What do you do when some wing nut lights up a cigarette while you're standing next to your car pumping gas?
It's happened to me twice now in the last 2 weeks.
Last week a guy in his 60's comes out of the station (after paying for his gas) with an un-lit cigarette in his mouth. He climbs onto his bike (guess what kind?) And lights up "before" he starts his bike. A woman was on the other side of the pump with the gas nozzel in her cars tank when he lit up. Then the idiot pulls away from the pump and circles the 3 individual bays before he pulls out onto the street. I was one lane away scoping out where the closest fire extinguisher was.
Then today, a woman driver pulls into the lane right next to my car, with both windows down and the sun roof wide open. She gets out of the car and walks around the car to the pump. Mean while her 70ish female passenger lights one up. Now it's pretty windy and I just happen to be down wind of her, with my pump still dispensing $4.00 per gal. liguid napalm. I instantly shut off the pump, and get out of there as soon as I can.
What is wrong with people, can't they read the NO SMOKING SIGNS POSTED ON EVERY PUMP?

 

LOL! I see that kind of crap all the time. Seems some don't have any regard for others.

 

That monkey on their back cancels out any common sense.

 

The real danger lies where you have fuel in liquid form on the ground or at the fuel neck where fuel vapors exit while the tank is being filled, neither of which are explosive. The most dangerous is an ignition at the fuel neck caused by a lit cigarette or static discharge. Filling up w/o the nozzle lock is safer and most self serve gas bars have removed these devices. If you calmly step back from a filler neck fire, it will usually go out or burn a bit like a candle until a fire extinguisher is used. Trouble escalates when someone, in a panic, removes the nozzle and proceeds to spread the fire all over

 

Jesus, do ya' want to live forever?

 

Has anyone ever heard of a gas station pump island blowing up by a smoker? I never have. Your supposed to turn off your cell phones for the same reason. Do you do that? Calm down. Ignorance is bliss.

 

You know Rush, just going by your collection of toys, Your response is so sterotypical, it's ludicrous.

 

This is what happened to a neighbor when he use a hand drill driven pump to get the gas out of the diesel VW that his wife filled by mistake. The flames were way over the house at one point. His immediate neighbor was not impressed.

Lessons learned a bit too late.
1, Never have two VWs when one is gas and the other diesel.
2, Never use a power tool close to the filler cap.

 

too funny...I worked at gas station as a kid for a few years while still in HS. Managed one right out of high on the night shift. Never in all those years did we have a problem. Nozzles were old style, and everyone smoked back then. My Dad would braise leaking fuel tanks....empty them, take them off the car, take a sweeper hose, stick in the tank and blow air threw it while braising... Never saw one blow up....now at 5, while playing with Dad's new lighter, I tried to see if there was anything in the gas can one day. That didn't end well.... A 1st grader with no eye brows is a curiosity for most 6 yr olds....

 

How does my collection of toys have anything to do with you being a little too uptight? Or are there gas stations blowing up everywhere and I failed to notice?

 

ive never really seen people at a petrol station smoking. believe it or not static electricity caused by people re-entering there cars while filling up causes more fires around fuel than anything else.

 

It shows that you own a "Harley". You probably smoke. You probably feel compelled to portray a "Bad Boy" image by not following the rules, and I insulted you when I mentioned a "Biker" lit up right next to a gas pump.
Your instinctive reaction was to come to the defense of an unknown fellow biker by making fun of the situation, and accuse me of being uptight. Your response that ignorance is bliss simply validates your irresponsibility and lack of concern for the safety of others around you.
I never said gas stations were blowing up everywhere. (Another juvenile tactic to trivialize my comments). Most fires at gas stations happen by accident because of static electricity. The key word here is "ACCIDENT", in other words, not intentional.
Lighting up at a gas pump is an "INTENTIONAL" act. If some fumes should happen to ignite, you would be responsible for any property damage, bodily injury, or death your irresponsible act might cause.
If it's all a big joke to you, maybe you should spend some time visiting some kids in a "Burn Ward" at your local hospital and see how much "Bliss" they're having.
Yeah, you're probably right. I'm just too uptight,

 

Some introspection on your part is in order. I said what I see is the truth. Your making mountains of molehills. Amazing given that your a car guy. Your observational skills of those around you, (including me), need some honing, or perhaps you should ignore them entirely. Becoming judgmental and mean spirited are a useless waste of your energy. And again, please enlighten me, Where are all the smoking gas station victims? In neither instance were the people in concern fueling vehicles while smoking. I think your judgment was of the people themselves. The gas island is just an excuse for your ire of them.

BTW, I don't smoke, I don't drink, or do drugs. And I'm certainly no more the "bad boy" than one who has a love of muscle AMC's, or Crossfires.

 

Then I was wrong about you, Sorry.
By the way, I don't drink, never smoked, or have ever used drugs, and I use to live on my motorcycle. Actually spent more time on it than driving my cars. So along with Crossfires, we probably have a lot more in common than we know.

It's just that your 1st response to my OP seemed to be rather flippant.
In other words, "don't worry be happy", and yes I get a little judgemental when I see someone do something that anybody with common sense would think is stupid and irresponsible, and could possibly hurt somebody else. If they want to take chances with their lives, fine, but don't do it around other people.
If you honestly feel lighting a match or a lighter is the smart thing to do when you're at a gas pump, and you don't feel you are endangering yourself and those around you, then obviously we aren't on the same page, and probably never will be.
I guess the oil industry just wastes millions of dollars yearly posting those meaningless warning signs everywhere. Telling people no open flames, or smoking.
Probably just another stupid Government regulation.

Oh I almost forgot, to MAX.
As a matter of fact, I do want to live forever.

 

I guarantee we share similar interests in cars. I love the underdogs and orphan cars. I've wanted an AMX or Javelin since I was a kid. We had a neighbor up the street with a Mark Donahue Javelin that really pulled at your heart strings.

 

Aaaaaah! feel the love!

Group hug!

 

That's too funny turbo.

Actually, even though Rush and I never met, I'm a big fan of old MoPars (like his 67 Chrysler).
Mid 60's compacts (Darts, Falcons, Comets, Chevy II's, and Rambler Americans are some of my favorite old cars. And it goes without saying his Harley looks Bad ASP even though it turns out he's a "Nerd" like me. (no drugs, alcohol, or tobacco).
Like he said, I'm guilty of prejudging him.
We simply disagree on how dangerous an open flame can be around a filling station.
If we ever met, I'm sure we'd probably sit down at the bar and buy each other a round of Sarsaparilla, and compare notes on classic cars and Crossfires.

 

As I stated earlier...the old gas station and the 60's and 70's, most people smoked...most people smoked at the track, in the service bay, no one went outside....to smoke... Never had a fire... In fact, the owner of the gas station I worked for, was the local fire chief, and yes, he smoked...lol. All my years of accidents I investigated or rolled up on, none were burned out hulks...although there were fires after the fact, but not many... Smokers are smokers and that will never change. They don't think about it when light up... Just thank God for lighters, because I watched many throw that match down in the shop and held my breath....but it always went out...
'

 

Well.....All I want to add is ever since I got to know Mike, I want a AMX too.

But wait...I'll have to have a big a$$ barn and sh*t ton of money first to get through my list (well yeah, it's a list). Already has too many cars with too little room. Mike knows all about it...LOL...

Anyway, Mike need to be a little more optimistic, although the smart-a$$ mind tells me, the gas fumes are extremely flammable, and on those hot days, they will evaporate like crazy and yada yada yada..... Just don't take any chances.

But again, for those who light up in the gas stations, "you have to be smart in order to be a smart a$$, otherwise you're just an a$$", according to Tom.

 

I smoke, but if someone lights up at a gas station within like 15-20 feet of a pump I'll leave.