‘Save us all and don’t light up as we’re filling up’
We are, surely, all aware of how dangerous smoking is to people’s health, as well as the environment.
But smokers are also irresponsible. It is mandatory to switch off the car engine when you go to fill up your petrol but most drivers refuse to do this.
What makes the situation worse is smokers light their cigarettes at the petrol stations. I have witnessed
-
letter
many a time, some amount of petrol dripping on to the forecourt when petrol is being dispensed.
This is dangerous as a lot of smokers just carelessly throw their butts on to the ground. The lit cigarette may easily come in contact with the fuel on the car’s body and a massive blaze can be ignited as a consequence.
I would like to see a ban on the sale of cigarettes at the petrol stations as it is an extremely dangerous and
risky affair.
Fatima Suhail
Sharjah
Comments
by 7day_itch
Thursday, May 10 2012, 11:00AM
“What about those smoking joes who smoke in their car, holding their hand out of the window with the cigrette dangling between the fingers. Many a time, especially in the dark, I have noticed tiny embers being carried away in the wake of their car. These guys then toss the butt out, nonchalantly roll their windows up and and zoom away - least bothered of the potential danger to the motorist behind, not to mention the litter.”
by JLT_Resident
Thursday, May 10 2012, 8:12AM
“I used to work as a manager at a supermarket petrol station in the UK many years ago now. We underwent quite a lot of safety training as part of that role.
A discarded cigarette butt - even one that is still burning - can not set a puddle of petrol alight. There have been several studies that have looked at this and found it isn't possible - many as part of court cases to prosecute arsonist in murder trials where people died in petrol station fires. Even contact with petrol vapour is extremely unlikely to set it alight, and requires a much higher percentage of oxygen to the in the air than would ever naturally occur.
The real risk is from people using lighters or matches to light their cigarette at the station. It's a common misunderstanding of the risk.
It's exactly the same with the reason why people are told to turn off their engines.
Most people believe it is to prevent the car's ignition from igniting the petrol in the pump. The real reason is to prevent the car from moving while the nozzle is still in the car, lest someone move off and rip the hose from the pump itself.
However, even then it's not a fire risk. Ripping the hose from the pump would cause several thousand pounds damage, and take the pump out of action for a day or two until it can be repaired, hence why they ask you to turn your engine off.”