While filling his tank at a Mobil gas station in Centerline, Michigan, one man clearly let his fear of spiders get the best of him, risking fiery death and grievous injury to himself and innocent bystanders.
Upon seeing a spider outside of his gas tank, he had a moment of thoughtlessness, quickly proving the very flammable nature of gasoline when he attempted to kill the spider with fire.
He took his lighter, flicked the igniter and immediately started a blaze. A spark fell from the passenger’s side rear of his vehicle and residual gas on the ground combusted, engulfing the pump in flames.
“He didn’t have a cigarette. He didn’t have anything on him at all, so all of a sudden I looked out and I seen flames,” said employee Susan Adams.
Adams remained calm and was quick on her feet. She hit the gas automatic stop button and called the local fire department. Meanwhile, the panicked man ran around aimlessly, obviously unsure of what to do. He eventually grabbed a fire extinguisher and smothered the flame before firefighters could arrive.
The charred fuel pump was destroyed, but the guy's vehicle escaped with minimal damage. Despite the harrowing happening, the man returned as a customer the next day.
"He was sorry," Adams said. "He was sorry, he said he didn't know. It is just one of those things that happen - stupidity. That’s all I can call it - pure stupidity“