Couldn't get petrol untill I stopped mobile phonecall

connundrum

Hey,

I know all petrol stations carry a sign saying no smoking and switch off your lights. Some also carry a sign saying switch off your mobile.

Today I was trying to get petrol at the local Statoil and took a phone call as I was getting out of the car. I put the nozzle into the tank and tried to start the whole process, but the pump didn't kick in. I looked over at the service window and the woman at the cash register was signalling to me to put the phone down.

I put the phone down and she turned the pump on. I was just wondering if this is normal practice? I thought that this myth was put to be a couple of years ago? Article

seamus

connundrum wrote: »

I put the phone down and she turned the pump on. I was just wondering if this is normal practice? I thought that this myth was put to be a couple of years ago? Article

The Myth was put to bed pretty much as soon as it appeared, but because the pumps say it, you have people paranoid about it. It's a whole "fear of the unknown thing". I remember filling up my bike, paying for my petrol and then making a phonecall. Next thing the guy inside is saying something incomprehensible over the speakers. I put my finger into my ear to block it out. When I finished the call, the guy was running out the door waving his arms at me then pointing at my phone. I just :rolleyes: and drove off.

CarLover

That's nothing...I fly a lot through business. Last few flights I've been on...people are turning on their phones whilst the plane is landing.

Flew in from Eastern Europe last friday...heard about two phones being switched on a good 5-10 minutes before the plane touched down...

C_Breeze

not un common. I stepped out of my car while chatting on the fone ... and they only switched the pump on once i hung up.

Urban myth or not, if they have signs there saying no phones you have to obey it

Owen

Yup, I had a huge row with a guy one day about it too. Still got my Petrol, and met the same guy years later through a mutual club, and he admitted that the Petrol Stations had since relaxed their policy.

thewing

I often leave my phone on while flying...always forget..

seamus

CarLover wrote: »

That's nothing...I fly a lot through business. Last few flights I've been on...people are turning on their phones whilst the plane is landing.

Flew in from Eastern Europe last friday...heard about two phones being switched on a good 5-10 minutes before the plane touched down...

Another fallacy
The stakes are higher, but there's zero risk in modern equipment. The EU is even considering lifting the ban.

green123

CarLover wrote: »

That's nothing...I fly a lot through business. Last few flights I've been on...people are turning on their phones whilst the plane is landing.

Flew in from Eastern Europe last friday...heard about two phones being switched on a good 5-10 minutes before the plane touched down...

so what ?
phones dont cause any problems.
if their was a chance they caused a problem they would be alot stricter about this and do more to stop it

Owen

CarLover wrote: »

That's nothing...I fly a lot through business. Last few flights I've been on...people are turning on their phones whilst the plane is landing. Flew in from Eastern Europe last friday...heard about two phones being switched on a good 5-10 minutes before the plane touched down...

Doesn't matter a damn. In fact, Virgin are considering offering inflight phone calls using your mobile. As a Pilot of light aircraft (Which have simpler electronics, and should be more susceptible) - I've yet to have an issue. It's actually recommended to carry one in case your transceiver dies on board and you need to contact the tower.

prendy

Another fallacy
The stakes are higher, but there's zero risk in modern equipment. The EU is even considering lifting the ban

i hope they dont...its nice not havin to listen to other peoples annoyin phone conversations...it'l be like on the buses if they lift the ban!:(

Zulu

CarLover wrote: »

That's nothing...I fly a lot through business. Last few flights I've been on...people are turning on their phones whilst the plane is landing.

Flew in from Eastern Europe last friday...heard about two phones being switched on a good 5-10 minutes before the plane touched down...

Personally I never switch off my phone. It's a total sham that you have to.
...besides, in todays society where you can't bring more than 100ml on a flight, do you think they'd let you bring your phone if there really was a risk?

Guy:Incognito

Zulu wrote: »

Personally I never switch off my phone. It's a total sham that you have to.

What sthe issue? All your doing it wasting power anyway because the signal goes.

MercMad

prendy wrote: »

i hope they dont...its nice not havin to listen to other peoples annoyin phone conversations...it'l be like on the buses if they lift the ban!:(

.............I agree completely !

Zulu

Stekelly wrote: »

What sthe issue? All your doing it wasting power anyway because the signal goes.

Well I use my phone for other things as well, mp3, games, watching tv shows etc.. plus you do get a signal coming in for landing etc - which I use to arrange my lift etc..

It's only a matter of time before the airlines offer their own n/w coverage.

rebel.ranter

The whole potential danger of using a mobile phone while filling stems from the potential of you dropping it while standing therewith the nozzle in your hand. The phone battery could potentially create a spark. That was the4 driver behind it not anythin to do with the RF signals coming from the phone.

As for the planes, RF interference with the planes electrics was the main reason for the ban, however it has since been proven that planes systems are more than capabale of blocking out this type of interference.
Also Ryanair are looking at introducing on-board mobile base stations very soon. There is actually a Kery based company leading the way in providing these type of telecomms solutions.

Alun

rebel.ranter wrote: »

The whole potential danger of using a mobile phone while filling stems from the potential of you dropping it while standing there with the nozzle in your hand. The phone battery could potentially create a spark.

Well, if that's the case they should ban cars from garage forecourts then as well. Plenty of potential spark causing stuff in an average car as well. Not to mention nylon underwear

Owen

rebel.ranter wrote: »

The whole potential danger of using a mobile phone while filling stems from the potential of you dropping it while standing therewith the nozzle in your hand. The phone battery could potentially create a spark. That was the4 driver behind it not anythin to do with the RF signals coming from the phone.

Then, not to question you, but why in God's name is every poster in every forecourt telling you to switch off your mobile? And if the battery is the issue, people with Hearing aids, Pagers, Car Alarm Remotes, and Watches should also be banned.

rebel.ranter

ned78 wrote: »

Then, not to question you, but why in God's name is every poster in every forecourt telling you to switch off your mobile? And if the battery is the issue, people with Hearing aids, Pagers, Car Alarm Remotes, and Watches should also be banned.

I don't know!

I just know that this was the origins of it.

Alun

ned78 wrote: »

Then, not to question you, but why in God's name is every poster in every forecourt telling you to switch off your mobile?

http://www.snopes.com/autos/hazards/gasvapor.asp

Also, reading the BBC article linked to above, it seems I wasn't too far off the mark with my comment about nylon underwear

daedalus2097

There were cases of fires at filling stations, but they were found to be caused by static from the car itself. There's never been a case of a mobile related fire at a filling station.

As an aside, I'm well aware that there's a tiny risk to an aeroplane, but it still annoys me no end when people have their phones on while landing and taxiing. Can they not survive an extra 10 minutes, no? They'll probably be queuing at passport control for 20 minutes anyway...

egan007

They totally busted that one on Mythbusters.

There is no chance - not even a single shred of chance that your mobile will cause the petrol to catch fire.

MarkN

Ned - the navigation equipment in a Grob or a Cessna is not quite the same as a 744. Interesting that Ryanair are planning mobile calls from next year all the same though. BTW, the word pilot does not have a capital P in it, no matter how prestigious you think being able to call yourself one is

I for one always thought that the main risk of a phone at a petrol pump was a spark should you drop it. A myth perhaps, I don't know, but mobiles can and do interfere with certain types of electronics (not talking about petrol pumps).

cc

i remember on "brainiac" on sky, or else top gear, either way richard hammond was involved.....they put a load of mobiles in a caravan doused in petrol and other flammable matierals and started ringing the mobiles. needless to say nothing happened....i guess the threat of an explosion is very small :cool:

wil

No it's all true, the impact of a phone shattering against the side of the pump as others patiently wait for you to finish that call to the office enquiring on variations of required breakfast rolls so that they too can avail of the very decent value petrol could cause a spark.:rolleyes:
Courtesy doesnt take all that long.

As for disobeying the no smoking signs, that would be a well deserved Darwin award.
http://video.giovani.it/zoolander-gas-fight.html

AFAIK The mobile phone in planes issue was more to do with the providers than the planes. Plane loads of mobiles flying over at speed confused the switching technology on the ground as the network tried to keep up tracking the phones from cell to cell. Probably better at it now.

seamus

Indeed, there has never been a single case of a petrol/gas station fire caused by a mobile phone.

Most such cases have occured where people light up/smoke cigarettes while filling, or what happens largely in the states, the person leaves the pump filling and returns to the vehicle. When they go back to the pump, they've accumulated static and a spark jumps between their hand and the nozzle, igniting the vapor.
There were a couple of cases where someone claimed they were on a phone at the time and there was a spontaneous burst into flames when CCTV footage showed they were actually smoking at the time.

Since most mobile phone batteries are housed within the phone and in a plastic case of its own, the chance of it sparking if the phone is dropped is negligible.

jahalpin

Is the ban on phones on planes not more to do with the effect of a fast moving phone on the base stations with contant logging on and off different base stations

Alun

MarkN wrote: »

I for one always thought that the main risk of a phone at a petrol pump was a spark should you drop it. A myth perhaps, I don't know, but mobiles can and do interfere with certain types of electronics (not talking about petrol pumps).

Well, they can interfere with badly shielded consumer level electronic equipment, yes, but I don't think there's any evidence of them interfering with properly shielded aeronautical electronics systems AFAIK.

There's also this thing about not using mobile phones in hospitals for fear of the same thing, but I know for a fact (I work in a couple of them sometimes) that even the surgeons take their mobile phones (leaving them switched on) with them into the operating theatres, and even have their nurses answer calls for them while they're operating!

Owen

MarkN wrote: »

Ned ... the word pilot does not have a capital P in it, no matter how prestigious you think being able to call yourself one is

Don't be such a conceited prick. And I'll thank you not to make assumptions about my personal self worth either.

MarkN wrote: »

the navigation equipment in a Grob or a Cessna is not quite the same as a 744

You're correct, but not in the way you'd like. A 747, or other commercial aircraft will be shielded against mobile phone, or other RF interference. A small, light aircraft will not have that shielding to the same extent.

MarkN

ned78 wrote: »

Don't be such a conceited prick. And I'll thank you not to make assumptions about my personal self worth either.

I just think you were coming across as a bit high and mighty with your 'Pilot' comment. I have friends who are airline pilots and they wouldn't write it the way you did.

Owen

MarkN wrote: »

I just think you were coming across as a bit high and mighty with your 'Pilot' comment. I have friends who are airline pilots and they wouldn't write it the way you did.

And you can judge all that by the use of a capital letter?

MarkN

Tell ya one thing, you're a great man for managing time. There's another assumption!

Advanced driving, flying planes.. you can do it all!!

Anyway, I shouldn't be encouraging you to take the thread off topic so I'm sorry.