Heh, Lost Earth Mother there is a reason that I have not plugged in my TV for over ten years... (I only saw B5 because a friend recorded it.)

Shatterdragon - I hope that things work out for you, the only time I ever had to call EMS it was because of a person living downstairs smoking in bed, after a while the mattress was smoking too. (I gather that he was abusive to the EMTs who broke in and woke him up...)

At least in my area both the police and EMTs are trained to react first, then worry about whether the call was needed afterwards. When they have reacted otherwise the press has torn them apart. You may want to call up the precinct and ask them what they found, if anything. They also tend to believe that most false calls are mistakes, not deliberate hoaxes, so they are unlikely to be too hard on the matter. Mind you, if they really did find something it is unikely that they will tell you.

The Auld Grump

And while we are on the matter of gas station safety. I'm a science teacher and wholeheartedly agree that all sources of ignition should be kept away from filling stations. Because if a mobile phone is that dangerous with it's tiny charge and minimal static protential, image how dangerous something that is designed to ignite petrol fumes would be!


So how come filling stations don't explode every time a car with it's spark plugs drives in?



Honestly, they did the same tests as mythbusters on a UK programme called braniac, they couldn't ignite a camper full of petrol fumes with twenty mobile phones all ringing at once. they did, however manage to ignite it using a hippy dancing whilst wearing a nylon waterproof jacket. (He touched a cable linked to the van, they didn't blow him up).
So I'd be far more worried by customers wearing cheap clothing than answering phones. And yes, petrol fumes are really, really dangerous, yet petrol stations sell cigarettes, matches, lighters, batteries, mobile phones, mobile phone cards, barbecue lighters, camp stoves etc... etc....
More people have choked on asparagus than have been blown up in petrol station explosions started by mobile phones.
So lets ban asparagus.

Not having a pop at anyone here, I just really hate asparagus.


And for safety's sake, I really think that any petrol station that considers a mobile phone a potential source of ignition needs to look at it's safety precautions and ban cars from coming within 100 feet. I mean, radios, CD changers, spark plugs, all those lights..... not to mention the static built up in a cars body work and prevented from earthing by it's rubber wheels..... that is, until you touch the bodywork with that petrol filled hose.

Anyone else think it's a bit late to worry about cell phones?

Do US petrol stations sell wine, beer and spirits? UK ones do, I always found that a little amusing.

Rofl, I am not one to believe everything I hear, but I take no chances, even had a science teacher come in and tell me that cell phones generate less electricity than when you run your fingers through your hair. Hell, I've smoked in the car while others have pumped the gas. It's not that it's actually going to happen everytime, in fact we were informed it's kinda like playing the lottery, you take a chance, but it's not likely you'll ever really win. The fact is it takes such a number of perfect circumstances for everything to go wrong that it really is unlikely to happen, but each little thing you do to prevent it just makes it that much safer. For me, I'm just waiting till all the fuel runs out so that money isn't the reason we don't use clean burning electricity now, technology has way progressed since way back when, it's just peoples impatience that makes things stagnate the way they have, well that and the greed of those selling the fuels.

I do know that in the states they sell alcohal at the stations, but here in Canada alcohal is only sold in bars, pubs, clubs, Liquor stores, Beer & Wine stores, and a very select few other places like Wine shops and such. We are smart eneogh to know better than to mix a place designed for people who drive cars to get there for a reason with a place that sells alcohal, lol, thinking of all the gas stations I know of locally, very few of them are even near places that sell alcohal.

Funny thing, I like asparagus, but I do hate onions, liver, and brussel spouts. I'm fine with all other veggies (ya I know liver ain't a veggie , and it's a texture thing for me). I take no offense to your response JoseDominguez, in fact, I appreciate the comments. I'm not saying listen, just...pay attention while your there, notice where the cutoff switch to the pumps is, and where the extingishers are and just take the time to be careful. For yourself, your friends, and those around you, there are too many people rushing through life, and it's about time some of them slowed down, not likely to happen, but it's true. Besides, tech is getting to the point where any number of electical items will soon find their ways into and around stations, so I'm not worried too much about cell phones. For reference, the three biggest causes of risk of cell explosion. Heat, forcing the fumes to hover instead of sink (remember, if you can smell it, your surrounded by gas fumes), lack of wind or breeze, which spreads the fumes too thin to be a real risk (and why you can throw a lit match or cig into a pool of gas with no worry), and oxygen (which if the fumes are too thick then you don't have to worry no matter the type of flame, unless it's self fed with no real need for oxygen). Add even a small spark to this (yes, even a sparkplug or cellphone) and the fun will begin, but the chances of these circumstances all occuring together is rare to nearly impossible, just don't blame me if your pants explode in flames one day because of your cell ringing in your pocket, and I have seen a sparkplug ignite gas fumes personally, though thankfully it was a pool of leaked gas under the car, and only a sudden burst of flame that scared the hell outa the mechanic when he started up the car, I did tell him I smelled gas .

Lack of oxygen in that petrol filled motorhome with all those cells ringing in it is probably why it didn't ignite , naughty science teacher, you should have caught that one !

I think that you're missing the point here : )

The suggestion isn't that it's likely, the suggestion is that it's possible, so why take the risk?

Personally I'm never really interested in the odds. The odds of winning it big on the lottery are tiny, yet most of us still have a go. The risks of being involved in a car accident are small, but most of us wear safety belts.

If the risk is worth it, then I go right ahead and roll the dice. But if the action is pointless or can be postponed, then why take a risk even if it's only very slight?

I'd recommend that you read Deep Survival by Laurence Gonzales (in fact I'd recommend this book to everyone).

There is of course one risk you should never, ever take. Never risk cutting any of Denny's models with scissors. Believe me, it ain't worth it : )

In other news... It's scientifically impossible to win the lottery. I saw it on TV - they had a bunch of people buy lottery tickets, and none of them won the jackpot!

Naw, thats not what that means. Obviously, the evidence clearly demonstrates that it is impossible to win the lottery IF you're on TV!

It is possible to win the lottery! It is! It must be! I want to be one of the rich and shameless!

Let me win so I can buy hair.

PS Aleph, how do you know that the lottery makes MY urine smell funny?

Your given two options in Canada that I know of, not sure about the US. You can either get the whole prize over a series of payments and several years, or you can do a buy out and take a percentage of the total prize in one lump sum .

Yup, that's the same as the US (or what I heard).,

In the UK you get everything - all of it in one giant tax free sum. Of course our lottery rarely tops 20 million quid (about $35 million).

I guess you guys wouldn't even get out of bed for that kind of money : )