Originally Posted by Chris

The woman is a complete idiot who reaped the entirely forseeable consequences of handling a highly flammable liquid next to a naked flame. Despite not qualifying for a Darwin I think she still deserves a dishonourable mention for plumbing such depths of stupidity.

I am absolutely sick and tired of the elf'n'safety set banging on about how we all need to be treated like children, or morons, or both. Official advice aimed at adults should be pitched at sensible adults who are in control of their faculties and who have a reasonably developed level of common sense.

Tim, I have no doubt you've seen some horrendous stuff when dealing with the consequences of flammable liquids not being kept properly, but the thing is, all you're seeing is the aftermath of occasions when it went wrong. Many, many more people manage to keep petrol at home without setting fire to themselves in their own kitchens. I've been storing it for the best part of the last decade since getting myself a petrol mower. I've never so much as singed an eyebrow with it.

The woman in this case has no doubt stood next to a sign reading PETROLEUM SPIRIT, HIGHLY INFLAMMABLE, NO SMOKING, SWITCH OFF ENGINE and other assorted warnings against naked flames and use of mobile phones, just about every week of her adult life while filling the tank of her own car. If she has somehow not absorbed the safety message over all that time then frankly there is nothing that Francis Maude could have said or done, or failed to say or do, that would have prevented her doing herself an injury, if not now then at some point in the future.

Some people simply do not have the sense they were born with and I don't see why I should be spoken to like an idiot on their account.