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Darwin Awards
2006 Slush Pile

This item was recently submitted by a reader.
Should I include it in the archive?
Vote to tell me what *you* think!

Fire Starter

2006 Reader Submission
Pending Acceptance

Well, it all started when I bought a 1983 oldsmobile delta 88 from a friend. It had been sitting there in his garage for so long that we could't even get it started. I consider myself fairly knoweldgeable about cars, so I figured maybe the car wasn't getting fuel. I tested this theory by spraying a little starter fluid in the carburetor and sure enough it ran for a few seconds. Then I thought, for some reason, that the fuel in the tank might have gone bad I heard after sitting for so long that it turns into varnish. Since the car was sitting for quite some time, regretably I siphoned the gas out the the tank, and placed some on the garage floor and begin to light it. It lit alright! Unfortunately so did the fumes comming from the siphon. I freaked out and pulled the siphon from the tank spilling fuel under the car starting another fire. Being the pre-darwin that I was, I tried to put out the fire with my leg. In doing so my leg caught fire, all the while my friend was laughing so hard he couldn't help me. In the end I singed off most of my leg hair and realized that No MATTER HOW OLD GAS IS STILL VERY FLAMMABLE!

Submitted on 11/21/2006

Submitted by: Tommy Chun
Reference: personal account aug of 01

Copyright © 2006 DarwinAwards.com

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James said:
Neutral: Personal Account
I almost wrote this off as "too common", but your write-up and the sequence of events had me laughing too! BTW I don't think gas turns to varnish...it just finds a way to evaporate! Thanks, Tommy!


Graham said:
Neutral: Personal Account
At least you didn't strike a match near the gas tank to see if the vehicle had any fuel!


Jack said:
Neutral: Personal Account
Good write-up, Tommy. Thanks!


Shadow said:
Neutral: Personal Account
thanks Tommy, remember... matches and fuels dont mix!


Chip said:
Neutral: Personal Account
The sequence you described is almost as if it were scripted for a Dumb and Dumber sequel. You had me laughing early in reading this one. Thank you, Tommy.


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