Petrol kept pumping

Lex Luthor

was filling the car this morning and just about when I expected the nozzle to click off with the full tank, out it came out of the fill area and splashed all over my left leg of my jeans and boots.

Right now I smell like a refinery but I had to come into work.

Tried to talk to the girl behind the counter but she had no english or very little to speak of and the line was out the door.

How reactive is petrol on clothing? Does it bleach it or wear it down quickly...?
Last thing I want is to be walking around work today and my jeans start to change colour or even worse, fall away...

Is it worth making a complaint to the ESSO head office?

crosstownk

I'd contact Esso and the filling station about it and see if they will pay to at least dry clean your clothes. The pump must have been faulty - it should have cut out - unless you hadn't inserted the nozzle the whole way.

Don't light any matches for a while!!!

kluivert

Take off your jeans and let them dry outside if the sun is shining. That will help to get rid of the smell and air them out and dry them off.

Lex Luthor

just called them and got put through to UK office but she took details and I should be getting a call from the station manager.

Hopefully, I get through the day with my clothes intact...:eek:

I seem to remember a pair of jeans getting splashed with petrol from the lawnmower when I was filling it a few yrs back and big holes appearing in the jeans a few days later....

Lex Luthor

kluivert wrote:

Take off your jeans and let them dry outside if the sun is shining. That will help to get rid of the smell and air them out and dry them off.

Not an option...I'm in work

kluivert

I know I was taking the mick sorry...

Crap when that happens though, the smell of your clothes is annoying alright.

furtzy

Happened me with diesel a while back...had to throw the clothes out as i couldn't get rid of the smell. Got a free tank full of diesel as compo. They were only work clothes so wasn't bothered. Definitely fight for some compo

Guy:Incognito

Lex Luthor wrote:

Not an option...I'm in work

Nobody will mind, you have a good reason.

Seth Brundle

You will stink for the day but there should have been no premanent damage done to you or your clothes

unkel

Lex Luthor wrote:

just called them

Good. It's a safety issue and you did well to report it. As for the petrol on your clothes, it might sting

faigs

Lex Luthor wrote:

just about when I expected the nozzle to click off with the full tank

If you left it running without holding the nozzle...you did well, any station I go to seems to not have this function, its really annoying when you have a big tank to fill and you have to hold it. Anyone else find it hard to get a nozzle that you can leave to run on its own?

JackieChan

faigs,
Everytime I go to fillup I try to put the lock on to keep the diesel pumping. Very few around.Coincidentally I came across a place yesterday.Can take awhile to fill a 70lt tank!

kippy

If you left it running without holding the nozzle...you did well, any station I go to seems to not have this function, its really annoying when you have a big tank to fill and you have to hold it. Anyone else find it hard to get a nozzle that you can leave to run on its own?

I thought most Petrol pumps had this feature.
Just a note- I have noticed before when using this feature that on certain cars and with certain types of pump, petrol splashing out of the filler hole can happen before the pump has the chance to switch off. I think if the pump pumps too quickly and the pipe leading to the tank is a certain sixe petrol comes up the pump too quick and exits the nozzel before the pump has had the chance to switch off.
Kippy

Genghis

Yeah, faigs, that is a problem alright. If you get a new garage just opened you usually find those pumps that you can lock on. Then it seems that the station manager disables the function - dunno why?

Also, (brainiacs:)) anyone know how do the pumps cut out - is it based on air flow being displaced by the fuel, or what?

Anan1

Lex Luthor wrote:

was filling the car this morning and just about when I expected the nozzle to click off with the full tank, out it came out of the fill area and splashed all over my left leg of my jeans and boots.

Right now I smell like a refinery but I had to come into work.

Tried to talk to the girl behind the counter but she had no english or very little to speak of and the line was out the door.

How reactive is petrol on clothing? Does it bleach it or wear it down quickly...?
Last thing I want is to be walking around work today and my jeans start to change colour or even worse, fall away...

Is it worth making a complaint to the ESSO head office?

Personally speaking, I'd be a lot more worried about my skin than my clothing. Have you rung a doctor or a dermatologist? Go home and get out of those clothes now.

Kimbot

Dude!! If someone lights a match or smoke beside you right now you could catch fire!! Get out of those clothes!! Buy new ones if you can't go home and get them to reimburse!!

Savman

jonny24ie wrote:

Dude!! If someone lights a match or smoke beside you right now you could catch fire!!

yeah that too :D:D

prospect

jonny24ie wrote:

Dude!! If someone lights a match or smoke beside you right now you could catch fire!!

Well, he hasn't replied, so maybe that did happen !!! :eek:

Poor Lex

unkel

jonny24ie wrote:

Dude!! If someone lights a match or smoke beside you right now you could catch fire!

Nah the petrol would probably have dried up pretty quickly

@OP: any news?

faigs

Genghis wrote:

Yeah, faigs, that is a problem alright. If you get a new garage just opened you usually find those pumps that you can lock on. Then it seems that the station manager disables the function - dunno why?

Also, (brainiacs:)) anyone know how do the pumps cut out - is it based on air flow being displaced by the fuel, or what?

I went to two new stations near me as soon as they opened (Apple Green in Gormanstown) and the pumps never locked on. The one in Smithstown (Just outside Drogheda) worked for me last night, but thats coz it's where trucks usually fill up and they would have to. Think you have to have a DCI card to use it.

If you look into the nozzle you'll see a small tube inside on the top side- this is for airflow to ensure a constant, smooth flow of fuel. When this is blocked off the fuel cant flow and hence it clicks off!

drdre

i would contact he garage and complain,see what they say they might just pay for dry cleaning, but thats really dangerous as there must have been petrol on the forecourt

stratos

Someone mentioned earlier the auto release on most pumps doesn't work now, and you have to hold the trigger on the petrol gun. Well there is an easy solution, your petrol cap will hold the trigger. Insert the threaded end between the back stop and the trigger, hey presto auto cut off. no more cramped fingers !

AMurphy

Lex Luthor wrote:

.....

Tried to talk to the girl behind the counter but she had no english or very little to speak of and the line was out the door.

How reactive is petrol on clothing? ......?

Last first;
You'll probably never get the stain out if it dried, which it did I assume. Contact whomever actually owns the pump. Sheet, I'd have 5 gal on the ground were it me cause I wander off to buy the paper, milk, wash the lamp lems and chat with the lady behind the counter while it is filling....

What language would she have used had she spoken and what would she have said?.

Lex Luthor

I'm still here so didn't get burned out yesterday.

My boots still smell and I've only just thrown my jeans in the wash now...still smell of petrol though but look like they've held together. Looks like Wrangler do claim to have the toughest jeans on the market.

Still nothing back from ESSO or the garage itself.

I'd say there was probably 1-2 litres possibly spilled out over me, the car & forecourt. At least if they think I'm bluffing, I should be on CCTV.

She was probably either Polish or Latvian/Hungarian.

Just as well the clip was removed or a lot more could have been spilled.