Does anyone still believe that you can likely cause an explosion by talking on the phone while pumping gas?

Question

I could also slip into a sewer drain when I walk over it too!

Answer 1

It's been proven that a cell phone cannot cause an explosion if you're pumping gas. They did a thing on it on the TV show Mythbusters.

Answer 2

It's all about energy & radio waves& grounding & leakage in an unstable atmosphere. It is NOT just talking ON the phone that can cause an explosion, there are many other factors that go along with it, like the fabric of your clothing & the weather conditions. Why take a chance when your life is at stake? Many terrorists use cell phones to detonate explosive devices. Think about that! If you slipped on a sewer drain, chances are it would ONLY have a effect on YOU & the surrounding traffic (if there was any). An explosion at a gas station could take countless lives, do millions of dollars in damages, & cause the earth to become even MORE polluted than it already is!

Answer 3

They've pretty much proven that a cell phone won't do it. Those fires were actually caused by static sparks from people getting back into their cars, scooting across the seats, building up a charge and then grabbing the pump nozzle again. When the static grounded against the car it ignited the gasoline fumes around the tank opening.

The best way to deal with this is to tell the attendant to shut off the pump with the emergency cutoff switch; no more fuel = no more fire. The people who were badly burned in these fires invariably tried to pull the nozzle free, which made lots of fuel available to the fire.

Answer 4

No, because I saw Mythbusters episode where they tried just about everything to cause an explosion with the cellphone.

Explosions caused by customers at gas stations are usually because of static electricity if the customer slides back across the carseat while the gas is pumping. And you are supposed to release the static by touching your car's metal body before you pump the gas.

Mythbusters....my science education at work.

Answer 5

In California Valero gas stations have signs on the pumps that say don't use your cell phones....I stoped a guy yesterday. I really believe that. I don't want to be around to find out.

Answer 6

i don't believe you on the sewer drain topic but cell phones can cause static sparks.so can clothing especially women's because it causes more static.static sparks rarely cause gas tanks to explode but they have before.

Answer 7

It has nothing to do with the phone just static electricity usually from touching your hair (holding the phone by your head)

Always touch the metal side of your car before you insert or remove the gas pump.

it's better to get a small shock then to blow up.

Answer 8

It's all about risk minimization. Is it likely? Probably not according to Mythbusters, but why take the risk? Take the two seconds and turn your cell phone off.

Answer 9

the amount of electricity that a cell phone releases is so small it is highly unlikely. BUT you can blow up by smoking a cigarette while pumping gas and I see people every day at the pump smoking their cigs.

Answer 10

During an alcohol induced experiment my buddies and I actually tried to see how flammable gasoline is.

-You can not light gasoline with just a cigarette alone. The gasoline will actually put it out.
-If you catch a gasoline container on fire, it will not immediately explode. You have time to put it out.
-Cell phones will not light gasoline on fire unless your cell phone is on fire.
-If you leave gasoline on the ground long enough, it will not light.
-Trying to piss out a gasoline fire does not work
-Gasoline does explode if you pour it into a bucket and throw a flair into it

However, the most important lesson we learned is that you should never have gasoline around a bunch of drunken guys with lighters.