If a box of garter snakes were to be dumped unexpectedly on the floor of a crowded room, the ensuing rush for the doors would have the makings for a slapstick comedy.

 

However, if a one gallon can of gasoline were to be brought into the same crowd, most persons would have only a casual concern. Fear is a relative thing. A race car driver that spends the day racing his car at 200 miles per hour is probably terrified on our highway system at only 55 miles per hour. Guenther Gebel Williams spends his time with wild lions and tigers - something that is not appealing to the average house cat owner. To a rock climber that has spent his day clinging to a sheer rock face on one inch footholds, a one foot wide ledge probably seems like a football field.

 

The significance of these points is that when a person is around a danger for a reasonable amount of time, they beome "sensitized" to the level of danger and tend to take it for granted. That is the time when it can "get" you.

 

The paradox in the first two paragraphs is that the "danger" of the garter snakes is only implied and unfounded because they are harmless.

 

But yet, the gasoline, fully vaporized and ignited, could send the roomful of people to Kingdom Come and back again. The paradox holds that the perception of the danger is on the wrong "danger."

 

Many persons use and store gasoline inside their homes, not fully realizing the potential for disaster.

 

The vapors from gasoline are three to four times as heavy as the air we breathe. That means that they will flow, just like a liquid. The vapors will seek the lowest level they can. If the mixture of vapors and oxygen in the air is just right and they find an ignition source - flame on! There are many sources of ignition in our homes. Pilot lights on water heaters and furnaces, sparks from electric motors and switches. All are sufficient to set off an explosion.

 

So how do you prevent this disaster from occuring? The answer is simple. Never bring, store or use gasoline inside your home! Gasoline will constantly produce vapors that can ignite. To properly store gasoline, you should keep it in an approved container that is designed for gasoline storage, in an outdoor storage shed. The next best location is to keep it in your garage.

 

If you must use a solvent to clean brushes or engine parts, use the proper solvent designed for that duty. Gasoline is just too dangerous for those applications.

 

Be safe, don't risk a potentially lethal explosion by improperly storing gasoline in your home.