IllustrationON SUNDAY, JULY 7, 2016, WHILE RIDING FROM OKLAHOMA CITY, OKLAHOMA TO TAOS, NEW MEXICO, I STOPPED FOR GASOLINE AT A GAS STATION SOMEWHERE IN NORTHEASTERN NEW MEXICO, POSSIBLY AROUND CLAYTON. WHEN I BEGAN TO UNSCREW THE GAS CAP, I HEARD A HISSING SOUND COMING FROM THE GAS TANK. THIS IS NOT UNUSUAL, AS THE GAS FREQUENTLY BOILS I…
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ON SUNDAY, JULY 7, 2016, WHILE RIDING FROM OKLAHOMA CITY, OKLAHOMA TO TAOS, NEW MEXICO, I STOPPED FOR GASOLINE AT A GAS STATION SOMEWHERE IN NORTHEASTERN NEW MEXICO, POSSIBLY AROUND CLAYTON. WHEN I BEGAN TO UNSCREW THE GAS CAP, I HEARD A HISSING SOUND COMING FROM THE GAS TANK. THIS IS NOT UNUSUAL, AS THE GAS FREQUENTLY BOILS IN THE TANK, LIKELY DUE TO THE CLOSE PROXIMITY OF THE EXHAUST SYSTEM ON EACH SIDE OF THE FUEL TANK, BUT THIS TIME THE HISSING SOUNDED LIKE THE PRESSURE MAY HAVE BEEN HIGHER THAN NORMAL. I WENT AHEAD AND REMOVED THE GAS CAP, AT WHICH POINT GASOLINE AND/OR GAS VAPORS SPEWED OUT OF THE GAS TANK, KNOCKING THE GAS CAP FROM MY HAND AND HITTING ME IN THE FACE, NECK AND SHOULDERS, AND SPRAYED OVER THE GAS PUMP AT WHICH I PARKED AND RAINED DOWN ON MY BROTHER'S MOTORCYCLE WHERE HE HAD PARKED TO PURCHASE FUEL. THE SPYDER WAS STATIONARY WITH THE PARKING BRAKE APPLIED AND THE IGNITION SWITCHED OFF AT THE KEY. THE ENGINE WAS NOT RUNNING AND HAD BEEN SWITCHED OFF FOR LESS THAN ONE MINUTE. WE HAD BEEN RIDING IN EXTREME HEAT, MY BROTHER'S BMW READ 106 DEGREES WHILE THE SPYDER READ 117 DEGREES. THE SPYDER'S TEMP IS NORMALLY CONSIDERED TO RUN HIGHER THAN THE ACTUAL TEMPERATURE, SO WE BELIEVE THE 106 DEGREE TEMP TO BE MORE ACCURATE.