Petrol pump stopping

giraffe69

But if you, as a petrol station employee, are really concerned about the risk of fire, rather than mindlessly repeating an urban myth with no real understanding of actual risk factors, you should consider that if you see someone distracted by a mobile phone, it's not really going to improve the risk level to distract them further.

I think, typically, the employee has no choice and is carrying out the explicit instruction of his boss.

Ultrasonic

Strider590 wrote: »

It's oxygen that burns, the fuel is merely the accelerant that allows it to burn.

Not true. The petrol burns (oxidises) by reacting with oxygen. It is not possible to set fire to oxygen!

C_Mababejive

There is an infinitesimally small risk of a mobile phone igniting petrol vapour but i doubt if anyone has made it happen even in a lab. Even so,the assistant clearly doesnt understand the wider implications since there are plenty of RF devices which pass through petrol stations and are in use during refuelling. Smart phones communicate all the time even if they are in your pocket. Laptops/company field systems/communications devices fitted in vehicle,the list is endless.

Throbbe

Strider590 wrote: »

So stop/starting the fuel pump is a good idea?

Almost everyone would remove the nozzle from the tank to figure out why it had stopping pumping, they'd probably stand there squeezing the trigger with the nozzle pointing upwards toward the car. At this point it switches back on, dousing the side of the car and your legs in petrol..... Really clever stuff.

Dispel the myth and this never happens..... Problem solved.

Are you in any way related to Wil E Coyote?

thelawnet

movilogo wrote: »

Case of another smart phone with a dumb user attached to it I have a hunch that OP possibly looks at the phone during driving as well otherwise s/he would have not been so upset about it.

If I was using it while driving, there wouldn't have been much point using it at the petrol station would there?

I expect a lot of people saying 'shock horror, fire fire', are ones who do use their phones while driving, even though there is a well-proven link between mobile phone usage while driving and accidents.

In fact, there are probably a dozen distractions inside a motor vehicle (satnav, air con controls, hifi, talking to passengers, etc) routinely used by these people while driving, yet they are getting all horrified at someone using a mobile phone while stationary.

Strider590

What about cyclists using mobile phones?!?!?!?!?!

Ultrasonic wrote: »

Not true. The petrol burns (oxidises) by reacting with oxygen. It is not possible to set fire to oxygen!

Carbon + Oxygen = Burning stuff
Petrol is made up of hydrocarbons (hydrogen and carbon), oxygen is...... Well it's oxygen.

Petrol on it's own in liquid form, will not burn..... Take it into space and try to light it, you'd be there a very long time, because no oxygen = no ignition. Only the vapour will burn because it's then been mixed with oxygen.

The fuel to air ratio for a stable burn (in a car engine) is 14.7 to one in favour of air..... It is therefore oxygen that is the primary component.

mikey72

Strider590 wrote: »

It's a myth that needs to be stopped, the general public are stupid enough already, without adding to it. Stuff like this becomes dangerous, because stupid people take stupid idea's, add to them and make them even more stupid.

Cue daft bint charging across the petrol station forecourt to have a go at somebody who's on their phone, tripping over a hose in the process, splashing fuel onto a hot catalytic converter and blowing the entire street to kingdom come.

Well, after all the pseudo science you've spouted on here about how a glowing red cigarette end won't light a fire, you abusively claim a petrol attendent can trip over a hose and set fire to the street from a warm exhaust pipe under the bonnet?

System

Has nobody thought of the children?

It's quite possible to light a pool of petrol with a suitably burning child. I normally find 7 year olds are the best for this.

bryanb

Strider590 wrote: »

I don't mean to sound harsh, but petrol is engineered to be highly stable, otherwise it'd be useless in a motor vehicle. It's oxygen that burns, the fuel is merely the accelerant that allows it to burn.



Because a little knowledge can be a dangerous thing.

100% WRONG Oxygen does not burn.
Petrol does NOT burn, just petrol fumes.

neilmcl

bryanb wrote: »

100% WRONG Oxygen does not burn.
Petrol does NOT burn, just petrol fumes.

And can be started with as little as a small spark of static electricity.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oFbqCtaHtxY

There's also a very nasty one on that page when a petrol attendant uses their mobile phone to as a source of light when standing on top of a petrol tanker.