j-c-c-62
Well-Known Member
So, I am filling up the Ram at the local BJ's Warehouse today. They have I believe 12 pumps on 6 dual dispenser islands; all dispensers have long enough hoses to reach the far side of the vehicle. Place is always active.
Nozzles have automatic shutoffs. I have been there over 100 times. In last few months they added trigger locks, so you don't have to hold nozzle continuously while fueling. It's a bright sunny warm day with a mild breeze.
Even though parked close to dispenser, it still requires stretching fuel hose all the way across the bed of the PU.
So, I credit card the dispenser, stretch the hose, insert the nozzle, and click it on. Since I have had a few recent bouts of skin cancer, standing in the sun is something I try to avoid, without long sleeves or sunscreen.
I sit in the cab, maybe 4' from the running nozzle, out of the sun, window down, door closed because the adjacent island is empty and don't want my door jammed by another gas customer.
Lady one island over yells, "Its leaking". I jump out and see gas gushing out of the fill tube, and the nozzle apparently rotated from the 6 o'clock position to the three o'clock position and never shut off. I struggled to get the trigger lock to disconnect. I was parked on concrete, and it takes maybe a gallon to generate a wet puddle of gas on warm concrete 5' in diameter. Very little of the puddle was under the plastic 32 gal Ram fuel tank. I replaced the nozzle on the dispenser and put the fuel cap back on.
I felt the situation was a real safety hazard until the puddled fuel evaporated in the sun and the breeze. Moving my truck might initiate a conflagration and/or allow another customer to park unbeknownst on top of the fuel spilled.
So I stood in the adjacent empty fuel island spot to prevent cars from parking there to refuel, as the puddle was inches from that area.
First guy of 4 pulled up and waited 30? feet away, I'm thinking he can see the gas spill and my fuel opening cover left open and my driver's door wide open. After a few minutes he rolls down his window asks if the pump is broken, I yell at him no there is a fuel spill, I don't want to walk to his window because he could just then drive right past me, I also don't want another vehicle blocking the sun from the evaporating gasoline, another minute later, not having moved an inch to get to another open pump, he is screaming at me, "Who ******** spilled the gasoline?" I responded calmy, "It doesn't matter who spilled the gas".
This went on three more times essentially. Another lady at a far pump heard all the commotion, and she suggested I go alert the attendant. I said I can't, someone will park here. So she went.
The last person was wash, rinse, repeat all over again, except he said for me to move, or he would run me over. He exits the vehicle; I said if you run into me, I'm calling the cops. He says he is a Cop (although not in uniform in a likely civilian car). I said show me your badge.
He looks in the car, but he can't find it. The attendant arrives to survey the situation, the gas is almost dried up, and the guy pulls his car up less than 18" from me and I am not sure if he is stopping.
In Florida, we have a law about standing one's ground, and the guy made a lethal threat, and there is video everywhere at these pumps. Pre hurricane, pandemic, gas crisis, holiday shopping craziness, etc, I can see people being frazzled.
This was a normal beautiful day.
Once the attendant arrived, I left as most of the gas had dissipated and before I got run over.
Strangest takeaway, everybody seemed mostly focused on who was to blame here, not the danger to me, others, themselves, or even the gas station.
Nozzles have automatic shutoffs. I have been there over 100 times. In last few months they added trigger locks, so you don't have to hold nozzle continuously while fueling. It's a bright sunny warm day with a mild breeze.
Even though parked close to dispenser, it still requires stretching fuel hose all the way across the bed of the PU.
So, I credit card the dispenser, stretch the hose, insert the nozzle, and click it on. Since I have had a few recent bouts of skin cancer, standing in the sun is something I try to avoid, without long sleeves or sunscreen.
I sit in the cab, maybe 4' from the running nozzle, out of the sun, window down, door closed because the adjacent island is empty and don't want my door jammed by another gas customer.
Lady one island over yells, "Its leaking". I jump out and see gas gushing out of the fill tube, and the nozzle apparently rotated from the 6 o'clock position to the three o'clock position and never shut off. I struggled to get the trigger lock to disconnect. I was parked on concrete, and it takes maybe a gallon to generate a wet puddle of gas on warm concrete 5' in diameter. Very little of the puddle was under the plastic 32 gal Ram fuel tank. I replaced the nozzle on the dispenser and put the fuel cap back on.
I felt the situation was a real safety hazard until the puddled fuel evaporated in the sun and the breeze. Moving my truck might initiate a conflagration and/or allow another customer to park unbeknownst on top of the fuel spilled.
So I stood in the adjacent empty fuel island spot to prevent cars from parking there to refuel, as the puddle was inches from that area.
First guy of 4 pulled up and waited 30? feet away, I'm thinking he can see the gas spill and my fuel opening cover left open and my driver's door wide open. After a few minutes he rolls down his window asks if the pump is broken, I yell at him no there is a fuel spill, I don't want to walk to his window because he could just then drive right past me, I also don't want another vehicle blocking the sun from the evaporating gasoline, another minute later, not having moved an inch to get to another open pump, he is screaming at me, "Who ******** spilled the gasoline?" I responded calmy, "It doesn't matter who spilled the gas".
This went on three more times essentially. Another lady at a far pump heard all the commotion, and she suggested I go alert the attendant. I said I can't, someone will park here. So she went.
The last person was wash, rinse, repeat all over again, except he said for me to move, or he would run me over. He exits the vehicle; I said if you run into me, I'm calling the cops. He says he is a Cop (although not in uniform in a likely civilian car). I said show me your badge.
He looks in the car, but he can't find it. The attendant arrives to survey the situation, the gas is almost dried up, and the guy pulls his car up less than 18" from me and I am not sure if he is stopping.
In Florida, we have a law about standing one's ground, and the guy made a lethal threat, and there is video everywhere at these pumps. Pre hurricane, pandemic, gas crisis, holiday shopping craziness, etc, I can see people being frazzled.
This was a normal beautiful day.
Once the attendant arrived, I left as most of the gas had dissipated and before I got run over.
Strangest takeaway, everybody seemed mostly focused on who was to blame here, not the danger to me, others, themselves, or even the gas station.
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