received this email today... just thought I would share, looking out for my cc.net brothers and sisters.... ================================ The Petroleum Equipment Institute is working on a campaign to try and make people aware of fires as a result of "static" (that is, static electricity) at gas pumps. They have researched 150 cases of these fires. The results were very surprising: NEVER get back into your vehicle while filling it with gas. If you absolutely HAVE to get in your vehicle while the gas is pumping, make sure you get out, close the door TOUCHING THE METAL, before you ever pull the nozzle out. This way the static from your body will be discharged before you ever remove the nozzle. As mentioned earlier, The Petroleum Equipment Institute, along with several other companies now, are really trying to make the public aware of this danger. You can find out more information by going to http://www.pei.org Once here, click in the center of the screen where it says "Stop Static". Please share this info with family and friends, especially those who have kids in the car with them while pumping gas. If this were to happen to them, they may not be able to get the children out in time. -------- this doesn't even mention those folks who refuse to turn their vehicle OFF while gassing up!! those people are STUPID!
Whoa! Is this for real!?! Mr. JB gets back in the truck all the time when he's filling the tank. You may have just saved our lives, RockHEAD...(wiping away a tear)...We love you man!
Interesting. Thanks for the info - I'd heard about the cell phone thing, but never that it was dangerous to get back in the car while pumping gas. (takes so long to fill up my truck that I usually sit inside it and work on stuff... though I don't close the door)
This is definitely not a problem in Houston during the summer...the humidity is so high, I'm surprised that anything will catch on fire here.
Lately I've been noticing more people filling their cars with the engine running. Has anybody else noticed this? That has to be the ultimate in stupidity. Yeah, the chances that your car is going to blow up or catch fire are pretty slim, but how much effort does it take to turn off your car? Just another example of people doing something just to show other people that the rules of society don't apply to them.
that's whack! I just heard from a friend that's from NJ that all gas stations are full service! that is funny... but safe... Mrs. JB, the reason they don't want you going back into your car, is the static electricity that could be created from getting in and out!? and what IS up with folks not turning off their engines when gassing up? That's much more of a fire risk than static, if you ask me. I mean, the signs are in huge bold letters at every gas station, "SHUT ENGINE OFF" ... stupidity...
i got this same email this morning... its something that my family has discussed the posiblity of for the years (that is the danger of using cell phones while pumping gas)... yeah we're all a bunch of engineering geeks who discuss scientific principles!
I know...when I went up to Jersey a couple of years ago...I was like "Full-Serve??? Do i Have to tip these guys? Are we back in the 50s?" I think Oregon is the only other state that bans self-serve.
The first time I drove down to NYC from school, I stopped off to get gas at this random location (because I knew gas stations were scarce in the City). I pulled up to the pump and got out of my car. I knew about the lack of self-service in New Jersey, but I had no idea where I was at the time (the winding route took me from NY to PA to NY to NJ to NY). This attendent comes up to me, and says (in a voice like the teenager with all the crappy jobs in the Simpsons), "Uh, sir... You're not allowed to pump your own gas in the state of New Jersey." I turned to him with an incredulous expression and said, with a rather disgusted tone, "I'm in New Jersey?!?!" To answer your question, no, you don't have to tip the guys. I tried, and they refused (no, really).
