Yesterday we had an eventful day with of all things, a flat tire. The situation was not due to the lack of knowledge on any part of any individual that was present or from a lack of trying. A simple lugnut prevented us from changing the tire. Not because of environmental reasons but because of unprofessionalism.
A simple plug would have fixed my tire, $10. Instead, we spent 3 hours in the hot desert sun fighting with this tire and eventually giving up when a can of Fix a Flat appeared. This snake oil is nasty stuff and renders the tire useless after use but it works when you are stuck. $162 later (cost of a new tire), the culprit was a cross threaded lugnut.
Cost of the flat tire:
3 people: 3 hours each
Good Samaritan: 1 hour
Me: 1 ratchet and socket broken
Good Samaritan: 1 ratchet broken
Gas for second vehicle to arrive to the scene
$10 in drinks to keep from becoming too dehydrated
$10 can of Fix a Flat
New tire: $162
I came face to face with the inconsiderate behavior that I always tried to combat when I was in the shop. As much as I try to stay positive, I have great difficulty seeing the good point in this situation. I am grateful to my boys for everything they did and to the good samaritan that stopped.
What bothers me about the situation is that it could have been avoided. Flats happen. Debris on the road happens. People that don’t care about their job happens. Unfortunately, there isn’t anything that I can do about it. The mechanic simply paying attention when he put the lugnuts on would have prevented the addition of problems.
In order to prevent this situation from happening again, I am going to break loose all of the lugnuts and reseat them just to be on the safe side. Next time, I may not be in a parking lot or find out there is an auto parts store around the corner. I may be on one of my excursions in the wilderness.
Lesson: Always, ALWAYS do the best job you can and be considerate of others.
Have a great Saturday!
Lemeka's World 