cross-posted from: https://lemmy.world/post/42386751
Remember when you had to turn your phone off when refuelling? Pepperidge Farm remembers.
this post was submitted on 30 Jan 2026
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A Boring Dystopia
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I don't! Why?
A bullshit urban legend that said using your phone while pumping gas would potentially start a fire because of radio waves or some such and spontaneously start fires. It even went so far that gas stations put signs up telling customers to not use their phones.
What really happened was people would start pumping gas with those pumps that had automatic shutoffs, then they’d go sit in the car while it filled the tank to use their phone. When the pump automatically clicked off they’d get up and pull the gas nozzle out. This action caused static buildup getting into/out of the car seat and it discharged grabbing the gas nozzle. Sometimes enough of a discharge to start a fire. Took them a while watching security videos to figure out the sequence of events.
So indirectly it was using a phone that caused the fires, but not the phone itself.
Gas fumes and electronics
Gas fumes and static electricity. Electricity isn't a problem if it remains inside. Once it goes outside it can do unpredictable stuff.
It was a theory. unproven theory.
It is more dangerous to get in and out of your car while fueling.
no, but i got my first cell in the late aughts. i'm not a luddite, just poor.
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Be a shame if something happened to the screen.
you know how people accidentally drive off with the nozzle? you're fine if you bring it back. just, uh, bring half of it back.
Leave the thing on the ground so the next car kills it properly. Nonconsensual ads are digital rape. It is the same moral scope as buying and selling a person's digital presence to manipulate and exploit them is digital slavery.
Any company with an advertising budget for spamming and wasting my time is clearly indicating that their competition has a product with better value and reputation. Ads are public service announcements of what to never purchase.
I will not watch ads for anything at all. My time is not subject to that nonsense. I'll go read or do other things.
I feel exactly the same.
I think at some point we as a society need to heavily regulate and restrict where and when advertisement is allowed, and who is allowed to do it. Things like billboards and optional free services that need revenue should be allowed (with heavy restrictions, things like YouTube and Facebook have gotten absolutely out of control with advertisement) and multibillion dollar corporations should be banned from advertising outside of their own personal properties, at the very least. I’d even support an outright ban of current advertising in favour of spaces online where you can be advertised to if you’re actively looking for options for that service. I understand it would cause some issues with the advertising industry but I wont shed any tears for job losses in that sector.
Something has to be done about the absolutely dystopian horror novel levels of advertising we are subjected to.
I feel exactly the same.
I think at some point we as a society need to heavily regulate and restrict where and when advertisement is allowed, and who is allowed to do it. Things like billboards and optional free services that need revenue should be allowed (with heavy restrictions, things like YouTube and Facebook have gotten absolutely out of control with advertisement) and multibillion dollar corporations should be banned from advertising outside of their own personal properties, at the very least. I’d even support an outright ban of current advertising in favour of spaces online where you can be advertised to if you’re actively looking for options for that service. I understand it would cause some issues with the advertising industry but I wont shed any tears for job losses in that sector.
Something has to be done about the absolutely dystopian horror novel levels of advertising we are subjected to.
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Does the screen at least have some other functionality - like telling you when the tank is full, or something?
Or is it just a little digital billboard of sadness.
(Edit) - dunno why so many people feel the need to give 'um actually; that's redundant' replies when none actually answer my question - I still don't know if it only displays ads.
Gonna answer all questions at the same time instead of sending three identical replies:
To this day many (perhaps even most) people still don't know that petrol tanks in vehicles require some air space at the top to allow room for fuel expansion and vapours - and that you should definitely stop filling at the first click.
Overfilling by continuing after the first click often leads to liquid fuel getting into the charcoal canister or fuel tank breather. A reminder to stop filling on the little screen could be beneficial.
Surely the haptic feedback of the pump cutting out that already exists when the tank is full is more than enough?
Why would you need it to tell you when it's full? If it mirrored the screen of the main pump it would at least let you see how much you've pumped/how much it'll cost, without needing to turn around, which is a tiny benefit but not zero. But I can't see any benefit in it just telling you "your tank is full now", as though the fact that it stops pumping doesn't do that for you more effectively.
I know some people that have never filled a tank to the top, they always just put a specific amount of money worth of fuel in. Every time I filled up when I had a motorcycle I would fill it until no more would fit because not filling it to the top just means I need to visit petrol stations more often.
Or rather how much it costs
I've never bought shit because of gas station adds. If I see you have a gas station add at the pump I legit stay away from your product for being such a fucking nuisance.
It must be cool to live in a developed country. In my country people would just break or steal the screens.
My first thought was "I'd break that annoying fucker."
I asked myself if I could steal and use it as a screen for my raspberry pi..
That's what the whole nozzle assembly probably is => a Stanley knife should help. After you finished filling up of course.
Unfortunately I live in a country where you can't fill your tank yourself. There's a law to "protect jobs" so every gas station has to hire employees to pump gas for clients. Besides, I really doubt that someone would have the courage to put those screens on gas pumps. We once were the country that most broke paid phones in the world, back in the 90s. Imagine what people would do to these things.
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They are broken quite often in the netherlands as well. People fucking hate them.
Oh no, my very sharp keys fell hard onto that screen, tragically cracking it.
Wait, that might look obvious from security cameras. I'm sure there's a substance one could (accidentally) discreetly smear onto it that would destroy the display.
if you try to damage glass chemically i suggest you to find something better to do
Good point. Mechanical means are safest and simplest.
Oh my god are they fucking serious?
For real though that’s begging to be casually and brutally mistreated at every opportunity.
It would be a shame if someone put some advertising stickers on it.
You would see me pointedly staring at the sky while filling my car. Maybe whistling a little tune. Pointedly.
Weren't there already fuel pumps which started pumping only after showing an ad?
holy cow, I hope not, that would be cruel!
I would actively boycott any product advertised to me at the pump in the rain, cold, etc
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Most gas pumps in the US just constantly loudly blare ads (and "news" that is also ads) on screens with no way to mute it. I'm not sure if that is what you're describing or if you mean some other possibly worse variety.
Thankfully Costco stations don't do that. I've not seen an ad at a pump in years.
If there wasn't always such an atrocious line at the Costco gas station, maybe I could check out the ad-free utopia heh.
Honestly I think the single use plastic is worse
Keep a big jar of adhesive googley eyes in the glove box for such occasions.
Luckily duct tape is widely available and super cheap
Screen looks about the size of a standard shipping label, box of 80 for $10.
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That reminds me, I haven't received my dose of cheddar news this week.
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You guys pump gas?
No, he's Dutch so they're de auto tanken
Found the New Jerseyian
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