SW17LS

Like I said before, my fear is not fire risk, its carjacking risks, and the odds are far from nil. None of the people who have been carjacked had ever been carjacked, it can happen to you at any moment. The belief that nothing bad that happens to other people will happen to you is a cognitive bias called the personal fable that usually diminishes as people age...

You are no less likely to be a victim of a crime than anybody else, and for tens of thousands of people every day...its the first time they are a victim of a crime. That can be you tomorrow, or next week, or next year, or never. I don't understand refusing to take common sense precautions such as not leaving a running car unattended or your house unlocked, or valuables in plain sight, etc.

mmarshall

Thanks, but there are a lot of knowledgeable people on CL.

With a vehicle of this type on its side or upside down, in some cases (not all), it may be possible to simply crawl out of (or push yourself back up and out of) an open rear hatch.....over the top of the 3rd-row seat. Different vehicles have different controls to activate or unlock the hatch from the inside...with Buicks, you can do it either with the key fob button or, on the lower part of the driver's door panel, with a round button that also controls the lift-height of the open hatch. The hatch will probably open (or at least unlock) using these controls, although if there is significant body damage to the hatch frame or surrounding rear-body, it may be difficult to pry or kick the hatch open.

Obviously, there may be some limitations to this....depending on how much cargo you have stacked up in the rear end behind the third-row seat blocking a possible exit. Most crossovers and SUVs, though, don't have very much room behind the third-row seat to carry things when the seat is up....which is why you have to drop or fold it to make the cargo area usable.

Sedans and coupes also have a Federally-required emergency-release inside the trunk if a child gets caught inside....a large handle, relatively easy to grab, that unlocks it. I don't think it is Federally-required for crossovers or SUVs, because of the different nature of the interiors, but some of them may still have it if the manufacturer feels strongly-enough committed to safety.

mmarshall

There is no nonsense here. What I (and RX469) said was fact, and I will repeat it.....for the second and last time. There is at least some potential danger if you are strapped in the rear seat and have to get out quickly in the event of a vehicle fire or malfunction....or a carjacking attempt. The examples I posted from the 1970s led to the improvements we see today...although small coupes have never been easy for adults to quickly get out of the rear seat. That is what triggered the small coupe half-rear doors that we saw first on the Saturn coupes and Mazda RX-8....which not only made it a little easier for people getting in/out of the rear seat, but also for the driver to load packages i and out of the seat as a small cargo-space .

703

I think the fumes are getting the better of you.

Have never said a single thing about what you can, should, must or do.

AJT123

I never said you said that. But I don't have a "Secret love for releasing fumes into the atmosphere' lol.

Margate330

I'm sorry AJ! lol
You are in the minority on this issue aka 'refuelling with car running' BUT at least you are not alone according to the poll.

I've done it too, it's no secret but could I recommend it to others? gosh leaving that one alone, not touching it. lol
Like my dad always said to us. "Do as I say and not as I do". haha

AJT123

Oh I figured I'd be in the minority but not an absolute slaughter like this. Ha ha.

It's just not unsafe (where I get gas at least), and it doesn't hurt the car.

Like I said, cars would lock it out if it were really dangerous. But in general people shouldn't do it because lots of people are just complete idiots with absolutely everything in life so I definitely understand why the signs are there....not trying to being a jerk just saying. If anyone has a job dealing with the general public you know exactly what I mean.

703

But it’s an entirely plausible conclusion because other reasons seemed futile.

AJT123

I've said several times that I like my HVAC, seat and wheel heaters and music uninterrupted.

703

if you ran a poll of everyone that were parked behind you at the gas station, over your 40+ year? of refuelling habit, what would the majority vote be?

A. I like the smell or sight of the fumes of the running car in front of me.

B. I do not like the smell or sight of the fumes of the running car in front of me.

AJT123

Carbon Monoxide is odorless. You are aware you can't see it either, correct? No different than being in traffic.

My filling up with the car idling literally affects no one.

FastTurtle

Gas stations around here have “Shut off Engine” sign. Not sure if that sign is mandatory or optional 😄

703

There is a difference. In traffic, I’m in my car, windows closed, nano cabin filter with charcoal activation.

The exhaust smell depends on the efficiency of the catalytic converter and fuel/air ratio. Which when idling, is very rich.

There fumes can be visible. But I won’t go into the scenarios.

Now back to my question, A or B?

tex2670

Wait, your station's sign doesn't say "Pretty Please Shut Off Engine if You Feel Like it Today. Or Don't. It's Totally up to You. Do Whatever You Want Because Rules Don't Apply to You"????

TriC

FastTurtle likely meant that s/he is unsure whether the posting of the sign is mandatory.