braindead

whats it about?
it seems to be accepted by the people that cell phones can cause petrol fumes to ignite. but is there any scientific basis to that?

i remember seeing in a programme called 'mythbusters' and they asked the same question.
they did all they could to ignite the petrol fumes but could not.

their conclusions were:

1. cell phones work on radio waves and radio waves cannot ignite fuel.
2. the body of the phones cannot hold much static to create a discharge.
3. most of the fuel station fires are caused by static discharge into the pump nozzle. the static is built in the clothes of the driver as he slides out of the seat.

since the drivers in india dont actually handle the filling nozzle, the risk is negligible.

now the next question has to be; have there been any proven cell phone fires on petrol stations anywhere in the world?
has the number of fires at petrol stations reduced after the ban?
and who decided on the ban of cell phones on petrol stations and on what basis?

the ban is not really a big inconvenience and i would follow gladly if i can see a reason for it. but it really p1sses me off to follow rules formed on the basis of myths and paranoia.

cheers

__________________
Abhishek

Aryan

General Biking Discussion Approved.

__________________
...in search of that perfect world - My Travel Blog :)

jd666

i believe its the microwaves generated in the proximity of a cellphone that can cause the petrol vapour to catch fire.. but then the phone would have to be in operation, it would have to be a very hot day and then the phone would have to be held at the mouth of the fuel filler opening.


here are some reads that google brings up

Can Cell Phones Cause Explosions at Gas Pumps?


Do Cell Phones Pose Fire Hazard at Gas Pump? - Netlore Archive


snopes.com: Cell Phone Use at Gas Pump


WikiAnswers - Can a cell phone cause a fire when filling your gas tank


Cell Phones Blamed in Recent Fires


Can Cellphones Cause Car Fires, You Bet They Can - All Car Advice



Some of these are against it.. some have conclusive proof..

__________________


My offerings to the gods of speed -

- KTM Duke 200
- Yamaha RXZ 5 speed

leon_nerd

This is a very debatable issue. It would have been better if this topic would have been locked but nevertheless none of us can give anything more that what we already have over the net. We can just speculate basis on what we have read on google.

As for me, I don't believe that it can cause fire but I don't want to use my cellphone when there is a sign says "no mobiles". I will not die if I don't talk at the petrol station. I can wait till I get out.

__________________
Enna Rascalla. Mind it !!!

raikar_ad

Completely agree with u...

braindead

i dont use my phone at a petrol bunk and i am cool with it. but here, i am trying to figure out if there is any basis to the rule.

jd, there is no conclusive proof... thats my point.

this issue seems to be like global warming: there is no conclusive proof but everyone says is true. and all scientists say it may be true.

but this issue is simpler.
all you need to do is to show you can ignite some petrol vapors using a cell phone. thats the scientific method. and no one seems to manage it.
as for the statement of 'erring on the safe side', you have a greater chance of causing a fire by static discharge from your clothes and body. or by dropping a few drops of fuel on a hot exhaust or brakes.

we humans love to fear. as the world gets safer, do we need to look to something unrecorded (like a ghost) to be scared of?

the fact is that ignition due to a cell phone has never happened.
all the above links say so.

__________________
Abhishek

leon_nerd

I think it's just a cautionary statement, especially from mobile companies. One of the links say that there might be some malfunctioning in your mobile, which might lead the battery to explode or cause spark and thereby igniting vapors. I know it's like saying don't ride on roads because you might come under a car. The probabilities and possibilities are less but maybe the mobile companies want to play safe since the issue is very debatable.

Better safe than sorry. lol.

__________________
Enna Rascalla. Mind it !!!

NitinGirish

+1. Very well summed up and I can't see much beyond this.

__________________

cool_dude_sunn_y

Well .. Cellphones work on microwave (same as in microwave ovens). Microwave are high freq radio waves and have loads of heat.

Even if you are not talking on phone, doesn't mean that the cellphone is out of touch with the tower of the service provider.

Cellphone are connected to the tower VIA Microwave Freq.

1. Whenever you switch on the phone it tries to veryify the SIM's legibility with the towers it can come in contact with.
2. Once verified it will update its location, and it keeps doing it after a fixed interval.

The strength of the signal is the most when you are receving the call, and then when you are making a conversation.

So, bottomline is that accompanied by suitable environmental factors, it really can ignite the petrol :-|

__________________
Nothing is IMPOSSIBLE. The word itself says I M POSSIBLE

leon_nerd

It might ignite for other reasons (read links) but not due to its frequency waves. If that was the case our ears would have got roasted before the petrol would burn.

__________________
Enna Rascalla. Mind it !!!