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Phones Cause Explosions At Fuel Pumps?
from the gotta-check-those-facts dept
It appears that a major news publication in Australia has been suckered. The urban legend of mobile phones causing fuel pumps to explode has been making its way around the internet for years. However, a newspaper in Australia has printed it as fact, even repeating a number of incidents of explosions directly from one of the emails making its way around the internet. Of course a little bit of simple fact checking would turn up any number of sites talking about the hoax. Or, they could have done the most obvious bit of fact checking and gone to the Shell.com website, where they clearly state that they know of no such incidents and the email supposedly from them is not true (even though they do recommend that you not use your mobile phone at the pump).
Reader Comments
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How about exploding batteries?
The metal hydrides used in cell phone batteries are pretty nasty chemicals that can turn people's faces into pizza.
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No Subject Given
True, theoretically if a spark were released from a cell phone and it lasted long enough to hit a puddle of gas on the ground (usually about six feet) then maybe. Cell phones have been around for going on three decades and this hasn't happened once.
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Re: No Subject Given
Actually, the hoax describes that if you have your phone clipped at your waist, it's right about the same height as the fuel hole on most large vehicles, and there are always gas fumes emitted from around that while you're filling the tank, so if those fumes get inside the phone and it rings, Kablooie.
And then monkeys fly out of your butt.
Hey, it could happen.
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Re: No Subject Given
The issue isn't whether it is possible, or even probable, the issue is that a newspaper reported rumors as facts, although they did not happen.
Just another example of a (fill in blank - corrupt, lazy, ignortant, biased, all of the above) press.
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Re: No Subject Given
Actually, the hoax describes that if you have your phone clipped at your waist, it's right about the same height as the fuel hole on most large vehicles, and there are always gas fumes emitted from around that while you're filling the tank, so if those fumes get inside the phone and it rings, Kablooie.
And according to one of the cellphone-gasoline research sites, you are far more likely to have the gas explode getting into and out of your car on a hot day while fueling a vehicle.
Yet I've seen my share of folks at the gas pump take off their cell phone and begin pumping, only to get back into their car to yak on the phone while their tank overflows and the gas spills all over the ground. Luckily, most of the gas stations here in San Diego now have noticable signs stating you should not go back into your vehicle while fueling....now hopefully someone will start reading the sign at the pump instead of their hoax email.
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Mean while on the West Bank...
...I understand they've become very adept at exploding bombs with cell phones.
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NYT
Hmmm. Given the lack of fact-checking I though this would be one of the stories that required a subscription to the New York Times online to be able to read!
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its not true
many tests have been conducted and all have been proved wrong. Its the static from your hands. See if you get static from your seat and touch the top of your car it discharges; if you dont and reach for the gas pump it can blow.
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