AFVOA Newletters of Year 2004

Page 20 of 153 Two weeks later the businessman returned, repaid the $5,000 and the interest which came to $15.41. The loan officer said, ‘we do appreciate your business and this transaction has worked out very nicely, but we are a bit puzzled. While you were away we checked and found that you are a multimillionaire. What puzzles us is why you would bother to borrow $5,000?’ The business man replied: ‘Where else in New York City can I park my car for 2 weeks for 15 bucks?’ Safety Precautions for Cell Phone Users 83. Cell phones are extremely useful – one can call up from anywhere to anywhere. But then it should be remembered that there is a flip side to this. A message regarding care to be exercised in the use of cell phones while filling up fuel has been sent by Smt Praveena Srinivasan, daughter of Maj CA Parthasarathy which is worth noting by all users. 84. The Shell Oil Company recently issued a warning after three incidents in which mobile phones (cell phones) ignited fumes during fueling operations. 85. In the first case, the phone was placed on the car’s trunk lid during fueling; it rang and the ensuing fire destroyed the car and the gasoline pump. 86. In the second, an individual suffered severe burns to their face when fumes ignited as they answered a call while refueling their car. 87. And in the third, an individual suffered burns to the thigh and groin as fumes ignited when the phone, which was in their pocket, rang while they were fueling their car. 88. You should know that: Mobile Phones can ignite fuel or fumes. Mobile phones that light up when switched on or when they ring release enough energy to provide a spark for ignition. Mobile phones should not be used in filling stations, or when fueling lawn mowers, boat! etc. Mobile phones should not be used, or should be turned off, around other materials that generate flammable or explosive fumes or dust, i.e. solvents, chemicals, gases, grain dust, etc.) To sum it up, here are the: Four Rules for Safe Refueling are: 1) Turn off engine 2) Don’t smoke 3) Don’t use your cell phone - leave it inside the vehicle or turn it off 4) Don’t re-enter your vehicle during fueling 89. Bob Renkes of Petroleum Equipment Institute is working on a campaign to try and make people aware of fires as a result of “static electricity” at gas pumps. His company has researched 150 cases of these fires. His results were very surprising: 1) Out of 150 cases, almost all of them were women. 2) Almost all cases involved the person getting back in their vehicle while the nozzle was still pumping gas, when finished and they went back to pull the nozzle out the fire started, as a result of static. 3) Most had on rubber-soled shoes. 4) Most men never get back in their vehicle until completely finished. This is why they are seldom involved in these types of fires. 5) Don’t ever use cell phones when pumping gas 6) It is the vapors that come out of the gas that cause the fire, when connected with static charges. 7) There were 29 fires where the vehicle was reentered and the nozzle was touched during