Yep, it should be on you otherwise it's useless. Same deal with leaving a car unlocked/on, someone can take it and like you said if the fuel door is on the right like our cars it's an even bigger problem.

 

That's literally the situation I was in when a guy tried to walk near my truck in my blind sport and pull a knife on me. I was in the truck and due to my tint he didn't realize I was watching him the whole time until the passenger rear window rolled down and he was looking down my barrel, hand on my door handle knife in the other.

My car was locked as it always is so he would not have been easily able to open the door but it only take about 3 seconds to smash the glass and pull the internal handle/lock.

 

It's very different. In areas like that people actually report, in Chicago for example they really don't bother with reporting. The stats only reflect what people report/say happens and I will say the safest places I've been to are usually smaller cities and suburban/rural. The major cities have areas that are great but then one street too far and it's gangland.

 

Yep. 100% My MIL is from new town CT and she NEVER locked her damn doors, when she moved here I fixed that by slipping inside one time and tapping her chair. She understands now.

Doors are your warning/rush time extenders. People just don't get how fast people can break in and of things aren't locked you get zero warning.

 

So then are the signs at gas stations requiring shut off just BS? Is there any evidence that it can be dangerous to refuel with the engine running (even if the risk is small)? Certainly, you shouldn't fill a lawn mower/generator/snow blower while running, but with those machines, you can actually spill gas on the hot engine.

I mean, they tell you not to use cell phones, which seems ridiculous. Is this just the same overblown worry? Certainly seems riskier to keep the engine running than to talk on a cell phone.

 

Surprise! Criminals crime in good areas too! Much nicer cars to jack in nicer neighborhoods.


Haha. You aren't supposed to get in and out of your car, because it increases the risk of static shock, which can ignite gas fumes. Again - I have no idea how much of a risk this is, but it's certainly more than none. Why be the rare occurrence?

 

Yeah, none of that is true.

 

I wouldn’t be “fuelish” to leave my car running.

Now that is a good one

 

I wouldn't say ridiculous and for sure do not want to challenge their message.

 

OP already made his mind up with the first post. He is just part of the “on” statistics.

 

Is using a phone while pumping gas actually dangerous? Not as much as sitting in your car

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/...on/7490115001/

 

I've found a reason once in my life and only once. One time I accidently left an interior light on before leaving for a trip. I jumped it the next morning, but needed gas before hitting the highway. The gas station was only two miles down the road, so I was worried if I shut it off the car wouldn't start again.

I probably would have been fine to shut it off as the battery was only 2 years old, but I didn't want to risk it.

However, this is the only time in my entire life I have done it and I hated doing it. lol

 

Other people may be more open to changing their habits lol

One thing I used to do that I don't do anymore is top off the tank. I actually always did that up until I got the Mercedes and there were actual stories of people ruining their EVAP canisters by topping off, so I stopped doing it. I also never sit in the car.

 

The parts that I mentioned are true. But, no, not every town is involved, and some parts are exaggerated.

Yes....good policies. I don't, either. No matter what the weather, I stand there and hold the filler-pipe, using light pressure on the trigger, until the automatic cut-off, then no more. As you stated, If you try to fill the pipe all the way to the top, you risk having raw gasoline soak the insides of the evaporative canister....and that is probably not a warranty-repair, because it's on the owner.

Another wise move (and I have written before about this) is not to fill up at any station if a tanker-truck is parked there, pumping gas into the underground tanks. Either go to another station, or wait 5-10 minutes after the truck is gone....although I get that you don't always know if the truck left just before you arrived or not. That is because the strong pressure from the pumps on the tanker-truck stir up any dirt, water, or impurities in the bottom of the underground tank, and it takes several minutes for those particles to settle back down to the bottom of the tank when the truck is done. Yes, the gas pumps themselves are supposed to have built-in filters to keep that stuff from going into your car, and, of course, your own vehicle has its own fuel-filter, but they can get easily clogged, or otherwise simply not keep that stuff out of your tank and plugging up the fuel injectors.

Of course, the newer the underground tank at the station, the less-likely it is to have dirt and impurities in it to start with......but one cannot possibly know how old any given tank is at any given station. So, I go by the 5-10 minute rule....it can be patience well-rewarded.

 

Being from Utah. Within a minute someone has already told the attendant and the cops are on their way. No one will warn you or say that’s not a good idea. Signs are posted so you had your chance to do right. That’s the story they will give you. Me, personally I am from the Northeast originally and could care less what others do on their own dime.