Hi HockeyBob - We're sorry to hear you've had difficulty using your fuel can. There are environmental regulations (EPA) that must be met on all fuel cans sold in the US, in addition gas cans must adhere to strict child resistant packaging laws and come equipped with a child-safety lock. All these features have been built into the SMARTCONTROL SPOUT. The video "How To Operate Your SmartControl Fuel Container" can be found at the following link and should help: https://www.scepter.com/safety/instructional-videos/ .
Step 1; Vent the fuel can by slowly unscrewing the cap, allow all the pressure to escape. Once vented re-tighten cap.
Step 2: Flip up dark lever on back of spout with your palm.
Step 3: With the dark green lever still flipped up, push the entire light green pad forward. It will be stiff as that is part of the child resistant feature.
Step 4: Tilt can and pour.
Should you have any further questions, please reach out to our Customer Care Team at 1-855-857-3252. We are here to help.