You are 'supposed' to shut the damn thing off, same for when you enter a
hospital.

I think there are worries about a spark or a static spark out of them
that could ignite fuel.

If you have a strong cell phone or a digital transmitter unit, you are
supposed to shut them off when you come to road construction too where
they warn to turn off all transmitters due to blasting.  A signal wrong
can set off the explosion.

I was dealing with Ericsson mobile data Cell phone transmitters a few
years back and the first page of the manual stated if you were within 3
feet of the antenna when it transmitted you 'will' get burned.  Some of
these puppies put out big time.

Mike
86/00 CJ7 Laredo, 33x9.5 BFG Muds, 'glass nose to tail in '00
88 Cherokee 235 BFG AT's
Canadian Off Road Trips Photos:  Non members can still view!
Jan/06 http://www.imagestation.com/album/pictures.html?id=2115147590
(More Off Road album links at bottom of the view page)

The supposed reason for this is that cellphones could set off gasoline
vapors around the pump. The Mythbuster TV program tried to verify this
could happen without much success (Episode 2). They went to great
lenghts to ignite gasoline with a cell phone and were unable to do it.
On the other hand there are stories in the press that support the idea
that cell phones can ingnite vapors:

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2004/05/14/tech/main617547.shtml
http://urbanlegends.about.com/library/weekly/aa062399.htm

Snoopes claims the stories are false (or at least mis diagnosised):

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

I personally find it hard to believe that a cell phone is uniquely
dangerous around gasoline stations. Most stations are teeming with
electrical devices that seem far more likely to set off vapors. I think
a static electricity is a much more likely casue of fires at gas
stations than cell phones. BUT - why take a chance. Do you really need
to be in contact 24/7?

Ed

You were in a scene in the movie "Zoolander", weren't you?

they had a program on tv it was called mythbusters about cellphones and gas
stations it is not the phone causing the problem it is the people not
paying attention to what they are doing. now getting in and out of your
car will cause a static build up in your body and when you are pumping gas
into your car and the dam phone rings you get back in your car to answer
the phone and now you just built up a static charge in your body you get
out of your car and go touch the gas nozzle there gas fumes comming out of
the tank and when you touch the nozzle you discharge and creat a spark that
is when you creat a fire a lot of cars have burned up because of that

It is stupid.  Cell phones put out very little signal and its not
possible to ignite anything with them.  The far greater danger is
static discharge caused by static electicity that is built-up from
driving or b the act of pumping the fuel.  Certain compositions of
tires can aid in the accumulation of a large static charge that can be
released by the fill nozzle.  Thats why they tell you not to fill a gas
can in the bed or a pickup truck.

foster
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