<human>: Can you condense the text into a few key points?

Background: 

I was at an Arco station and noticed the guy at the pump in front of me stepped out of his car while smoking and walked past two pumps to go inside the convenience store.  He put out his cigarette in an ashtray by the door, but, from getting out of his car, to unscrewing his gas cap, to walking within five feet of four pumps, I would assume he was within  range of the "No Smoking" warnings.  

My question is, with the advances we've made adding safeguards from those lacking common sense, how dangerous is a lit cigarette at a gas pump?  

I've always viewed the scenario as common sense: there's gasoline around, I *believe* it reacts poorly to open flame, and I feel my beliefs are reinforced by the many hazard signs around the pump.  However, I have an inclination that the many warnings have more to do with liability than severity (even if it's a very small likelihood of causing a severe accident, the potential lawsuits could hurt a lot). 

Tangent: 

I'm also suspicious because a warning of similar severity is issued every time we get on a plane, cautioning us to turn off our cell phones for the duration of the flight.  How much does that have to do with facts and how much does it have to do with setting a precedent (barring everyone from obnoxiously talking to themselves and creating an unpleasant trip for others)?  I'm fine with it; keep them off; I'm just curious how much of a threat it could be when any person on the plane could forget to turn off their cell phone.  They aren't searching you for them, they aren't having you check them in, and they aren't verifying they're off or in airplane mode, so how dangerous could it really be?

Another question: 

Since I went on my airplane cell phone tangent, my follow up question would be what other restrictions do you agree with in principle, but feel the rationale behind it is wrong or no longer relevant?  Do you feel that they're justified because even though their open intent is to prevent something you call bullshit, they lead to other consequences that are beneficial or preferable?
<bot>: will smoking cigarettes at a gas station make go boom or owner too afraid of the one time it does.  also, cell phones on planes, what's the deal?