The tense situation in the Middle East is causing a wave of nervousness across Europe, with many states preparing for an uncertain future. The fear of sharp price increases or fuel shortages has recently paralyzed Croatia. As the local portal reports, panicked drivers attack gas stations.
Experts are shaking their heads over mass domestic storage of fuel, and firefighters strongly warn that gambling with lives does not pay off. “People don’t even realize that by doing this they are endangering not only their own lives, but also the lives of others. We know that gasoline evaporates easily and diesel a little more slowly, but still they should not be transported in cars in this way,” pointed out the Croatian fireman.
At the same time, he emphasized that if fuel must be transported, the rules are inexorable. “If they are transported, it must be in special canisters, on the outside of a van or truck, and certainly not in the same space as passengers. If someone crashes like this, it can end in disaster,” he declared in reference to drivers who turn their cars into mobile fuel depots.
The firefighter believes that the police should be much stricter these days. He shared a shocking experience directly from the field. “Yesterday I personally saw people filling distilled water bottles with fuel. It all leaked out, it was a disaster,” he described gambling that bordered on insanity.
In addition to the risk during the transport itself, it strongly warns against improper storage in households. “People usually store fuel in sheds, garages and basements. But these are not places specifically designed for this purpose. All it takes is a faulty cap or a damaged canister, and the world is in trouble. It’s literally a recipe for disaster,” he concluded.
Bizarre behavior of a man at a gas station
An example is an incident from a Croatian town Virovitica, which is located near the Hungarian border. One of the drivers caused quite a stir there on Monday, March 23 and took care of a bizarre moment. According to eyewitnesses, the man was refueling regular diesel, but the way he did it shocked everyone around.
To your vehicle and a large number of canisters fueled the incredibles 400 liters of fuel. “He had canisters in the trunk, but also on the seats. After filling them, he refueled the car. Even though it was full, he was still trying to squeeze a little more in.” a witness described the incident for a Croatian portal. The entire interior of the car turned into a highly flammable trap within a few minutes.
The driver should have saved approximately 68 euros during such a massive refueling. The highlight was the situation when the owner of a car full of fuel entered the shop at the gas station to pay. “Then he walked in and asked in disbelief, ‘I can’t believe there’s no fuel left at the gas stations?'” the witness described the shocking dialogue towards the pumpers, who must have been on the verge of collapse during such an act.
“Well, it’s because of people like him that there aren’t any left.” thinks the witness, who clearly pointed out how panic buying by individuals can cripple supplies for everyone else. The question also remains whether the effort to save is worth the high risk of explosion or fire to which he exposed himself and other road users on the way home.
