lace Neil Singer]

Exactly that; what they do on their own property is their business. If they want to explode themselves, they can do just that on their own front drive. However, I don't want an explosion in the petrol station just cuz some dipstick has no sense of self preservation. -.-

[Alephcat]

while I am not trying to defend smoking per say (or smoking around inflammable things) it is very difficult, possibly impossible, to light petrol with a cigarette.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2007/feb/27/smoking.film

[Andara Bledin]

while I am not trying to defend smoking per say (or smoking around inflammable things) it is very difficult, possibly impossible, to light petrol with a cigarette.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2007/feb/27/smoking.film

Liquid petrol, yes. Petrol fumes, however, are incredibly combustible.

It's what makes cars run, after all.

The same goes for candle wax and wheat dust. Piled in a lump, all together, and you're fine. Aerated, however, and you keep the flames far, far away. Like in another county.

^-.-^

[Alephcat]

the story did say that they experimented with petrol fumes, and one of my friends (who did a film course and smokes) tried to light petrol fumes with a cigarette for one of his films and found that he could not without heating it up first.

[underemployeed]

the story did say that they experimented with petrol fumes, and one of my friends (who did a film course and smokes) tried to light petrol fumes with a cigarette for one of his films and found that he could not without heating it up first.

So, it is possible, lets say that the ODDS of the station blowing up are low but when all conditions are perfect it is better to be safe than sorry. I mean really I could probably set a blow torch out next to our pumps and never have a problem. There is actually a thing called the Lower Explosive Limit, which I learned about on another job, basically you have to have enough of a concentration of vapors for it to even be a problem, but once again why chance it.

Reminds me of the time me and my friend were tossing bottle rockets into the air, one went backwards into the barn and blew up above SIX FULL 5galllon gas cans one which didn't have a top on it. Nothing happened. Would I want to repeat that incident NO.

[VenomX]

The fire chief always came to our station to buy snuff. He never said a word so not much I could do to force the issue... wish I could have.

[Lace Neil Singer]

Also, personally, I don't care a toss what you may have seen or read about, but even if there is only a tiny chance of an explosion, I do NOT want you to take that chance when MY life is at stake, along with several innocent customers who don't share your death wish.

The same goes for mobile phones. Tho the main risk is if you drop your phone (metal striking on ground equals spark plus vapour equals boom), that still doesn't mean you can come into the petrol station bleating, "But I saw it on Top Gear/Science Abuse/insert other TV programme here!"

Tough beans, sunshine; it's the rule in our petrol station that you do not smoke or use a mobile on the forecourt. You're welcome to go elsewhere; however, I think you'll find that every petrol station in the area has those rules.

(Note: You in this context is generic you, not directed at anyone here.)

[Alephcat]

as I said, I was not defending it, I just wanted to show that the chances of any of those people actually receiving a Darwin award for that act would be pretty low.

[Lace Neil Singer]

So? A low chance is still a chance. And the chances of gaining a Darwin Award are pretty low in themselves; people tend to do stupid things a lot and don't die from them. Dare I say, "Shame, that?"

In any case, my point still stands; doing something dangerous in a public place is still putting innocent people in danger. If that guy wants to go and stand in an empty field, douse himself in petrol and take a smoke, he's more than welcome to.

[tollbaby]

the story did say that they experimented with petrol fumes, and one of my friends (who did a film course and smokes) tried to light petrol fumes with a cigarette for one of his films and found that he could not without heating it up first.

My mum works for an insurance investigator. Let me assure you that it is not only possible, it's a very real danger and MANY fires are started in just this way each year. Some tool will light a smoke at a gas pump and WHOOOOMP, up goes the pump, the smoker, the station. Happens a lot more frequently than you'd think. And if your friend is EXPERIMENTING with this?

(summer temperatures go up to 100F here, that's more than hot enough, trust me)