Cellphones don't start fires at Gas Stations

[Amused]

It simply amazes me that anyone believes this.

 

[Bassyhead]

Whether or not cell phones can cause fires at a gas station, if you can't take two minutes to put the thing down like the warnings request and pump your gas then you've got bigger issues at hand.

 

[TheSlamma]

Maybe they say it so people will just pump and get back in their SUV and get the Fvck out of the way instead of taking 3 times as long because they can't talk on a phone and do ANYTHING at the same time. Have you seen the way these lame ducks drive ont he phone.

The minute they are on their cell the turn signal is no longer usable by them.

 

[SP33Demon]

Originally posted by: Viper GTS

Originally posted by: DannyLove

Although MythBusters is a form of entertainment they have a point and at least some evidence to backup the bust. The manufacture would of course always advise in causion as it is their ass if anything happens. If you seriously think a cell phone can create a gas station fire, you are an idiot.

danny~!

Do I think a modern cell phone would cause a fire? Highly unlikely.

Trust me, I mostly agree with you guys (that it's extraordinarily unlikely) but you have no right to deride those who elect to abide by cell phone manufacturers warnings (and gas station owner mandates).

Bottom line is it's up to the gas station. It's their property, they can set the rules. We are in no position to make that decision, the property simply doesn't belong to us.

Oh one more thing, trying to defend MythBusters as a valid source is asinine. They can be somewhat entertaining but they are by no means an authority - Particularly in cases like this where it's "unlikely, but..."

Viper GTS

So when someone backs up claims with a scientific study, do you always reject it? That's absurd. Also, just because it's state law doesn't mean the law is always right. This is an old law based on theory, and no facts.

 

[jjones]

I see gas stations blowing up all the time. I always wondered what was causing that.

 

[Howard]

Originally posted by: MS Dawn
NEWSFLASH!

The phone's RF can cause the pump's meter to malfunction causing a billing error which means you can get free or substantially reduced gas. Filling stations don't like this so they print up the labels to scare people.

What kind of meters do they use? 😕

 

[OdiN]

Because snopes is ALWAYS right and NEVER wrong!

 

[imported_importpsycho]

did anyone see mythbuster where they tested if cigarette butt would light a gasoline?
it didn't
so I guess I can light up while pumping my guess lol

 

[Accipiter22]

Originally posted by: Amplifier

Originally posted by: tbike06
:roll:

hahaahh '06

did you really do that with that girl in 8th grade? that's unbelievable

 

[BoomerD]

Lots of arguments on both sides of this....

http://urbanlegends.about.com/library/weekly/aa062399.htm

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2004/05/14/tech/main617547.shtml

Plus the assorted arguments that it is perfectly safe...including snopes.


ARe we so self-important that we can't put down the cell phone for the couple of minutes it takes to gas up? Same with smoking cigarettes while gassing. MAYBE it's safe, MAYBE it's not, but why take the chance that you're wrong?
BTW, cigarettes CAN start fires with gasoline. You CAN throw a lit cigarette into a bucket of gasoline withoug starting a fire, IF you do it right, but hit the sides of the bucket and throw sparks, and you WILL get a fire...

 

[MrDingleDangle]

the most common way fires are started I have heard (and makes sense) is people getting back in their car after starting to pump

normally when you get out you touch a lot of things, therefore getting rid of the static charge built up by your clothes, but a lot of time people, especially in winter, will go sit down in their front seat and leave the car door open, then when they get out the first thing they touch is the gas pump to take it out of their car and then the spark that you normally get when touching the door getting out of it, occurs on the gas handle which starts a fire.

 

[SP33Demon]

Originally posted by: BoomerD
Lots of arguments on both sides of this....

http://urbanlegends.about.com/library/weekly/aa062399.htm

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2004/05/14/tech/main617547.shtml

Plus the assorted arguments that it is perfectly safe...including snopes.


ARe we so self-important that we can't put down the cell phone for the couple of minutes it takes to gas up? Same with smoking cigarettes while gassing. MAYBE it's safe, MAYBE it's not, but why take the chance that you're wrong?
BTW, cigarettes CAN start fires with gasoline. You CAN throw a lit cigarette into a bucket of gasoline withoug starting a fire, IF you do it right, but hit the sides of the bucket and throw sparks, and you WILL get a fire...

There's no "lots of arguments about this", your first link is from 1999 and your second to cbsnews was admitted to be false. Snopes is your friend:
PEI has been in contact with the fire marshal in New Paltz, NY to learn more about this incident. It turns out the initial reports were not accurate. Patrick Koch, the fire chief of New Paltz, NY offered PEI this statement:

"After further investigation of the accident scene and another discussion with the victim of the May 13 gasoline station fire in New Paltz, I have concluded the source of ignition was from some source other than the cell phone the motorist was carrying. Although we will probably never know for sure, the source of ignition was most likely static discharge from the motorist himself to the nozzle dispensing gasoline."

I can't believe you would actually consider this myth.

Even funnier: and the city of Cicero, Illinois, recently passed the first law in the USA banning the use of cellular phones at gas stations.
Hahahaha... anyone live there or been there?

 

[Rubycon]

Originally posted by: Howard

What kind of meters do they use? 😕

I have no idea. I was being sarcastic. 😛

We have a remote reading thermometer and when the radio is keyed it will display an extremely high reading due to interference. I actually studied the circuit as to find out why it happens and it would not surprise me if the same thing is possible with an electronic gas pump. Of course cell phones are nowhere near 4 watts RF output either.

As far as starting a fire? Not likely with the radiation levels once again. How many people with footwarmers (linear amplifiers) drive under the canopy pushing 500W+ into their skip shooters, firesticks, or wilson 1000's? There's enough spurious emissions going on that the guy inside running the register can hear mister ratchet jaw over his ghetto blaster playing eminem. 😛

Most likely an accident would arise from some distracted bimbo yappin' away on a cell while pumping gas and spill gas on themselves or worse. Perhaps in a very rare case they drop the phone and it breaks or malfunctions generating a spark that could ignite some gas that was spilled earlier - but it has to be soon as gas evaporates quickly.

In places where you don't pay first a distracted cell user could forget to pay and drive off. I dunno, stupid things tend to happen at filling stations.

 

[Amplifier]

Originally posted by: notfred
You're a million times more likely to get in a car accident and die on your way to the gas station than you are to start a fire with your cell phone. Want to err on the side of caution? Don't drive.

Also: do you have stairs in your house, Amp?

i'm protected

 

[Howard]

Originally posted by: MS Dawn

Originally posted by: Howard

What kind of meters do they use? 😕

I have no idea. I was being sarcastic. 😛

We have a remote reading thermometer and when the radio is keyed it will display an extremely high reading due to interference. I actually studied the circuit as to find out why it happens and it would not surprise me if the same thing is possible with an electronic gas pump. Of course cell phones are nowhere near 4 watts RF output either.

As far as starting a fire? Not likely with the radiation levels once again. How many people with footwarmers (linear amplifiers) drive under the canopy pushing 500W+ into their skip shooters, firesticks, or wilson 1000's? There's enough spurious emissions going on that the guy inside running the register can hear mister ratchet jaw over his ghetto blaster playing eminem. 😛

Most likely an accident would arise from some distracted bimbo yappin' away on a cell while pumping gas and spill gas on themselves or worse. Perhaps in a very rare case they drop the phone and it breaks or malfunctions generating a spark that could ignite some gas that was spilled earlier - but it has to be soon as gas evaporates quickly.

In places where you don't pay first a distracted cell user could forget to pay and drive off. I dunno, stupid things tend to happen at filling stations.

I'm fairly certain a spark won't ignite liquid gasoline. Gaseous gasoline hovering above a puddle, sure, but not the puddle itself.

 

[Rubycon]

Originally posted by: Howard

I'm fairly certain a spark won't ignite liquid gasoline. Gaseous gasoline hovering above a puddle, sure, but not the puddle itself.

The liquid does not burn it's the vapors. When spilled on concrete, the excessive liquid is quickly absorbed in and the concrete acts like a wick. Gas poured on concrete will ignite immediately from the smallest sparks. Dragging a crowbar across it is sufficient to ignite the vapors. It just burns, no big deal. Do the same thing with ethanol and you have a practically invisible yet hot flame. Start a nice fire under medium voltage distribution gear (say open air 13.8 kV) and the superheated air will draw a nice arc and go boom. The circuit breakers will open so the arc extinguishes and then reclose. No harm done most of the time.

Originally posted by: Amplifier

Originally posted by: notfred
You're a million times more likely to get in a car accident and die on your way to the gas station than you are to start a fire with your cell phone. Want to err on the side of caution? Don't drive.

Also: do you have stairs in your house, Amp?

i'm protected

Protected by what? You have Raychem Polyswitches on your arms? 😛