# charcoal in grocery stores **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [March 3, 2017, 4:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/charcoal-in-grocery-stores/781312 "2017-03-03T16:54:13Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2017, 10:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/charcoal-in-grocery-stores/781312/21 "2017-03-03T22:32:33Z")
> [@Ike\_Witt](#): > > How are you supposed to get it home? You put it on the truck while it’s not moving and then drive it home. ---
**Author:** ![Evan\_Drake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b487fb/32.png) [@Evan\_Drake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Evan_Drake)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2017, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/charcoal-in-grocery-stores/781312/22 "2017-03-03T22:47:18Z")
Or attach a long chain and drag it along behind your truck. Anyway, charcoal is one of man’s earliest products, and charcoal burners lived in the forest next to their kilns/piles; later they used it in smelting ore. Prolly no early steel without charcoal. They would have noticed if it happened to suddenly catch fire. ---
**Author:** ![Amateur\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/59ef9b/32.png) [@Amateur\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amateur_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2017, 11:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/charcoal-in-grocery-stores/781312/23 "2017-03-03T23:03:59Z")
> [@Ike\_Witt](#): > > How are you supposed to get it home? Sorry, make that “moving van” for clarity. We did a u-pack move and the injunctions against propane cylinders of any kind were on every page. I had to get rid of three relatively new, high quality cylinders and buy new ones here. I think it has as much to do with the safety labeling on the trailer as any actual hazards; if an inspection finds cylinders on an unlabeled truck, the fines are yuge. ---
**Author:** ![jz78817](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jz78817/32/1028_2.png) [@jz78817](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jz78817)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2017, 12:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/charcoal-in-grocery-stores/781312/24 "2017-03-04T00:39:00Z")
to **Amateur Barbarian** ’s point, propane and other flammable gas cylinders aren’t supposed to be transported in enclosed box trucks or trailers. They use open bed trucks like [this.](http://www.airgas.com/2014annualreport/images/index_bg.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2017, 12:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/charcoal-in-grocery-stores/781312/25 "2017-03-04T00:44:09Z")
[Why you don’t carry Acetylene tanks in closed vehicles.](http://thechive.com/2009/12/14/plumber-explodes-van/) ---
**Author:** ![Mrdeals](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ea666f/32.png) [@Mrdeals](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mrdeals)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2017, 3:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/charcoal-in-grocery-stores/781312/26 "2017-03-05T03:19:15Z")
I own a grocery store. Your know-it-all friend is wrong 🙂 I’m not sure how different the actual product is, but stores also carry charcoal that is digestible. Used as an anti-poison (don’t know proper term) and as a teeth whitener. ---
**Author:** ![TokyoBayer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tokyobayer/32/13989_2.png) [@TokyoBayer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TokyoBayer)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2017, 4:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/charcoal-in-grocery-stores/781312/27 "2017-03-05T04:58:57Z")
> [@Mrdeals](#): > > I’m not sure how different the actual product is, but stores also carry charcoal that is digestible. It probably catches on fire. ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2017, 4:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/charcoal-in-grocery-stores/781312/28 "2017-03-05T16:06:36Z")
> [@steatopygia](#): > > Do not accept birth control advice from your friend. I don’t know. Keeping sauce away from your fire down below sounds reliable, if you know what I’m saying and I think you do. ---
**Author:** ![jz78817](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jz78817/32/1028_2.png) [@jz78817](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jz78817)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2017, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/charcoal-in-grocery-stores/781312/29 "2017-03-05T18:53:38Z")
> [@Mrdeals](#): > > I own a grocery store. > > Your know-it-all friend is wrong 🙂 > > I’m not sure how different the actual product is, but stores also carry charcoal that is digestible. Used as an anti-poison (don’t know proper term) and as a teeth whitener. Activated charcoal or activated carbon. ---
**Author:** ![steatopygia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steatopygia/32/3132_2.png) [@steatopygia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/steatopygia)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2017, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/charcoal-in-grocery-stores/781312/30 "2017-03-05T19:41:27Z")
> [@jz78817](#): > > Activated charcoal or activated carbon. Thick black sweetened liquid. Stains whatever it touches. Gives you black diarrhea. Amazingly, children will drink it if you sweeten it with cherry syrup. Tastes like the char on your grill. And might save your life. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2017, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/charcoal-in-grocery-stores/781312/31 "2017-03-05T20:58:46Z")
I’ve never seen charcoal on an aisle with food. It’s usually on the aisle with paper goods. Paper plates, napkins, and paper towels. Or the aisle behind it with the bug killer sprays. I can’t recall. But it’s not on a aisle with food. It may not be a firm rule. I doubt charcoal has any set rules. My favorite episode of Dirty Jobs is making charcoal. It is a nasty job. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2017, 10:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/charcoal-in-grocery-stores/781312/32 "2017-03-05T22:13:53Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > I’ve never seen charcoal on an aisle with food. > > It’s usually on the aisle with paper goods. Paper plates, napkins, and paper towels. Or the aisle behind it with the bug killer sprays. I can’t recall. But it’s not on a aisle with food. > > It may not be a firm rule. I doubt charcoal has any set rules. That’s typically the aisle I see it in around here. And I doubt it’s a rule–it’s just that’s where people expect the charcoal to be–with the non-food/outdoor items. And what is meant by “near” food? Of course it’s unlikely that you’ll find charcoal right next to the bread for the above reason. But my store has charcoal right on the other side of an aisle that does have food. Is that “near” food? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/charcoal-in-grocery-stores/781312.md?page=1)