Just how stupid can people be!

Not as safe as we thought?

Over the weekend on the way back from a very pleasant weekend camping in Derbyshire I stopped off at Sainsbury’s petrol station at the Meteor Centre in Derby. This is not normally an event that would be of note, but on this occasion I saw something that can only be described as mindless idiocy!

We all know that petrol is rather dangerous – it has a propensity to explode rather easily (it wouldn’t be very good at its job if it didn’t). Because of this petrol forecourts tend to be fairly well-managed locations to prevent the possibility of sparks and explosions. We are all used to the idea that we shouldn’t use mobile phones or smoke while filling up……

However, the scenario that had developed in Derby was remarkable;

A large 4×4 pickup (it looked like a US import) had been refueled by its owner – sadly it was a diesel and he had filled it up at the petrol pump. This is not easily done, but it happens. Normally this then requires the vehicle to be taken to a garage for the tank to be drained and the system re-primed with diesel – unless of course you are a moron.

Apparently our ‘brave’ driver decided that he would syphon out his tank into 5 gallon plastic bottles himself – and on the forecourt! This on the hottest day of the year, surrounded by cars filling up with fuel. I mentioned to the ladies in the kiosk that I thought this was perhaps ‘not such a good idea’ and they told me they had expressed the same sentiments to the driver and asked him to stop. He had told them ‘where to get off’ and just carried on.

I have a couple of thoughts here;

Obviously the driver was a mindless moron (that goes without saying), and should have been arrested, but why didn’t the manager of the forecourt either phone the police or close the forecourt? It appears that Sainsbury’s management of their petrol stations is sadly lacking. Why have they no guidance in place for their staff in this type of scenario – or is it so important to make money that the public safety comes second?

Not sure the licensing authorities would see it that way?