Woman Warns to Always Touch Something Metal Before Pumping Your Gas

A woman says she was shocked to learn that not touching metal before pumping your gas could prevent a nasty explosion from occurring at her local fuel station.

TikToker Nicki Andrea (@nicki_andrea) shared a safety PSA after purchasing gasoline at Costco where she says she learned proper safety protocol for pumping gasoline.

Nicki says in a viral video, "I don't know if this is common knowledge but I figured I would share in case it's not and this could save someone's life because I didn't know this. I was getting gas at Costco and I had got, I did the thing where you put the nozzle in the car you let it run and you go back in your car."

She continued with the potentially life-saving gas pumping advice: "You sit there obviously with the engine turned off and you wait and you get out and you take the nozzle out you get your receipt and you leave."

Nicki goes on to say that someone approached her to tell her about the safety hack: "Um, and a man came up to me as I was getting out of my car to take the nozzle out and get my receipt and he said just be careful I just want you to know the friction from you moving around, this can happen in like cold dry environments, and something about the static that you produce when you're getting out of the car...moving around...touching things"

She added that the man said she should "Always make sure you touch something metal like touch your car, touch something metal with both hands before you touch the nozzle because that static can cause a spark that can produce an electrical fire and if you touch the nozzle and it could literally blow you up."

Nicki seemed so stunned/frightened by the knowledge she just learned that for a brief moment in her video she thought someone in the parking lot walking behind her vehicle was attempting to do something to her or her car: "That was crazy it was like...I've never heard that before in my life but I looked it up and it's true."

She finishes her video by doubling down on the safety tidbit: "If you're ever getting out of your car or if you're like touching the nozzle and then touching something else, make sure you touch something metal and get rid of the possibility of static because you know your hair gets static-ey whatever, everything gets static-ey, I know I probably sound like a flustered idiot right now, but touch something metal before you touch the nozzle of your gas thingamabob because you could literally blow yourself up."

Plymouth Township Fire Department published a piece online instructing individuals on safe practices while pumping gasoline to help prevent static fires, which is the phenomenon that Nicki is referring to in her video.

The site's safety instructions read: "Before using the pump, touch metal or the car door with your bare hand. This will discharge static electricity on your body and will prevent possible fire."

The advice continues: "Once the gasoline is pumping, do not get back into your vehicle. This can recharge your body with static electricity. If you must get back into your vehicle, discharge static electricity again before touching the pump nozzle."

Other commenters who saw Nicki's video shared their own gas pump safety rules: "You should never leave the pump period!! Could be so dangerous"

However others were a bit dubious, thinking that all of this extra caution was unnecessary: "I mean but honestly when is the last time u heard of someone combusting at a gas station"

A video published on YouTube by local news affiliate KSHB 41 delineates how static fires could result in an explosion at the pump.