I have one of these idiotic gas cans. I hate the damn thing with a
passion, but until I find a replacement older style can at a garage sale
or auction, I'm stuck with it. The other night I went to town after
dark. I needed some gas for my tractor, and I put about 4 gallons in
the 5 gal can, and placed it in the bed of my pickup truck, being sure
to tie it to the truck rail so it dont tip over and possibly spill. Gas
it too damn expensive to spill these days.

I got home late and was damn tired, so I went to sleep without putting
the gas can in the shed. The next day was hot and sunny with temps well
over 90 deg. Around noon I walked past my truck and noticed the gas can
had ballooned out. The can was so bloated it was actually round, and
was rocking back and forth from myself leaning against the truck. Only
the twine I used to tie it kept it from falling over. I released the
lever and a huge amount of gas smelling air came out. Even after
allowing all the air to escape, the can was still rounded. I then put
the can in the shed. Today the weather was cooler and when I went to
get the gas can, it had gone the other way, now it was all sucked
inward.

Those valves apparently do seal well, maybe too well. I wonder how much
longer that can would have held the huge amount of pressure inside of
it, sitting in the hot sun, before rupturing. And if I had not tied it,
it would have tipped over, because it was only the twine that held it
upright.

Somehow this does not seem safe. If the temperature had been higher,
I'm afraid it would have blown up. There needs to be some sort of
pressure relief on them, or KABOOM!

So much for government safety!