Fueling up with kids in the car

Forums › Transport (cars, bikes and boats) › Fueling up with kids in the car

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MikeB4
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#1294702 1-May-2015 07:22

jpoc:
Geektastic:
So what do you do if you are on an 8 hour drive and need fuel?

The friend who showed me the German media reports had the best advice there. He would always stop at a fuel station with a decent canopy over the pumps and ask his wife if she and the kids would like the get out and stretch their legs. He said that it had never failed for him and it has never failed for me.

So you think its safer to have the children walking or crawling around a busy Forecourt??????????

I take it you don't use heating in the home or use an inside oven to cook.

Here is a crazy notion, lets give peace a chance.

freitasm

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#1294706 1-May-2015 07:50

alasta:
jpoc: Airlines try to ensure that their schedules are such that they refuel aircraft when there are no passengers on board. If that is not possible then they will either temporarily disembark the passengers or, if they leave them aboard, they will require all passengers to unfasten their seatbelts and warn them of a refuelling in progress and tell them to be aware of how to exit the aircraft if a fire occurs.

That was my experience when I boarded an airliner during refuelling a few years ago, and I apply the same policy to motor vehicles. Passengers may remain seated if they have easy egress. I never have children in my car so that's not really an issue.

And airlines keep saying "do not turn your mobile on while walking the tarmac" but then you see those folks refueling the jets and talking on their mobile phones all the time...

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Jase2985

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#1294710 1-May-2015 07:56

ive been in a plane plenty of times while its been refulled, and can not recall them announcing it or saying keep your belts unbuckled

Athlonite

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#1294873 1-May-2015 10:41

just let me put my tinfoil hat on there that's better

I know a good shrink who can help with the paranoia / delusional thoughts of burning to death at the fuel pump

Coil

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#1294881 1-May-2015 10:54

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bcAXzqjFnuA

Watch that, Some station are equipped with similar setups.
Tell me that wont put a fire out.
Fair enough judgement by yourself OP..

kiwiharry

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#1294891 1-May-2015 11:05

freitasm: And airlines keep saying "do not turn your mobile on while walking the tarmac" but then you see those folks refueling the jets and talking on their mobile phones all the time...

The no use of mobiles whilst walking on the tarmac is not purely related to refuelling risks. One of the reasons is that people tend to unconsciously walk about whilst talking on their mobile phone. Think about how many times you have been on your mobile phone and find yourself just walking around randomly whilst you talk. Not everybody does it, but when I was told of this fact, I too then noticed I was doing exactly that, walking around for no reason whilst talking on my mobile.

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jaymz

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#1294969 1-May-2015 12:04

jpoc: ... but I do not accept filling the tank with passengers in the car so I dropped her off at home and went out to the pumps by myself. As I was there, a young woman pulled up at the pump behind me. I noticed that she had two kids in the back. Both looked to be about 2 years old - perhaps twins. They were in car seats, strapped in nice 'n tight and both were asleep. Realising that their presumed mother was going to fill the tank with the two kiddies sleeping and strapped in in the back seat, I idly wondered if she had already decided which one she loved the most in case of fire. Then she plipped the remote and locked the doors and I understood that she really did not love either of them enough to care about what to do in the event of fire. Do you fill your tank while your friends and family are sitting in the car?

From what i have read about fires that occur at petrol stations, they are caused by a select few conditions:

- Cell Phone use (yes i know it has been disproven, but it is a cause)
- Static discharge caused by a difference in potential between the re-fueler and the car
- Naked flame from lighters, matches and other sources
- Other car fires, engine bay fire etc

Based on this, the driver of the vehicle who left her children in the car would have been protecting them from the potential cause being static discharge. Removing the children from the car would have been the bigger risk in this case.

I don't have a problem with you forcing your passengers out of the car while refueling, it is your car in the end. However I do not agree with your projection of blame/child abuse towards another member of public.

With that all being said, if a vehicle is on the forecourt of a petrol station and a fire was to start on the outside of the car, how likely would it be to engulf the inside of the car assuming the windows were up (as people tend to do to reduce the fumes entering the car while waiting for it to be filled)?

Demeter

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#1294979 1-May-2015 12:25

Besides being puzzled about why on Earth this question would even arise, I am also amazed that the poor woman mentioned managed to get twins to sleep. At the same time. Can you imagine how hectic her day had been up until that point? I am curious though, did she leave the kids in the car to pay for her fuel and if so, how did that make you feel?

Jaxson

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#1294984 1-May-2015 12:31

Just hope this lady doesn't ask you for a cigarette...

frankv

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#1294989 1-May-2015 12:37

Demeter: I am also amazed that the poor woman mentioned managed to get twins to sleep. At the same time.

She probably drugged them. Hope the OP called the Police and WADA.

Journeyman

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#1295012 1-May-2015 13:28

jpoc: I know that refueling fires are rare but they do happen. If NZ matches European nations proportionally there will be one or two every year or so here. I was filling up one of my cars today. I could have saved a few minutes by going to the pump on the way home from picking my wife up from work but I do not accept filling the tank with passengers in the car so I dropped her off at home and went out to the pumps by myself. As I was there, a young woman pulled up at the pump behind me. I noticed that she had two kids in the back. Both looked to be about 2 years old - perhaps twins. They were in car seats, strapped in nice 'n tight and both were asleep. Realising that their presumed mother was going to fill the tank with the two kiddies sleeping and strapped in in the back seat, I idly wondered if she had already decided which one she loved the most in case of fire. Then she plipped the remote and locked the doors and I understood that she really did not love either of them enough to care about what to do in the event of fire. Do you fill your tank while your friends and family are sitting in the car?

No offence, but I actually think you're a bit nutty.

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Sidestep

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#1295022 1-May-2015 13:41

Demeter: Besides being puzzled about why on Earth this question would even arise, I am also amazed that the poor woman mentioned managed to get twins to sleep. At the same time. Can you imagine how hectic her day had been up until that point? I am curious though, did she leave the kids in the car to pay for her fuel and if so, how did that make you feel?

The quickest way to get my twins to sleep at the same time was to strap the flailing, screaming little monkeys into their car seats & start driving. Soon blessed silence would descend..

I'd imagine there is some risk involved in refueling. In Oregon & New Jersey you aren't allowed to fill your own car.

Years back I was the nominated 'Safety Officer' for my small bus company overseas. Part of our approved training plan was teaching our drivers safe refueling techniques.

Provincial/state rules meant school buses weren't allowed to refuel with kids on board.
Commercial buses usually only fueled with passengers on board in emergencies.
In our case insurance requirements meant all passengers off the vehicle, fill ups were scheduled to take this into account.

However many commercial risk reduction practices such as zero alcohol & drug policies, daily vehicle safety checks/walk arounds, restriction of driving hours, carrying & knowing how to use fire extinguishers & first aid kits, loading to prevent centre of gravity issues etc aren't followed by private drivers, and some of them (not drinking & driving) are pretty important..

TinyTim

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#1295028 1-May-2015 13:48

LennonNZ:
hio77:
surfisup1000:
LennonNZ: Have a read of http://www.infrastructure.gov.au/roads/safety/publications/2005/pdf/Static_Fires.pdf

I took a read....and this is interesting.....

A review of the literature revealed that, between 1993 and 2004, there were 243 reported
incidents of fires breaking out at petrol stations around the world. Although the fires were
claimed to be caused by exploding mobile phones, experts have subsequently revealed that
not one of the incidents was associated with telecommunication equipment.

So, petrol stations ban mobile phone use yet there is no evidence that they cause fires at the pump.

i kinda find the mobile phone ban a bit of a joke, in this age, how often are you likely to have an active data session right there in your pocket while your filling up..

There was an episode on myth busters where they tried to cause fire with cellphone and
Failed .

I don't know about Mythbusters, but the mobile-phones-causing-fires story is well and truly debunked by reputable organisations. The reasons petrols stations now give you is they want you to concentrate on what you're doing.

wasabi2k

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#1295034 1-May-2015 13:53

On a more useful note: does anyone have any recommendations on good/affordable extinguishers for the car?

Will need 3 (mine, wife's, stepsons)

I see that Dry Powder is recommended - Super Cheap, Repco, Mitre 10 all have them. Anything to look for?

Demeter

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#1295038 1-May-2015 13:57

Seems my reading comprehension is lacking today because I just re-read the last bit and realised what the OP meant by 'plipped'. Okay. So a couple of conclusions OP appears to have drawn and is expecting of this young mum:

1. She should arrange a regular babysitter so she can safely refuel her car
2. Assuming an emergency refuel with kids in situ, she should wake them both up to remove them from the vehicle to pay for her fuel
3. Not waking up grumpy two year olds to torture both herself and other shoppers for an approx. 3-minute transaction (usually with an unobstructed view from the shop and with the car locked and inaccessible) amounts to bad parenting.

What is it that makes Social Justice Warriors so judgmental?

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