How do you fill your tank?

[Tailgate]

Okay, for argument's sake, let's say there IS an explosion. How much difference of risk is there going to be between hunched over while standing off to the side of the fuel tank looking down into the gas tank and sitting behind the fuel tank and peering into the gas tank? You know...there's probably more risk of your side stand (if you do it this way) failing resulting in an spill or inferno while you're filling your tank than of a fire/explosion whether standing on the side or sitting/standing up over seat. Incidentally, there's a way to discharge body static electricity (if there is any) by holding/touching your metal key to---if I remember the physicist's advice---to another metal object. I know with my boat that the gas cap/lip is grounded. At any rate, I recommend that everybody, before refueling, exchange into a fire suit rated for flammable/chemical (don't drivers wear these in NASCAR?)...why take the risk of otherwise getting injured...or even killed?

 

[reiobard]

i almost always stay on the bike while filling it, i just don;t find a need to get off the bike and walk around it, so i just sit on the cushy seat and fill away!

 

[Tailgate]

Personally, I strongly recommend that everybody stop every 30 mins---no, make that every 10 minutes, why be lazy?---and dismount and do a throrough "safety check" of one's bike. You know, observe tires for foreign objects and tire pressure, check for fuel/oil/coolant leaks (a drop in the wrong place and your life could be in danger, check for bolts/nuts coming loose, check to see that all electrical components are in working order (a burned out brake light could cost you your LIFE!), chain tension, etc., etc. Why take the chance of something going wrong? Don't be lazy!

 

[necrotimus]

Okay, for argument's sake, let's say there IS an explosion. How much difference of risk is there going to be between hunched over while standing off to the side of the fuel tank looking down into the gas tank and sitting behind the fuel tank and peering into the gas tank?

Lets see two I can think of:
1) I don't have 5 gallons of gas between my legs
2) I can stop drop and roll or run much faster if I am off to the side


But your arguments as to why you remain seated are very convincing:

1) it won't happen
2) if I get off my bike I'm not a :squid:

 

[Boneman]

Exactly, "it won't happen".

I can thik of a 100,000 other things that are far more likely to ACTUALLY happen than someone bursting into flames while filling their tank. I think you want too many movies.

I'll live on the edge and take my chances and laugh in the face of danger!!

Who knows, maybe people from Virgina are more flamable than everyone else, hence their irrational fear of gas stations...

 

[4fun]

Could someone please help me with what the correct procedure is to fill up my ride on lawnmower? The location of the filler cap is underneath the seat.

What i would normally do is stand between the seat and the steering wheel facing backwards, holding the five gallon plastic gas can in one hand while lifting the seat with the other and then proceed to fill the tank until it full. then i start the engine before closing it all up just because.

I appreciate your suggestions on doing this a better way, and remember, i don't care to get grass stains on my fire proof suit.

 

[Tailgate]

Lets see two I can think of:
1) I don't have 5 gallons of gas between my legs

Huh? Leg(s) are holding bike steady, feet are not on pegs nor stradling tank.

2) I can stop drop and roll or run much faster if I am off to the side

O k a y.....??


But your arguments as to why you remain seated are very convincing:

1) it won't happen

Huh, did I say that?

2) if I get off my bike I'm not a :squid:

Non sequitur

 

[necrotimus]

"An estimated 7,400 fires and explosions occurred at public service stations per year from 1994 through 1998. That means that, on average, one in every 13 service stations experienced a fire."

-National Fire Protection Association

"Motorcycle rider fatalities have increased for the seventh year in a row. Since 1997, fatalities have increased an alarming 89 percent, from 2,116 in 1997 to 4,008 in 2004"

-National Highway Traffic Safety Administration


Statistically the likelyhood of a fire is small, smaller than dying on your motorcycle, but there are still more fires at gas stations than there are motorcycle deaths per year. And the fire numebrs are over 10 years old.

So keep telling yourself it never happens.

 

[Tailgate]

So, Necrotimus, are you going to wear a fire retardant suit every time you refuel?

 

[04fizzer]

\"An estimated 7,400 fires and explosions occurred at public service stations per year from 1994 through 1998. That means that, on average, one in every 13 service stations experienced a fire.\"

-National Fire Protection Association

\"Motorcycle rider fatalities have increased for the seventh year in a row. Since 1997, fatalities have increased an alarming 89 percent, from 2,116 in 1997 to 4,008 in 2004\"

-National Highway Traffic Safety Administration


Statistically the likelyhood of a fire is small, smaller than dying on your motorcycle, but there are still more fires at gas stations than there are motorcycle deaths per year. And the fire numebrs are over 10 years old.

So keep telling yourself it never happens.

Those gas station fires also include cars. I've seen some pretty busted ass cars. The information is lacking. What kinds of cars? Condition of the cars? Etc.

You should be a politician...only bringing up information you like, and spinning it so it works in your favor.

How many vehicles use gas stations? The number of fires PER VEHICLE ON THE ROAD is so miniscule. When you factor in the number of motorcycles that use the gas stations, the probability of you having a problem at a gas station, and it involving a motorcycle is next to nothing.

I'm amazed you got out of bed this morning. You could have twisted your ankle walking to the bathroom to take a leak. You could have tripped and hit your head on the toilet/sink/shower. You could have slipped in the shower and killed yourself. You could have choked on your toothpaste while brushing. You could have choked on your breakfast/coffee. You could have gotten hit leaving your driveway.

Man...if I were you, I'd stay home in bed. but then, if you did that, you're putting yourself at risk of bed sores and blood clots. ON NOES! What ever will you do?!

Seriously...you need to get over this whole gas station accident thing. The probability of having a problem at the gas station is next to nil.

 

[necrotimus]

Non sequitur

I was responding to multiple people at once. You asked what the difference was in between standing next to the bike and sitting on it were an explosion to occur. If you are sitting on the bike you have 5 gallons of gas directly in front of you. My point was it takes more time to drop the bike and run then just run. You go home and practice how long it takes you to drop your bike and run away then it does for you to run... and remember your bike will be on fire so try not to spill any gas as you set it down.

 

[necrotimus]

Those gas station fires also include cars. I've seen some pretty busted ass cars. The information is lacking. What kinds of cars? Condition of the cars? Etc.

You should be a politician...only bringing up information you like, and spinning it so it works in your favor.

How many vehicles use gas stations? The number of fires PER VEHICLE ON THE ROAD is so miniscule. When you factor in the number of motorcycles that use the gas stations, the probability of you having a problem at a gas station, and it involving a motorcycle is next to nothing.

I'm amazed you got out of bed this morning. You could have twisted your ankle walking to the bathroom to take a leak. You could have tripped and hit your head on the toilet/sink/shower. You could have slipped in the shower and killed yourself. You could have choked on your toothpaste while brushing. You could have choked on your breakfast/coffee. You could have gotten hit leaving your driveway.

Man...if I were you, I'd stay home in bed. but then, if you did that, you're putting yourself at risk of bed sores and blood clots. ON NOES! What ever will you do?!

Seriously...you need to get over this whole gas station accident thing. The probability of having a problem at the gas station is next to nil.

Yes I realize that the numbers include cars why do you think I said the chances were much smaller. My original poitn wasn't that it can occur it was that why not take the two seconds to get off your bike and be safer. The response was it won't happen. I am proving it can happen.

 

[04fizzer]

Yes I realize that the numbers include cars why do you think I said the chances were much smaller. My original poitn wasn't that it can occur it was that why not take the two seconds to get off your bike and be safer. The response was it won't happen. I am proving it can happen.

And if you study quantum physics, it's possible to throw a tennis ball through a wall, given enough attempts.

Anything's possible. Some things just aren't worth worrying over.

 

[Boneman]

So let me summarize - you DON'T want to sit on a tank of gas while filling it up in order to reduce the risk of possibly getting torched in the ever so unlikely event that your bike bursts into flame. Correct?

....yet riding around on a motorcycle at speed with a full tank of gas between your legs somehow is not really putting yourself at an unnecessary risk.....??

Sitting on bike and bike is not moving and your adding gas = putting yourself at unnecessary risk.

Riding bike at speed with full tank of gas = no worries mate! :rockon:

I think if you go look at your trusty statistics, you will find a HELL of a lot more stats involving motorcycle accidents while riding in traffic, as opposed to bursting into flames while stopped and filling your tank with gas.

I think you should seriously reevaluate your risk priorities a wee bit....

 

[Tailgate]

Could someone please help me with what the correct procedure is to fill up my ride on lawnmower? The location of the filler cap is underneath the seat.

What i would normally do is stand between the seat and the steering wheel facing backwards, holding the five gallon plastic gas can in one hand while lifting the seat with the other and then proceed to fill the tank until it full. then i start the engine before closing it all up just because.

I appreciate your suggestions on doing this a better way, and remember, i don't care to get grass stains on my fire proof suit.

Well, since you asked, I suggest dialing 911. When they ask "what is the nature of the emergency" you should respond, "I'm just about to fill-up my lawn mower gas tank, request a firetruck equipped with fireretardant foam (as used on airport firetrucks) to be on standby. Also, request paramedic crew to be on stand-by...just in case.Finally, please notify the trauma center burn ward of a possible situation."

 

[necrotimus]

I understand how you guys could be confused on how sitting on a vehicle while filling it with a flammable liquid is more dangerous than standing next to it. One of my MSF intructors mentioned getting off the bike to fuel in passing, I just assumed thats what most people did. So my last piece of advice is the same as the ones my MSF instructors gave us.... practice.

1) Practice by sitting on the bike and setting the pump next to you on fire. Practice getting out of harms way by getting off the bike or returning the hose closing your fuel tank and driving away.

2) Have one of your friends not see you while driving you car and rearend your bike.
Practice getting out of harms way by jumping clear of the bike before the car hits you or returning the hose closing your fuel tank and driving away.

3) Stage a car accident close enough to the gas station that it causes one of the cars to hit a gas pump.
Practice getting out of harms way by way by getting off the bike before you catch on fire or returning the hose closing your fuel tank and driving away.

4) My personal favorite set yourself on fire while fueling.
Practice getting out of harms way by getting off the bike but not spilling any more of that combustible material. oh and just so you are aware the safest course of action in these situations is to NOT remove the handle from your gas tank. So in order to not have this incident be fatal please put the kickstand down and get off the bike calmly while on fire. Oh wait since you have overfilled your tank you will need to use the center stand. Just remember don't remove the handle because they ay that is what causes these things to be fatal.

There are a ton of things that could go wrong when sitting on a motorcycle while its moving or not. But to be sitting on an unstable motorcycle while tethered to a fuel pump is just plain stupid. (I know your motorcycle is perfectly stable while you are holding it up with your feet flat on the ground... funny how a lot of people drop their motorcycles under this same exact circumstances)

 

[Boneman]

But to be sitting on an unstable motorcycle while tethered to a fuel pump is just plain stupid. (I know your motorcycle is perfectly stable while you are holding it up with your feet flat on the ground... funny how a lot of people drop their motorcycles under this same exact circumstances)

Funny how some of us have never managed to drop their motorcycles, feel that their bikes are very stable while sitting on them and can manage to do all sorts of things without somehow injuring ourselves!?!

I guess it just shows that some of us are just far more competent and able to do what we would consider to be simple, everyday tasks without incident, drama or creating reatrded statistics, while others like you seem to struggle with the very basic tasks of life.

 

[necrotimus]

Funny how some of us have never managed to drop their motorcycles, feel that their bikes are very stable while sitting on them and can manage to do all sorts of things without somehow injuring ourselves!?!

I guess it just shows that some of us are just far more competent and able to do what we would consider to be simple, everyday tasks without incident, drama or creating reatrded statistics, while others like you seem to struggle with the very basic tasks of life.

I didn't create any retarded statistics nor do I struggle with basic tasks like trying to prove a point. So far your arguement seems to revolve solely on trying to insult me which I find amusing. I think I have argued effectively that is is safer to get off the bike and that gas station fires do occur. So far you have clearly shown I am too scared to go outside and make up retarded statistics. So as soon as you come up with a competent reason besides for staying on the bike besides the ones I have already argued against you let me know.

 

[Boneman]

Lol, since when tdo we have to give you reasons for doing what we do? F*ck you're thick.

We have already come up with several reasons for staying on the bike while fueling!! Go back and read them....it's a little way back, past all your bull****.

It comes down to I (and others) are more than COMPETENT and are able to sit while fueling. Others, like you choose not to, for whatever reason.

 

[necrotimus]

When you stated:

...I must admit, I'm scratching my head a bit at all the people hinting that filling up while off the bike is safer; or \"what about spilling\", etc.

...

Makes me wonder just wtf some people must be doing for some to think sitting and filling is somehow less 'safe' or causes more spills than standing..... I could insert a harsh Michael J. Fox / parkinsons joke here, but I wont....

I defended my postion that it is unsafe to sit on the bike. I really don't care how you fuel your bike, I am just killing time at work. However it is less safe to sit on a bike than stand beside it.

And if you don't want to have to come up for reasons for what you do then don't assume you are better than everyone else and that they are doing it wrong without a little more competency than 'parkinsons jokes'.