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Gas stations contain lots of flammable material that will in fact catch fire and burn.- It is possible to get severely burned yourself.
- In a small town, news travels fast, especially when there is a town siren.
- It takes time for the volunteer fire department to reach the fire, but first they drive past the fire to pick up their trucks to put the fire out.
- The pumps will stop working until they are reset, adding to the embarrassment as people you know try to fill up.
- The emergency shut-off switch is never in the spot you think it is when you need to find it the most, or it’s behind the ice freezer.
- Having to admit you thought it was a great idea to flick a lighter you found on the ground earlier that day while pumping gas.
- Considering running away from the fire in order not to get blown up while innocent bystanders look on.
- Washing the car for the second time that day in order to clean off fire retardant from the extinguisher.
- Telling your grandparents coming to town that you almost blew up the car they gave your mom.
In fact, all of the above is true and happened just like that. I was about 14 and made a bad choice at the wrong time. Fortunately for me, the car was spared and had just a little burnt rubber around the gas cap. The gas station was also spared and never did blow up. I did start to run and got about 3 steps away before I decided to find the shut-off switch, which I never did find. I eventually ran inside and yelled at the attendant to shut off the pumps. At that time, someone who saw what was going on put the fire out with a fire extinguisher. The moral of the story is to listen to the warning signs at the gas station so the same doesn’t happen to you. My poor mom and the things she had to deal with. Now it is a look into my past and a funny story to tell. Not many people I know can say they caught a gas station on fire and lived to tell about it.
Note: I did not get burned at all, and the picture shown is not the gas station I caught on fire.
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Josh, love the story!
As the parent of three (21, 20, & 14) I look back at some of the stuff I did and think about how much I don’t want my kids to even think of things like that! You’re right…the things we put our parents through!
Great post!
- Thom
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Oh Phew! For a second I thought that was the gas station you almost blew up.. Hehe! Do you have like.. Flashbacks now when you go to a Gas Station?
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No I don’t really get any flashbacks but I am a little more cautious now.
Well that’ll get ya to quit smoking LOL.
I feel for ya…when I was 8 I used dad’s mini chainsaw to chop down 3 little birch trees in an attempt to “help mom” clear a wooded area behind the garage.
No one told me how expensive they were lol.
At about 11, me and a couple buddies were seeing if a molotov cocktail really worked.
No lasting damage, but we blamed it on the “3 teenagers” we saw running from the scene.
Oops.
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That’s pretty good. That reminded me of something I remember happening when I lived in San Antonio many years ago.
This guy was pumping gas, and the catch on the nozzle that keeps it running automatically was broken. So he pulled out his bic lighter and propped it in ther th keep it running.
Well, when the tank filled and shut of the nozzle, it sparked the lighter and KABOOOOM!
Use the story if you like!
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Lol…great story you shared with us Josh, you are not along in this.
I too burned miles of bushes by the river with my friends when I used to live in Korea, I was about only 7 back then and it didn’t harm anyone. We never got caught, which was cool. I think everyone makes mistakes but as long as it doesn’t harm anyone, it’s becomes a fun memory, not a disaster.
Nice story. Hopefully i won’t ever have to use the tips provided.
So were you smoking when you were filling up the car?
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