[not_the_fda]

No it can't. To combust it needs ~ 500F. If you left it out uncovered in the open and allowed the it to vaporize with a spark nearby, it might explode, but thats not spontaneous combustion. Gasoline sitting in a sealed container wont spontaneously combust.

[swiftcoder]

Didn't everyone have one of those old mechanic friends who liked to put the cigarette out in the can of gas to scare the tourists?

[SV_BubbleTime]

That is definitely one of those “it worked the first 50 times no problem” tricks.

[PunchyHamster]

...it was probably diesel not gasoline

[swiftcoder]

Oh, it was most definitely gasoline. As long as there is no vapour hanging above the container, it works just fine... as the neighbour post says, the first 50 times. Then one day the old timer blows up himself and the shop