Gassing up and paying with helmet on?

[popelli]

Urban myth.
Even with my knowledge of electrical principles - there needs to be something to ignite the vapour, like a spark.

like static electricity?????


ye of little faith this is just one of dozens of u tube clips

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gct1B...eature=related

[Lucy]

I work part time at a Gas station. Not often behind the counter, but I usually poke my head out of the office when I hear bikes. Some take their helmets off, some don't, some do but I wish they hadn't, some car drivers I wish had full face helmets with black visors. Sometimes I wish I had a helmet on so it didn't hurt so much when I bash my head against the wall.

[MarkH]

like static electricity?????


ye of little faith this is just one of dozens of u tube clips

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gct1B...eature=related

What has a cell phone got to do with static electricity? What does that clip have to do with a cell phone. Most likely you have just posted a link to a clip which shows someone wearing polyester generating static electricity while walking around, then touching near where the fuel is pouring in and a static spark ignites the vapour.

If I was a betting man (and I am to some degree) I would happily bet good money that the cellphone was not the cause of that fire.

[idb]

The whole cellphone issue is bunkum...bunkum and furthermore poppycock...that's right, I said poppycock!!

[Mikkel]

Cellphones.........petrol stations

somebody find the utube link of the cellphone causing an explosion at a petrol station

Cellphones / helmets which actually is the greater risk?

This is of course common sense at work again. We don't understand a phenomenon so we'll just blame something semi-plausible... Fucking sheep!

The most likely ignition source on a servicestation forecourt is the combination of your jersey and your seat upholstery. Some combinations are very very good a building up static charge when you slide into or out of your seat.

Let's take my cellphone as an example, it runs on a 3.6 V battery. Drawing an arc discharge takes about 30 kV per centimeter. Which mean that - at the most - my cellphone could potentially draw an arc of 1.2 micrometers. In other words - fuck all.

I had an episode with a service station attendant at one point. I was standing away from the pump talking on my cellphone while the pump was filling the car. Ms. Attendant approaches me and says I can't talk on my cellphone on the forecourt. I was very diplomatic at first and told her it was superstition and that everything would be alright and then resumed my conversation. The persistent jobsworth wasn't having it though and stepped up my diplomatic relations by telling her to please not interrupt my call and the ignored her. She was not at all pleased with this - told me I was rude (rich, since it was her disrupting my private phone call not the other way around) and then said she would file a complaint. Can't say I've heard anything though - guess BP doesn't mind paying customers that much anyway.
And yes, there was a sticker on the pump. Guess what it said. It didn't say "no talking on cellphones on the forecourt" it said - "Mobile Phones must be switched off". Yeah fucking right - another example of a poorly thought out rule that no one will ever give a flying fuck about. My first reply to her should instead have been that she should go and make sure that everybody else on the forecourt had switched off their cellphones and then we could talk...
As with the whole helmet issue, it's about petty people wanting to exercise power over others because they aren't happy with their own lives as they are. Don't give into the mini-hitlerism of such individuals.

The whole cellphone issue is bunkum...bunkum and furthermore poppycock...that's right, I said poppycock!!

Quite so...

[scumdog]

The whole cellphone issue is bunkum...bunkum and furthermore poppycock...that's right, I said poppycock!!

Worse than that - it's untrue!!

[saltydog]

Interesting reply to my email i sent to BP on friday....check it out.

Dear Matt

In response to your email below I have been provided the following information from our Convenience Operations Manager who looks after all our Company Owned and Company Operated Retail Sites in New Zealand ie All BP Connect Service Stations.

There is no formal policy written down, however every store in the Coco Network has the following sticker on the door as customers enter store.

Helmets are ok on the forecourt but not encouraged instore, there is no formal policy that customers will not be served if wearing a helmet but it is certainly encouraged that customers remove them before entering store.



Thanks and kind regards



Shannan Thomson

Road User Charges Administrator

BP Oil New Zealand Limited

New Zealand

I'm glad they think its ok to have helmets on while on the forecourt! imagine having to take it off before you entered the pump area.
And just as I thought, NO FORMAL POLICY regarding the removal of helmets!
I'll be sending a copy of this to the petrol station in question and see if I can fill up there with my helmet on.......
What a bunch of plonkers.

[Mikkel]

Interesting reply to my email i sent to BP on friday....check it out.

Dear Matt

In response to your email below I have been provided the following information from our Convenience Operations Manager who looks after all our Company Owned and Company Operated Retail Sites in New Zealand ie All BP Connect Service Stations.

There is no formal policy written down, however every store in the Coco Network has the following sticker on the door as customers enter store.

Helmets are ok on the forecourt but not encouraged instore, there is no formal policy that customers will not be served if wearing a helmet but it is certainly encouraged that customers remove them before entering store.



Thanks and kind regards



Shannan Thomson

Road User Charges Administrator

BP Oil New Zealand Limited

New Zealand

I'm glad they think its ok to have helmets on while on the forecourt! imagine having to take it off before you entered the pump area.
And just as I thought, NO FORMAL POLICY regarding the removal of helmets!
I'll be sending a copy of this to the petrol station in question and see if I can fill up there with my helmet on.......
What a bunch of plonkers.

Dear Matt,

That is a very interesting reply from BP. Would you be so kind as to follow up and ask why removal of helmet instore is encouraged?

Thanks and kind regards



Mikkel

Road user and dedicated consumer of petrol

KB

New Zealand

[saltydog]

Well Comrade, I couldnt really be bothered with the drama of it all. I've just stopped shopping there....period.
If someone else wants to take up the cause I'll happily supply the womans email address at BP.
You'd probably be pissing into the wind though........
Wankers.
if they were the only petrol station left on earth with gas left....i'd buy an electric bike.

[Laxi]

would you walk in wearing a balaclava? not much dif, and i bet you look at a raghead running around in a burka twice

[Ixion]

I usually remove mine, force of habit. But the other night, lateish, pouring with rain, someone distracted me as I finished filling and I forgot and trundled in to pay with helmet still on.

Realised just as I was signing the credit card chit. Also realised that water was pouring off my helmet and jacket all over the counter and the boxes of lollies and such on it. And the chit I was signing. Humble apologies for both . Guy didn't care at all. That was a BP BTW.

[cowpoos]

We have a BP here in Whakatane, yep just one. More recently I have been having issues with paying for my gas. There's this old fella in there thats a stickler for protocal and every time a coconut he insists I take my helmet off to pay for my gas, even when it is cash. I've had a gutsful of him.

How about you take your fucking helmet off....and stop being one of lifes fuckwits huh??? I mean its not a big deal....and you my friend are not that important that it should matter....get over it!

[dipshit]

if they were the only petrol station left on earth with gas left....i'd buy an electric bike.

Like cowpoos says... who gives a fuck what you do.

Do you think the earth would stop revolving if tomorrow you even sold your bike and walked everywhere from then on..???

No one could give a shit.

[short-circuit]

Poos and Shit, I care...so there! Its so unfair

[PrincessBandit]

... I usually poke my head out of the office when I hear bikes. Some take their helmets off, some don't, some do but I wish they hadn't, some car drivers I wish had full face helmets with black visors.

Hahaha, must be some riders out there who are more handsome with their lids on and visors shut But then it's personality that really counts aint it
Then there's the ones who should keep their helmets on and who rate poorly in the personality stakes.... And some people (like moi) who just don't mind looking like we've been dragged backwards through a gorse bush when we remove our helmets.