# Is this a bad thing?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-a-bad-thing/6327>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [January 18, 2000, 1:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-a-bad-thing/6327 "2000-01-18T13:45:00Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![phouka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c5a1d2/32.png) [@phouka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/phouka)\
**Post date:** [January 18, 2000, 1:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-a-bad-thing/6327/1 "2000-01-18T13:45:00Z")

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Every morning when I drive to work, I hit the red light at Luna and Beltline. I almost always have my window rolled partway down, and as I sit there, waiting for the light to cycle, I can smell gas.

That is, not my own or my car’s gas, but natural gas - that methyl mercaptan stinkiness that makes me want to double check to make sure the pilot light is on.

There are a few pipes sticking out of the ground about ten yards behind the southeast corner (I think) that I assume are gas lines.

It never smells when I’m driving home.

Is this a bad thing? Have I lucked out every morning the past seven months in that I haven’t been asphyxiated or turned into a blackened phouka? Should I notify someone?

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**Author:** ![Ike\_Witt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ike_witt/32/283_2.png) [@Ike\_Witt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ike_Witt)\
**Post date:** [January 18, 2000, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-a-bad-thing/6327/2 "2000-01-18T16:56:00Z")

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I can’t quite picture the intersection…how close to the airport is it? Are there any well pumps nearby?

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**Author:** ![Ringo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/779978/32.png) [@Ringo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ringo)\
**Post date:** [January 18, 2000, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-a-bad-thing/6327/3 "2000-01-18T17:46:00Z")

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If you can smell the stuff they tag natural gas, call the local gas utility and tell them.

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**Author:** ![MrKnowItAll](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrknowitall/32/87_2.png) [@MrKnowItAll](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrKnowItAll)\
**Post date:** [January 19, 2000, 5:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-a-bad-thing/6327/4 "2000-01-19T05:53:00Z")

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Just an idea, you haven’t been eating beans, have you? 😉