cell phone explosions

I use the phone a lot while driving. It is one of the best times to hold a decent conversation, because you can't be distracted by anything else. Every so often I stop for gas, and whoever I'm talking with gets very concerned that I will blow the station up. By using the phone.

I've been having to explain this to people for almost as long as I've been driving. There is really no danger, despite the fact that kiasu petrol station actually put signs up banning the use of phones. I ignore them.

So I thought that I would outline the reasons once and for all, why there is nothing wrong with using the phone at the petrol station.

1) Theory - There is not enough energy in the electromagnetic signal given off by the cellphone to ignite petrol vapour. When I first started driving, I could have used 'A'-level physics to explain this; it's that simple. Too bad all that is long forgotten, but the fact remains.

2) Empirical Evidence - I once caught an episode of Mythbusters where they tried to test this urban legend to see if it was really true. They pumped gaseous petrol into a chamber with a cellphone, and called the phone to see if it would ignite the fumes. It wouldn't. They also tried to set it off by static electricity by rubbing a number of different common synthetic clothing materials together, and on a number of occasions it did explode. Snopes also dismisses many of the claims that have appears in the news, as does TruthOrFiction.

3) Humidity - I assume this urban legend started in America or England, where the air is dry and static electricity gives off sparks. Maybe there was some cause for concern. But in Singapore with 100% humidity, what are you worried about?!

Well, if you've been hanging people up when you had to stop for gas, don't feel bad about being misled. This is indeed a common misconception, as you can see from this article. Check it out, the comments and links are really interesting too, if you want to find out more on the topic.

State Senator Wants To Ban Mobile Phones At The Pump Thanks To Urban Legend

It's never a good sign when you're legislating based on urban legends. While plenty of people have been fooled in the past, there is no evidence that using a mobile phone at a gas station puts you at any risk of causing an explosion. However, that's not stopping one state senator in Connecticut from proposing a law banning mobile phone use at the pump, claiming that "it is a known, documented fact that using a cell phone in proximity of the gas pump can cause an electrical charge that can cause a fire that can ignite the pump." Of course, even many of the rumors of mobile phones creating explosions at gas pumps say it's not the use of the phones at the pump anyway, but the phone ringing. If that's the case, wouldn't you actually be safer if you kept using the phone at the pump -- since it would prevent the phone from ringing?