Many of you have been worried about my safety lately. Apparently I have been using a propane tank that wasn’t reapproved by the government since it was manufactured 12 years ago. I recently was informed that it had to be recertified after I took it to the local propane distributor for filling.

Apparently, they are under pressure from the powers that be that they are not to refill old tanks without first recertifying them against leaks. If they do, they are under penalty of law and in big doodoo. They need to register each tank as they fill it and carefully stamp each tank–for an extra fee of course.

I thought that I would be able to detect my own tank leaks by the hissing sound I would hear as the propane spilled out or by my having to refill the defective tank every other day. Stupid me. It was the stamp that assures there is no risk of leaking.

We used to detect leaks in our bicycle tires the old-fashioned way. If the tire went flat, you checked for leaks by pumping it up and putting it under water. You patched it when and where you saw the bubbles flow out. It never occurred to us that we could have had the seemingly normal tire certified against leaks by paying for an inspection at the local tire store ahead of time. How did we ever survive?