Sometimes the inspiration to blog something strikes me at odd moments. As I was gassing up my SUV this morning, I noticed that all the pumps at my local Shell station bore the warning stickers that you see at the right. I’d never really noticed them before, so I took a picture. Just to tempt fate, I did it with my cell phone.
What’s really curious about these warning messages is that there is actually no confirmed cases of a cell phone causing a fire in this way. There have been cases of gasoline fires caused by static discharge, but we don’t see warning labels telling us to be careful with polyester shirts (like the one I’m wearing today, thrill seeker that I am) or nylons (which I am not wearing today). It’s just another example about how we never really take appropriate steps to manage risk.