# Celebrate Fire Prevention Week by pouring gasoline into a toilet-it's a blast **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [October 8, 2004, 7:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebrate-fire-prevention-week-by-pouring-gasoline-into-a-toilet-its-a-blast/268167 "2004-10-08T07:03:14Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![buttonjockey308](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bcef8e/32.png) [@buttonjockey308](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/buttonjockey308)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2004, 12:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebrate-fire-prevention-week-by-pouring-gasoline-into-a-toilet-its-a-blast/268167/21 "2004-10-09T00:55:10Z")
Down the crapper! Now THAT is priceless. Genius that can ne’er be measured. Here’s how the thing SHOULD have gone down… Citizen Dumbass notices his car leaking gas…“Oh, no, my car is leaking gas” He should then have… 1. Called the fire department, we’ve got stuff that’ll stop the leak. 2. We’ve also got stuff (emulsifier) that makes the gasoline not flammable, which we pour on the spill, unless it’s really huge (55 gallons or above). 3. We’ll put down some kitty litter, and then if we’re feeling generous, sweep it up and dump it in our garbage can. If not, then we leave. Sweet part about that? No explosions. PLUS, it’s free. :smack: ---
**Author:** ![asterion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/4da419/32.png) [@asterion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asterion)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2004, 1:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebrate-fire-prevention-week-by-pouring-gasoline-into-a-toilet-its-a-blast/268167/22 "2004-10-09T01:06:35Z")
> [@Neurotik](#): > > Anyway, I’m sure the local service station would know how to dispose of it since they usually do it for used motor oil. Well, considering in my experience the normal procedure for gas spills at a station is to throw down some oil dry and allow the gasoline to evaporate away, then sweep up the oil dry (it’s mostly just for traction and to keep customers from walking through it and possibly slipping), I have no idea why he didn’t just do that. ---
**Author:** ![beltbuckle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/3da27b/32.png) [@beltbuckle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beltbuckle)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2004, 1:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebrate-fire-prevention-week-by-pouring-gasoline-into-a-toilet-its-a-blast/268167/23 "2004-10-09T01:15:09Z")
I get rid of small amounts of gasoline in a few different ways: [li]Pour into my truck’s tank[/li] [li]Put small amount in a metal pan every day and let it evaporate[/li] [li]Put it in a metal container well away from anything flamable and throw a match into it.[/li] As far as motor oil, I know a few auto stores will take your waste oil. Our local trash service also takes it if is in a clear jug and labeled. ---
**Author:** ![Marlitharn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/779978/32.png) [@Marlitharn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marlitharn)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2004, 6:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebrate-fire-prevention-week-by-pouring-gasoline-into-a-toilet-its-a-blast/268167/24 "2004-10-09T06:50:43Z")
> [@blowero](#): > > Yeah, but he _didn’t_ leave it puddled on the driveway. You aren’t suggesting he _should_ have, are you? > > Why should he call the fire department? Wouldn’t it make more sense to take it to a hazardous waste collection center? > [http://www.slcgov.com/environment/hhwaste.htm](http://www.slcgov.com/environment/hhwaste.htm) > > Well OF COURSE you don’t flush it down the toilet. Put it in a jar or can and take it to the hazardous waste pickup. Christ, I don’t call the fucking fire department to come get my used brake fluid and motor oil. They’ve got better things to do than make house calls to pick up household waste. That’s a health department issue. Of course I wasn’t suggesting he should have left it there. I was pointing out that _if he had_, the fire department most likely would have responded, especially since it was apparently enough gas to fill a decent sized container. Nor did I say that the fire department should “make house calls to pick up household waste.” I said they would have been able to tell him the best way to dispose of it, if he had called them. I daresay the firefighters would have been happier giving him instructions over the phone than they were dealing with his exploding toilet. ---
**Author:** ![blowero](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/41988e/32.png) [@blowero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blowero)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2004, 8:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebrate-fire-prevention-week-by-pouring-gasoline-into-a-toilet-its-a-blast/268167/25 "2004-10-09T08:43:08Z")
> [@Marlitharn](#): > > I daresay the firefighters would have been happier giving him instructions over the phone than they were dealing with his exploding toilet. You know I never suggested that flushing it down the toilet was a good idea, so why on Earth do you keep saying that? Now I know how Kerry must have felt tonight dealing with all of Bush’s non-sequiturs. ---
**Author:** ![Marlitharn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/779978/32.png) [@Marlitharn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marlitharn)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2004, 9:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebrate-fire-prevention-week-by-pouring-gasoline-into-a-toilet-its-a-blast/268167/26 "2004-10-09T09:35:50Z")
> [@blowero](#): > > You know I never suggested that flushing it down the toilet was a good idea, so why on Earth do you keep saying that? Now I know how Kerry must have felt tonight dealing with all of Bush’s non-sequiturs. Why on earth do I keep saying what? Where did I say you said that? I’m referring to the dumbassedness of the guy in the OP’s link when I talk about the flaming john. Get a grip. ---
**Author:** ![blowero](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/41988e/32.png) [@blowero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blowero)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2004, 10:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebrate-fire-prevention-week-by-pouring-gasoline-into-a-toilet-its-a-blast/268167/27 "2004-10-09T10:06:11Z")
> [@Marlitharn](#): > > Why on earth do I keep saying what? Where did I say you said that? I’m referring to the dumbassedness of the guy in the OP’s link when I talk about the flaming john. Get a grip. WTF? Bullshit, man. You said it several times specifically IN RESPONSE to my posts. Get a grip, indeed. :rolleyes: We are painfully aware that the guy flushed gas down the toilet. So you can STFU now. ---
**Author:** ![Marlitharn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/779978/32.png) [@Marlitharn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marlitharn)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2004, 11:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebrate-fire-prevention-week-by-pouring-gasoline-into-a-toilet-its-a-blast/268167/28 "2004-10-09T11:30:29Z")
> [@blowero](#): > > WTF? Bullshit, man. You said it several times specifically IN RESPONSE to my posts. Get a grip, indeed. :rolleyes: > > We are painfully aware that the guy flushed gas down the toilet. So you can STFU now. That would be bullshit, _woman_, and yes, you need to get a grip. My first post pointed out that most fire departments would not consider a phone call about spilled gasoline a waste of time, as your first post seemed to imply. In other words, it was a direct response to your post. I then added the crack about “I’m pretty sure they’d have advised against pouring it down the crapper” as a demonstration of something called _humor_. My second post didn’t involve you at all. Sorry to burst your bubble. My third post (a response to your response to me) was an attempt to clarify my first two posts, as you seemed to be having trouble understanding them; an attempt which apparently backfired, as you then seized on my jocular exploding toilet comment and chose to interpret it as a direct attack on you, as if I think you gad about fiendishly advocating the flushing of combustible petroleum products. When I said: > [@](#): > > I daresay the firefighters would have been happier giving him instructions over the phone than they were dealing with his exploding toilet. It was meant as nothing more nor less than a statement of fact. How you interpreted this to mean that I was implying you thought dumping gas in the toilet was a good thing is beyond me. STFU, indeed. :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![blowero](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/41988e/32.png) [@blowero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blowero)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2004, 5:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebrate-fire-prevention-week-by-pouring-gasoline-into-a-toilet-its-a-blast/268167/29 "2004-10-10T05:58:46Z")
Whatever. Get over it. ---
**Author:** ![Quint](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/76d3ee/32.png) [@Quint](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quint)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2004, 6:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebrate-fire-prevention-week-by-pouring-gasoline-into-a-toilet-its-a-blast/268167/30 "2004-10-10T06:10:32Z")
> [@blowero](#): > > WTF? Bullshit, man. You said it several times specifically IN RESPONSE to my posts. Get a grip, indeed. :rolleyes: > > We are painfully aware that the guy flushed gas down the toilet. So you can STFU now. Wow. Spaz much? :wally ---
**Author:** ![blowero](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/41988e/32.png) [@blowero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blowero)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2004, 7:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebrate-fire-prevention-week-by-pouring-gasoline-into-a-toilet-its-a-blast/268167/31 "2004-10-10T07:04:59Z")
> [@coven](#): > > Wow. Spaz much? :wally Hey Marlitharn, stick your sock puppet up your ass. ---
**Author:** ![Quint](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/76d3ee/32.png) [@Quint](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quint)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2004, 7:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebrate-fire-prevention-week-by-pouring-gasoline-into-a-toilet-its-a-blast/268167/32 "2004-10-10T07:21:07Z")
> [@blowero](#): > > Hey Marlitharn, stick your sock puppet up your ass. How bout you pull your head out of yours, ya fuckin mook. ---
**Author:** ![zoogirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b9bd4f/32.png) [@zoogirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zoogirl)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2004, 7:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebrate-fire-prevention-week-by-pouring-gasoline-into-a-toilet-its-a-blast/268167/33 "2004-10-10T07:34:06Z")
> [@blowero](#): > > Hey Marlitharn, stick your sock puppet up your ass. Jeez, Blowero! Not trying to junior mod or anything, but last I heard accusations of sock puppetry were bannable. I know you’ve been around darn near forever and this isn’t worth losing you over. Okay? 🙂 I mean, hey. This started out a a good laugh over some dumbass and his bad case of gas, right?! ---
**Author:** ![Marlitharn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/779978/32.png) [@Marlitharn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marlitharn)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2004, 9:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebrate-fire-prevention-week-by-pouring-gasoline-into-a-toilet-its-a-blast/268167/34 "2004-10-10T09:26:11Z")
> [@blowero](#): > > Hey Marlitharn, stick your sock puppet up your ass. Don’t you ever accuse me of being a sock puppet again, you delusional little piece of shit. > [@](#): > > Whatever. Get over it. I didn’t start this, fuckwad. Get over it yourself. ---
**Author:** ![blowero](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/41988e/32.png) [@blowero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blowero)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2004, 12:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebrate-fire-prevention-week-by-pouring-gasoline-into-a-toilet-its-a-blast/268167/35 "2004-10-11T00:32:31Z")
> [@zoogirl](#): > > Jeez, Blowero! Not trying to junior mod or anything, but last I heard accusations of sock puppetry were bannable. I know you’ve been around darn near forever and this isn’t worth losing you over. Okay? 🙂 Actually, I didn’t know that. I’ve been around here awhile, but I guess I missed that rule. I’ll have to bone up on the FAQ. I guess the best solution is to just stop talking to that fuckhead Marlitharn and let her stew in her own juices. Not sure what her problem is, anyway. Ta ta… ---
**Author:** ![picunurse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7bcc69/32.png) [@picunurse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/picunurse)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2004, 4:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebrate-fire-prevention-week-by-pouring-gasoline-into-a-toilet-its-a-blast/268167/36 "2004-10-11T04:52:55Z")
> [@Cheesesteak](#): > > Only if you have a safe way to transport it. At least the Fire Dept would be able to advise him as to the safest way to store and dispose of it legally. He had the stuff in an open oil collection container, that’s thoroughly unsafe and he may not have had any safe alternative available. > > As long as he’s not tying up a 911 line, I don’t see the harm in calling the fire dept, it’s not like they’re fighting fires 24/7. Part of their job is to help with things like this so they don’t turn into fire hazards. > > This happened precisely because he wasn’t equipped to handle the situation, and refused to call the experts for advice. To transport: Place gasoline filled, lidless, unlabeled container in cup holder in personal auto. Get inside, close all the windows and turn the heater on full blast. Close all fresh air vents (recirculate mode) Take slow deep breaths. Drive toward the Hazmat center, stop there or whenever you feel unconsciousness overtaking. Alternative method of transport. Same unlided unlabeled container, held out driver’s window. Drive very fast toward hazmat center. If gasoline container is hit by an approaching vehicle, drive faster, circle back home, or to ER if hand appears salvagable. Listen for sirens. Third option pour into toilet, sit down, light a smoke. All these options have chlorine for the gene pool built in. Sure, give it to the firefighters, they’ll set something ablaze with it! They’ll call it training! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebrate-fire-prevention-week-by-pouring-gasoline-into-a-toilet-its-a-blast/268167.md?page=1)