I can only let you have 10L sir ..

Jobsworth - definition - a minor factotum whose only status comes from enforcing otherwise petty regulations

Ahh, it has such a pompous and cruel definition....

Every jobsworth has a choice over whether or not he wants to be one however, so i have little sympathy.

If the guy had walked out and said "look, I'm really sorry mate, I wouldn't normally bother, but my boss is in today and the law says you can only have 10 litres, so I can't let you fill all those up or I'll get into trouble, sorry"

Blue would probably have said "OK fair enough mate, i'll just fill this one then I'll get the others at the next forecourt, thanks for letting me know"

Instead of that Blue got told the law, with a blank justification of "it's not silly 'cos it's the law". Of course we all know that if it's the law it must be sensible

Be approachable and reasonable with folk and they won't call you a Jobsworth, even if you are just doing your duty and upholding a petty law.

Originally Posted by 21QUEST

I have to save your post...for use, the next time some whinger on here complains about being told, not to use their mobile

Don't forget to save this one too then -linky

[flymo]

I've never come across this before ever, I regularly fill up two full size jerry cans on the way to the track and there's never been a hint of a problem.

I hate stupid rules like this, hope I dont bump into some jobsworth trying to enforce them on my short fuse!

It's all down to a Europian Directive. For some reason they think a small plastic container with a screw on lid is safer than a big metal one with a big over-centre clamp.

Originally Posted by Blue_SV650S

At a trackday, you'd be surprised how many people fill their bikes up (via jerry can) in the same pit garage as me with a fag hanging out of their mouth!! To be fair, I haven't seen one 'go-up' yet ... but how can anyone be THAT stupid?!!?

It also piddles me off and makes me 'clench' if someone walks past with a lit fag (worse still literally sparks up) when I am filling up .. again, how can someone be that mindless??

One of the bike mags did an experiment recently where they dropped a lit fag into a petrol tank. Nothing happened. AFAIK you need the fuel to be in vapour form and an actual spark, rather than merely incandescent material, to cause it to catch. All those Hollywood movies where the bad guy drops his big Cuban cigar in the spilled petrol while our heroes best mate is struggling to get out of the rolled car? Lies, all of it!

Originally Posted by shifter

Yep you're totally correct, If I'm honest I was just stirring it. However I'm of the impression that a static discharge would be far more likely to cause a problem than a phone. I've had a few good belts off of my motor in the past when shutting the door. I believe there is some arrangement at the pumps to earth the vehicle through the nozzle?
Please feel free to enlighten me further though.

Yup quite right....i have seen the result of an explosion caused by that.

I will find out how that is stopped at petrol stations, I also believe it is down down the flow rate of passing through the pipes into the nozzel.

Originally Posted by Bear

One of the bike mags did an experiment recently where they dropped a lit fag into a petrol tank. Nothing happened. AFAIK you need the fuel to be in vapour form and an actual spark, rather than merely incandescent material, to cause it to catch. All those Hollywood movies where the bad guy drops his big Cuban cigar in the spilled petrol while our heroes best mate is struggling to get out of the rolled car? Lies, all of it!

Pretty much, but I know a smouldering ember of paper floating down onto a puddle of spilt petrol will ignite (mispent youth watching Northern Ireland on the news ), I never tried it with a cigarette, grown out of such mischief by the time I smoked. I think it's not so much lighting the liquid as the vapour coming off it, it had been spilt for a miunte or so, but 'cos it's open to the air there is a lovely mix of vapour and oxygen.

The reason you can get away with dropping a fag into a jerry can or fuel tank is the narrow opening doesn't let enough oxygen in with the vapour pouring out. I still wouldn't be risking it though, a half empty can where the lids been off for a minute or so would be a fairly volatile! Again don't know if a cigarette would light it, but I wouldn't go near it with a match.

Remember the new stories from Northern Island with petrol bombs being thown. The guy can light the wick and burn it like a parrafin lamp, its only once the glass is smashed and the petrol and air mix that it goes out of control.

Mythbusters did an episode re phones igniting petrol vapor.

Their conclusion: It's ********, won't happen. Must be true, as I saw it on TV.

I saw that, they put 10 phones in a caravan full of petrol in open containers, and called them simultaneously. Nothing happened!

[glade]

Originally Posted by Blue_SV650S

At a trackday, you'd be surprised how many people fill their bikes up (via jerry can) in the same pit garage as me with a fag hanging out of their mouth!! To be fair, I haven't seen one 'go-up' yet ... but how can anyone be THAT stupid?!!?

It also piddles me off and makes me 'clench' if someone walks past with a lit fag (worse still literally sparks up) when I am filling up .. again, how can someone be that mindless??

Obviously naked flames are a bit of a no-no but it would seem that a ciggy is ok. (I wouldn't test the theory obviously!)

Researchers at the Maryland laboratory of the US Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms set out to test a common arsonists’ excuse: that the fire they’re accused of setting deliberately actually started accidentally when a burning cigarette came into contact with gasoline.

Two thousand attempts to set fire to exposed petrol – which included spraying the stuff onto a burning snout – failed to produce a single flame.

source http://www.forteantimes.com/stranged...igarettes.html
(also coroborated elsewhere)