Subject:  (DePippo) Cell Phones To Be Banned at Pumps (fwd)
Date:     Fri, 15 Jan 1999 022214 -0600 (CST)
From:     "Roy L. Beavers" <rbeavers@llion.org>
To:       emfguru <rbeavers@llion.org>
--------------------------------------------------


---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Thu, 14 Jan 1999 16:42:47 EST
From: PDepippo@aol.com
To: rbeavers@llion.org, Bdumpe@worldbank.org, Kelley@aol.com,
    Libby , MICROSHLD@aol.com,
    Deb Carney 
Subject: Cell Phones To Be Banned at Pumps

To You All,

Do you all see the significance of this!  

Peter


Subj:	Cell Phones To Be Banned at Pumps
Date:	1/14/99 4:14:03 PM Eastern Standard Time
From:	AOL News
BCC:	PDepippo

Cell Phones To Be Banned at Pumps

.c The Associated Press

 By KATIE FAIRBANK

People do it everywhere -- pull into a gas station and take out a cell phone
to make a call.

But Exxon Corp. wants drivers in Finland, and perhaps eventually in the United
States, to make their calls far away from the pumps.

The problem is that some experts believe electronic impulses from a cellular
phone could help ignite fires if gasoline or gas fumes are present. Now, that
hasn't happened yet, but the oil company would rather be safe than sorry -- so
mobile phones will be prohibited at Esso stations in Finland by the end of the
month and the ban may be expanded to other countries. Esso is a division of
Irving, Texas-based Exxon.

Exxon spokeswoman Lynn Russo said she's not sure why the ban is being imposed
in Finland first, but the fact that an estimated 56 percent of Finns have cell
phones may have increased worries about the potential hazard they could cause.

``Some of the affiliates are putting signs in the service stations,'' Ms.
Russo said.

The spokeswoman said Exxon has not yet decided whether to also post signs
banning the use of cell phones at stations in the United States.

``As far as corporate-wide, we're still looking at what we should do,'' she
said.

There has never been a report of fire sparked at a gas station because of a
cell phone.

``Several years ago there was a report of that happening to a woman in
Australia and then on further investigation it turned out she was smoking,''
said Tim Ayers, spokesman for the Cellular Telecommunications Industry
Association.

According to experts, the impulses from mobile phones could theoretically
cause equipment at gas stations to spark and ignite gas or gas fumes.

Moreover, ``there has been talk, although no proof, that radios could
interfere with wireless systems that are built into the pump. That is one of
the concerns that has been raised over the last few years,'' said Norman
Sandler, director of global strategic issues for Motorola, the largest maker
of cell phones.

``We went through this with Shell in Europe a few years ago and we concluded
that the radio signals did not pose any danger at gas stations,'' he said.

Still, the possibility that a danger could be lurking at the pump has led to
some rules.

In Britain, cell phones are not to be used at gas stations, said Megan
Matthews, a spokeswoman for Nokia, the second-largest cell phone manufacturer.
That regulation is a leftover from the days of older technology when phones
used up to 20 watts of power compared to today's that use about 0.6 watt.

``That rule still exists although a lot of gas stations don't enforce it,''
said Ms. Matthews.

Cell phone manufacturers do warn consumers in their owner manuals not to use
their phones while at gasoline stations.

``In the realm of physics it is possible it could happen. It's unlikely, but
it's there,'' Ms. Matthews said.

Some hospitals limit use of cellular telephones and other wireless
communications for fear they would play havoc with lifesaving equipment. Also,
airlines have forbidden the use of the phones on board the aircraft to avoid
scrambling sensitive instruments.

AP-NY-01-14-99 1613EST

 Copyright 1998 The Associated Press.  The information  contained in the AP
news report may not be published,  broadcast, rewritten or otherwise
distributed without  prior written authority of The Associated Press. 

 

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Reprinted with permission of Roy Beavers, http://www.feb.se/EMF-L/EMF-L.html