# Obtaining gasoline in Zombie/Alien Apocalypse TV shows **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [July 19, 2012, 12:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obtaining-gasoline-in-zombie-alien-apocalypse-tv-shows/628671 "2012-07-19T00:09:58Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2012, 5:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obtaining-gasoline-in-zombie-alien-apocalypse-tv-shows/628671/21 "2012-07-19T17:20:55Z")
> [@carnivorousplant](#): > > I have a shallow well pump, and one must fill the pump and pipe with water before it will begin moving fluid. The hand pumps used to fill aircraft are very close to the gasoline container. I perhaps one could prime the pump with gas from the car, or use any available fluid and discard the first few gallons that were pumped out. With a pump you have a valve that keeps air from getting back in, so priming works. With just a hose, and 200 feet of it at that, you need to get gravity or air pressure or whatever the hell makes siphons work sufficient to get the flow going without air backing up into the hose to break the siphon. It’s so much easier with any kind of pump, or at least having that check valve in the line somewhere. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2012, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obtaining-gasoline-in-zombie-alien-apocalypse-tv-shows/628671/22 "2012-07-19T17:24:16Z")
> [@TriPolar](#): > > With a pump you have a valve that keeps air from getting back in, so priming works. Good point. Glad we’re getting this thought out and won’t have to improvise at the last minute. ---
**Author:** ![hogarth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hogarth/32/1773_2.png) [@hogarth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hogarth)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2012, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obtaining-gasoline-in-zombie-alien-apocalypse-tv-shows/628671/23 "2012-07-19T18:11:31Z")
Couldn’t you just lower a bucket on a rope (assuming you could find a hole big enough to admit a bucket)? ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2012, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obtaining-gasoline-in-zombie-alien-apocalypse-tv-shows/628671/24 "2012-07-19T18:46:27Z")
> [@hogarth](#): > > Couldn’t you just lower a bucket on a rope (assuming you could find a hole big enough to admit a bucket)? Gas tankers have a hose smaller than a fire hose. ---
**Author:** ![August\_West](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/august_west/32/18069_2.png) [@August\_West](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/August_West)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2012, 10:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obtaining-gasoline-in-zombie-alien-apocalypse-tv-shows/628671/25 "2012-07-19T22:37:38Z")
> [@carnivorousplant](#): > > Gas tankers have a hose smaller than a fire hose. It’s a very small bucket. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2012, 10:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obtaining-gasoline-in-zombie-alien-apocalypse-tv-shows/628671/26 "2012-07-19T22:49:56Z")
> [@August\_West](#): > > It’s a very small bucket. 😃 Ah. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2012, 12:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obtaining-gasoline-in-zombie-alien-apocalypse-tv-shows/628671/27 "2012-07-20T00:40:17Z")
> [@BobLibDem](#): > > It’s my understanding that siphons require the outlet to be lower than the inlet. I don’t see how this is possible with an underground tank, unless it’s on a hill. They were getting it out of another vehicle. Siphoning out of vehicles was implied in _Walking Dead_ as well, although not shown. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obtaining-gasoline-in-zombie-alien-apocalypse-tv-shows/628671.md?page=1)