Kaboom!!!!!!!!

[Rockstar]

Thats what happens when your customers use your vacuum to suck up gas from the back seat of her car!My helper and I were inside working when we heard a loud kaboom,I thought someone hit the building,so we ran outside and I see a woman running from her car with her gas can and the lid of my vac rocking on the ground and the strong smell of gas,so before I could say a word she says what the F@#$ happen? I tried to explain to her,but I just took her info and sent her down the road,before I completely flipped out!
The blast was heard about mile away and the police and fire showed up,but how this lady did'nt get hurt or killed,WOW! Anyway, the vac took it very well,but most of the wires and motors are burned up and I will be replacing asap!

I still try to remember how I thought the car wash was a good Idea!! I,m in a nice town,but I can't understand how stupid people really are!!

 

[MEP001]

I've seen the same thing happen before - it blew the coin door off and the guy claimed injury from the explosion. The dome stayed on but it was purple from all the heat, and all the electrical and motors were completely melted down. Luckily the vacuum had the warning sticker about not using it with flammable liquids.

 

[Bubbles Galore]

That is insane! Do you have cameras? That would be a youtube spectacular.

 

[Red Baron]

I still try to remember how I thought the car wash was a good Idea!!!

What a classic quote!

 

[JJJakubowski]

Oh yeah, the whole exploding vac (via gas sucking) is a "classic" customer FUBAR ... as witnessed by this little cartoon I did some 20 years ago that was inspired by a similar event.

And it seems, every couple years or so, there's yet another deja vu all over again incident that provides a reason to trot it out again ... and again.

You do not see it much anymore, but back in the day vacs commonly had a warning posted telling customers NOT to suck up liquids ? especially GASOLINE! Perhaps it's time to see more such warnings on vacs.

JJJ/SSCWN
-----------------------------------
The Poster Formerly Known

 

[Waxman]

Is it okay to make decals from copying this image?

 

[JJJakubowski]

Sure, Dave ... as long as it's not used for resell/commercial purposes.

Obviously, it is a really ruff, slap dash cartoon. But even if it were "cleaned up" for public display, I've got some doubt as to how appropriate it might be for public consumption.

I cannot remember the exact circumstance that "inspired" that sketch. But it did involve some guy (for some reason beyond reason) actually trying to suck gas from his gas tank ... again, as seen in that sketch. I've never heard of any customer ever doing exactly that again.

However, what is most common (at least as far as I have heard) is the phenomenon of guys using a vac to suck up spilled gasoline and water from their boats. So I'd think that washes near marinas would be especially well advised to put something on their vacs that clearly, emphatically makes such terribly dangerous, sucky behavior verboten!

JJJ/SSCWN
--------------------------
The Poster Formerly Known

 

[Waxman]

Okay, thanks!

I emailed it to my sign guy along with some wording, so we'll see what he comes up with.

No worries w/me using it for resale. I understand it's your intellectual property and not mine

 

[I.B. Washincars]

I understand it's your intellectual property and not mine

Now c'mon, we all know that Jarrett doesn't have any intellectual properties.

 

[JJJakubowski]

"No intellectual properties"! I ain't got "NO 'INTELLECTUAL PROPERTIES'"?!!

Hey, me not so dumb. Proof: I'm thinking about optioning the publishing rights to an autobiographical book by a world renown celeb. Working title ? "My Wit & Wisdom" by Paris Hilton. Ms. Hilton's self promoted herself into all that free publicity and celebrity. So she's gotta be brilliant! Right?

Just kidding ... or am I? Hmmmmm ... there's all too much evidence (from top level politicos in charge to the mindless, pop culture crazed masses that vote for them) that, yes, drivel sells.

But (a bit more) seriously, due to the proverbial "popular demand", I will soon be making some real slick, freebee graphics available that operators might find useful.

JJJ/SSCWN
-------------------------------------
The Poster Formerly Known

 

[Deepshift]

I first saw that happen in 1983 to an old blue Monorail vac with the plastic dome. A guy was sucking out under the hood and sucked fumes from the carburetor. Yeah Kaboom! Like a Roman Candle. It melted that dome down the sides and fried the motors. The arcing brushes on the vac motors love gas fumes.

 

[Bubbles Galore]

I get a TON of boat traffic in the summer. I am definitely going to have to keep an eye and maybe post some better signs.

You just can't prepare enough for the stupidity of some people.