My first flat tire

A camper I was passing dropped this under my rear right tire (the low friction ones the dealer supplies on delivery) the other day. Eh, it happens. Unfortunately, I was on a long, over water bridge at the time with posted signs that read "do not stop anywhere on this bridge [or we will happily pitch you over the side and send the traffic ticket to your next of kin]". All I could do was get into the right most lane and crawl the rest of the way across at 10 mph (posted limit was 50). Any faster and I started to hear a really loud thumping sound on the side of my car as the rubber end smacked its way around.

There was a utility truck right behind me who called a tow truck while we clawed our way across. By the time I got to the other end, a police officer was there to follow me off and make sure I was okay (not the best part of town for a petite woman alone to be broken down with a new car in) until the tow truck showed up seconds later.

The tow truck guy changed my tire (I could have done it myself but he was there, so I let him), explained the rules of driving on a donut (under 50 mph, fewer than 50 miles) and pointed me toward the tire repair shop a block and a half behind me. Before leaving, he asked how long I had waited for my car (7 months). Apparently, a friend of his almost bought one but couldn't handle the wait and ended up buying a Camry instead.

Moments later, I pulled into the repair shop's driveway to be greeted by the proprieter, who was playing an accordian decorated in sparkly red, white and green. I couldn't help but smile. We chatted while he fixed my tire and replaced it. Total cost? Six bucks. He's just starting up, so if you're in the area and need his services...

Brothers Luna Tire Shop #3
(Used tires, flats fixed, balancing.)
2276 National Ave.
San Diego, CA 92133
(619) 544-9129


So, if you're still here after this long-winded story, a few things of note.

1. I must have driven almost two miles on the flat (the bridge is 2.2). Aside from a few rubber marks on the hub cap, everything looks like it came out okay in the wheel department. Nothing bent; the tire looks okay.

2. The paint on the car was sealed a few weeks ago. Thanks to that, the mild scratching didn't reach it and it's hardly even noticable unless you have your nose three inches away.

3. My faith in humanity has been restored. It's so easy to get jaded living in the city.

 

I did find the Goodyear warranty in the glove box when I finally pulled over and actually did attempt to reach them at two of the numbers listed on it. The first number was a recording that said I couldn't use it because I didn't live in the right area (???) and the second was a voicemail that gave the office hours (8-5 Eastern, so they were already closed).

One of my co-workers also cautioned me about internal damage. So, if I can find a local Goodyear shop, you can bet I'll be having it looked at. Thanks for confirming his suggestion.

As for San Diego, I do realize that I live in one of the nicest cities around. I also have a number of friends who live in that smog pit two hours north, just in case I ever forget it. However, even a nice city is still packed with too many people, too close together for my taste. I much prefer the small towns of my childhood, but there's very little work for me there.

... and as for the towel, it's time I came clean about that. It's a scarf. I did make sure I wasn't wearing anything even the least bit scratchy before going in for the hug, but that's all. If someone had suggested waiting until a towel was found, I would have said "are you kidding? I can't wait that long!" *HUG*

 

Got the tire checked out this morning... no harm, no foul. Woot!

I got a chuckle out of teaching the mechanic how to pull my car into the service station....

 

Actually, Harrison, the road hazard coverage did not cover this because it was a puncture rather than a defect in the tire. However, since the tire has less than 5000 miles on it, if the Goodyear guys had found it to be unsafe, they were authorized to replace the tire at half the cost in a one-time, share the load kind of way.

While I didn't actually watch the guy inspect the tire, I did explain why I wanted it checked and spent enough time in the waiting area that I feel comfortable trusting that they did it properly.