Petrol station flamethrower

[Qitarah]

Either way I'm guessing you would be able to do a lot of damage before any manual or automatic shutoff was triggered.

 

[Grimley]

This thread reminds me of this.

 

[Hunders]

When I fill up I always wonder how far I can spray the petrol. The thought of paying for the experiment always stops me from finding out, however.

 

[doofer]

If you really wanted to do it, use one the trucks that deliver fuel, they have some serious pumps on board them!

 

[silversurfer]

Don't 24 hour stations at supermarkets have automated machines and no people in booths later on?

They have a security camera, they close these stations on xmas day because of this factor


This guy would stop you anyhow

 

[Uncle Petey]

Somebody been watching Point Break?

Indeed. It only works if you're Patrick Swayze.

 

[The Funktopus]

I'm afraid your plan to re-enact the Zoolander 'gas fight' scene is a non-starter, unfortunately.

 

[mushtafa]

At a petrol station, what is to stop someone nutcase pointing the pump nozzle in the air, squeezing the trigger and lighting the stream of petrol effectively turning it into a flamethrower?

Can you try this and video it for us? We'd all like to know

 

[iaind]

Liquid petrol doesn't actually ignite terribly easily

 

[arknor]

The fact petrol station pumps are not high pressure would be one relevant factor. You could ignite the fuel, but as it would mostly just be pooling at your feet, you'd not get much of a flame thrower effect.

you could fill a super soaker with petrol and have a kitchen blow torch on the end

hah people already did it on youtube

 

[wesimmo]

I doubt the attendant would be much help in my experience.

A couple of weeks ago I was filling up and watching the dial rather than the petrol cap, next thing I know the auto cut off must have failed because there was fuel pouring out of the filler neck, all over the boot of my car and onto the floor.

I pointed it out to the woman who just shrugged and said she'd put sand on it later...

 

[FL630]

Petrol does not ignite, petrol vapour does.So you wouldn't be recreating scenes from Aliens because your vapour has no propellant.

^^ This. Drop a match into a theoretical liquid only can of petrol you'd be fine, it'd just go out, Diesel is even safer.

Get a fine mist and light it then that's a different story all together!

Disclaimer: Do not try dropping a match into a can of petrol. There is vapour in the can which will burn. A lot.

 

[silversurfer]

cue the famous video lit the bonfire with petrol and it didnt work, oh wait

 

[bitslice]

I would have expected fuel pumps to be designed to be intrinsically safe,
clearly not as it appeared to ignite as soon as it hit the pump casing


A simple $1 accelerometer could shut off the flow if some derp was waving it around rather than filling their car.

 

[dowie]

Liquid petrol doesn't actually ignite terribly easily

guy in the earlier video clip didn't have much trouble lighting it (yes I know it is the fumes that burn but still....)

 

[dowie]

I would have expected fuel pumps to be designed to be intrinsically safe,
clearly not as it appeared to ignite as soon as it hit the pump casing

eh? that is just the petrol he's split everywhere - the pump itself ought to be protected

 

[SonniLombardi]

lol what a spastic!

 

[Doohickey]

Jesus, I shudder to think of the state of that bloke after.

Crispy, I imagine

 

[bitslice]

eh? that is just the petrol he's split everywhere - the pump itself ought to be protected

then what ignited the petrol if not the pump unit?

 

[SonniLombardi]

If you're ever at a pump filling up and a woman asks you for a cigarette, ALWAYS give her one, unless you want this to happen..