Refuelling whilst still mounted

**Badjelly** · 12th February 2010, 16:29

Originally Posted by Ixion

Well, the entirety of the USA is founded upon such a philosophy. If it was good enough for Ben Franklin, Paul Revere, Tom Jefferson, etc ......

And look how they turned out!

**Toaster** · 12th February 2010, 16:37

Originally Posted by Lurch

Jesus Christ, I'm not sure who I hate more: the whiny bubble wrappers or the self important ignorant cunts.. It's a toughy.

Almost worth doing a poll.

**FROSTY:Me** · 12th February 2010, 16:50

I usually fill my bike sitting on it.(if its a splash n go I dont bother. Usually though its because Im off on a ride to empty the tank. Reason being that extra gas gets me another 50k's outa town. If servo man takes exception hey no worries His forecourt his rules. But Im going to another servo next and all fillups after-as is my choice.
Not that I give a shit but has anyone in New Zealand ever caught on fire as a result of filling up astride their steed?
Or in Australasia?

**blackdog** · 12th February 2010, 17:06

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IdcPe...rom=PL&index=4

and there you have it.

im thinking the chances of being hit by a meteor are quite a bit less likely (couldnt find any videos of that)

still reckon the chances are about 1 in 1,000,000,000 but it CAN happen, and i suppose servo owners have the right to do whatever they like to prevent it

**MaxB** · 12th February 2010, 17:10

Back in the day (and Im not that old) you could sit on the bike and they would fill it for you. Give em 20 bucks and you were on your way. I even got coffee and a moro bar brought out to me by one service station. Bloody handy if you were on a 24 hr rally.

I reckon it was because you had a lot of independents in those days. Today the big 4 control most fuel outlets and the service has gone down the shitter. Pre pay just treats us all like we are thieving coonts when in fact most of us are not. Imagine going into a nice restaurant and being asked to pay for meals in advance.

**Spearfish** · 12th February 2010, 18:07

There was/is a program called Myth Busters they tried the lighting a fire from cellphone thing and couldn't get it to work, but then they also dispelled the myth of getting zapped taking a leak on an electric train track. I must be true it was on TV...

**ynot slow** · 12th February 2010, 19:59

Originally Posted by FROSTY

I usually fill my bike sitting on it.(if its a splash n go I dont bother. Usually though its because Im off on a ride to empty the tank. Reason being that extra gas gets me another 50k's outa town. If servo man takes exception hey no worries His forecourt his rules. But Im going to another servo next and all fillups after-as is my choice.
Not that I give a shit but has anyone in New Zealand ever caught on fire as a result of filling up astride their steed?
Or in Australasia?

My personal opinion as well,although not worried about the extra fuel as I fill to neck on tank.But yesterday I was refilling and sitting on MY bike,tap on shoulder(hey they have service staff)by lady pointing to sign,and asked that I hop off my bike.So I did and politely asked as I turned my cell phone off if the other(forcourt had 6 cars)people might turn their phones off,due to one rule for bikes and non for cars.My thought is my bike is more stable with me on it refilling than on the stand,or with me holding the bike,and yes I had removed my helmet and gloves so was obvious I wasn't going to do a runner.

**swbarnett** · 12th February 2010, 21:28

Originally Posted by theblackstig

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IdcPe...rom=PL&index=4

and there you have it.

im thinking the chances of being hit by a meteor are quite a bit less likely (couldnt find any videos of that)

still reckon the chances are about 1 in 1,000,000,000 but it CAN happen, and i suppose servo owners have the right to do whatever they like to prevent it

Actually quite a bit less likely than that.

The problem that they're both so unlikely that they're not worth worrying about (and effectively impossible to calculate). Society is worrying about increasingly inane risks. It's gotten to the point that we're now worrying about things that aren't risks at all simply to have something to worry about. Enough is enough. Worry about your own risks and leave me to mine.

**Flip** · 12th February 2010, 21:39

Originally Posted by steve_t

Serious question, have there been many incidences of fires at petrol stations in NZ caused by smokers and cell phones?

None, the cause of filling fires is usually always static electricity. A static discharge through the gun generated by you or the pumping of the liquid discharging exactly in the right place in the fuel and air mixture to the vehicle.

**Flip** · 12th February 2010, 21:59

The service stations are required by law to take all practical steps to minimize the risk to their employees. They fill thousands of vehicles each day you only go there once a week.

Fueling fires do occur from time to time. Usually caused by a static discharge to earth, ever got a wack from a car, I had a ford that did it all the time. This has enough energy here to easily ignite petrol vapor. One funny think is Women cause 80% of all fueling fires because they wear more nylon and synthetic static generating clothes. I have seen video of a smoker who dropped his ciggy right into the filler and caused a fire but it is relatively rare.

Three reasons the buggers want you off the bike; one its easy to topple a bike over when reaching for the filler they don't want you damaging their $25k disperser, ( they have the vid and they will go you for the damage) two in the event of a tank fire you can not step back and out of danger and three when the petrol tank catches on fire you jump and spray burning petrol every where, you are usually strongly motivated to get the hell away from it, you normally drop the burning bike and then they have a much bigger fire to deal with. Trust me they hate putting out burning customers.

**Mikkel** · 12th February 2010, 22:38

Just one thought: most tanks have a over-flow tube. Some of the extra stuff one might be able to get into the tank while sitting astride is going to run out that way when you get off your bike to pay for your petrol anyway. That seems a bit wasteful to me.

There's not too much reason to be concerned about petrol spills, unlike diesel they evaporate rather quickly - but it is a waste of money... your money, so I don't care too much.

Originally Posted by Hitcher

And in many cases people's intellect isn't a function of how much they get paid, ask any PhD.

We can safely conclude that intellect is not at all a function of how much you get paid - your could pay an Ignorant Clown one million dollars a day and it wouldn't make him any brighter. In fact it would be much more interesting to investigate the correlation between fall in intellect upon acquiring wealth. Plenty of hypotheses to explain why that may actually be the case - and plenty of celebrity cases to back it up too.

But no, you do not go into research because you want to become rich!

Originally Posted by Subike

Next time you go into a SHELL SHOP
have a look at the list of things posted on a plackard next to the pumps.
Along with cell phones, ciggys. non regulation containers, is a pic of a bike with the rider astride it.

Well, the cell phone issue is most definitely nonsense. If one of the prohibitions are obviously ridiculous then it isn't entirely illogical to question the others...

Originally Posted by kwaka_crasher

So you reckon they're just kicking back, working in a petrol station, waiting for the next NASA recruitment drive?

No, most of them would most likely already have gotten into touch with NASA's smaller cousins - AirNZ, Quatas, Singapore Airlines, etc. You know, to go where there actually are plentiful jobs and decent salaries.

Originally Posted by Ronin

double post

You know you can delete your posts right? Click "Edit Post" and then "Go Advanced" - the option is at the top.

Originally Posted by swbarnett

What ever happened to "The customer is always right"?

Just as much bullshit as "Cellphones are a fire hazard".

Originally Posted by firefighter

I have a PhD in this said subject.

You should have an even higher qualification than that - after all, a PhD in experimental physics shouldn't take much more than 3.5 years.

Originally Posted by theblackstig

apparently the biggest ignition risk when filling is static electricity, and this can/does happen (1 in 100,000,000?)

therefore i reckon if your wearing leather you should be ok, if u wearing synthetics i'd be inclined to dismount...

Generally speaking, you should be pretty safe from static electricity on a bike. The main generator of static electricity in fuel fires is the rubbing of clothing against the seat upholstery.

Originally Posted by steve_t

Seriously? You just ignore the laws you deem to be bullshit? I wonder how society would work if everyone thought the same way. It's your duty as a citizen?

Indeed, civil disobedience is your duty. If no one had ever challenged the system then we'd probably still be under feudal rule - most likely no better off than slaves. (Some would argue that we are still, to a large extent, slaves - but at least we have more options and privileges.)

Originally Posted by theblackstig

rcellphones not so much

http://www.snopes.com/autos/hazards/gasvapor.asp

Indeed, the cellphone panic is utter bullshit. I look at my cellphone battery and it says 3.7 V - sweet fuck all. I have had the "pleasure" of dealing with an irate and ignorant forecourt attendant on this subject. She thought I was rude because I said it was superstition and asked her to stop wasting my time. I thought she was rude for disturbing me while on the phone. Guess there's two sides to every story, but hey...

Originally Posted by Flip

None, the cause of filling fires is usually always static electricity. A static discharge through the gun generated by you or the pumping of the liquid discharging exactly in the right place in the fuel and air mixture to the vehicle.

Usually always?

I thought that the insulating handle of the fuel gun would prevent any static discharge you might have accumulated from drawing a spark between gun and car...

**ac3_snow** · 12th February 2010, 22:53

I found myself not so pleasntly surprised when I was told off for having the fuel can still on the tray of my ute in stead of taking it out and placing it on the ground. Aperntly it could not earth out any static electricty if it was still on the back of my ute (this had caused a coupla fires previously). Interesting I thought
Its not always the case but there is generally a reason for such things (ie not to be aloud to fill bike whilst seated)

**howdamnhard** · 12th February 2010, 23:05

Originally Posted by Ratti

and if they're not they're fuckers

So which is better , Wankers or Fuckers ? ha,ha(where are those damn emoticons when you need them).

**howdamnhard** · 12th February 2010, 23:17

[

QUOTE=Mikkel;1129647097]Just one thought: most tanks have a over-flow tube. Some of the extra stuff one might be able to get into the tank while sitting astride is going to run out that way when you get off your bike to pay for your petrol anyway.

.Ye I learnt that very quickly on my new bike after the first time I refuelled it,big puddle under it after coming back from paying. One of the reasons I refuel with the bike on its sidestand

I thought that the insulating handle of the fuel gun would prevent any static discharge you might have accumulated from drawing a spark between gun and car...

[/QUOTE] Yes it should insulate you from the gun. A potential difference can still exist between the gun and vehicle though.