Unless you have a driver or someone to fill up your car for you, it’s likely that you’ll have to hit the gas station now and then. What you may not know is that the static on your hands could end in tragedy at the gas pump. You get out of your car to get gas and as you close your card door…..zap!.......you feel a shock. This is caused by static electricity. Aside from the fact that the shock may be unpleasant, it’s important to discharge that static from your body before touching a gas pump nozzle. On rare occasions, that static electricity can ignite the gasoline vapors in the air, causing a fire — and a gas station is the last place you want to spark a fire. Before using the pump, touch metal on the car door with your bare hand. This will discharge static electricity on your body and prevent a possible fire. Once the gasoline is pumping, don’t get back into your car. This can recharge your body with static electricity. If you must get into your vehicle, discharge the static electricity again before touching the pump nozzle. Some cellphone manufacturers have even cautioned their customers to switch off their cellphones while pumping gas because of the remote possibility that it could act as a source of static electricity.
