A man in Michigan became the butt of many jokes last week after he lit a gas pump on fire while trying to kill a spider. It happened at a Mobile gas station in Center Line, MI. The unidentified customer was pumping gas when he noticed a spider crawling on his car near the gas tank.
Most people would brush it off or ignore the arachnid, but not this man. He grabbed his lighter to try and burn the spider off of his car, igniting the gasoline fumes around the fuel tank, according to Fox 2 News. In his panic he pulled the still-running gas pump out of his car, spreading the flames further. Gas station attendant Susan Adams saw the whole thing and hit the emergency stop on the fuel pumps. The man grabbed a nearby fire extinguisher and doused the flames but not before the fire burned and melted the pump. Adams told Fox 2 the man came back the next day as if nothing happened.
"He was sorry," Susan told reporters. "He was sorry, he said he didn't know. It is just one of those things that happen - stupidity." The man's car was undamaged, but the pump was a total loss. Gas station employees have been having fun with the video, doing voiceovers as they try to figure out the man's thought process. This kind of accident is why gas stations post warnings about smoking around pumps. Anything that can cause a spark is dangerous while pumping gas due to the fumes. Even the electricity from using a cell phone or static electricity from getting in and out of a car can cause a fumes to ignite. If a fire does occur, leave the pump inside the car to avoid damage to both the car and the gas station and notify the attendant.
Most people would brush it off or ignore the arachnid, but not this man. He grabbed his lighter to try and burn the spider off of his car, igniting the gasoline fumes around the fuel tank, according to Fox 2 News. In his panic he pulled the still-running gas pump out of his car, spreading the flames further. Gas station attendant Susan Adams saw the whole thing and hit the emergency stop on the fuel pumps. The man grabbed a nearby fire extinguisher and doused the flames but not before the fire burned and melted the pump. Adams told Fox 2 the man came back the next day as if nothing happened.
"He was sorry," Susan told reporters. "He was sorry, he said he didn't know. It is just one of those things that happen - stupidity." The man's car was undamaged, but the pump was a total loss. Gas station employees have been having fun with the video, doing voiceovers as they try to figure out the man's thought process. This kind of accident is why gas stations post warnings about smoking around pumps. Anything that can cause a spark is dangerous while pumping gas due to the fumes. Even the electricity from using a cell phone or static electricity from getting in and out of a car can cause a fumes to ignite. If a fire does occur, leave the pump inside the car to avoid damage to both the car and the gas station and notify the attendant.
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