So a couple weeks ago, I was driving to a Pastors conference near Pittsburgh. While cruising along on I-70, I ran over some debris in the road I didn't notice in time to avoid (some wood of some sort). Both right side tires ran over it. But afterward, nothing seemed to be wrong, so I kept going . . .
But a little ways down the road, the tire pressure light came on. Uh oh. Fortunately there was an exit in just a couple miles. So I got off and found a little garage. My front tire did seem low. Two very nice guys found two places/gashes side-by-side where air was leaking out, so they plugged them for me. They also let me know that two plugs that close together wasn't good and I should get a new tire. I told them I still had about 2 hours yet to drive, and they said no problem - it would last that long.
Famous last words.
1.5 hours later, and on a two-lane stretch of Rt. 30 in PA, the steering started feeling a little funny . . . then I heard what sounded like a helicopter . . . (Spoiler alert! There was no helicopter!) . . . and then the tire went. Fortunately there was a spot for me to quickly pull off. Not big! But enough. But also close enough to the road and on not-very-level ground, so I thought it best to call AAA to help me change the tire and put on the spare. As I began to take stuff out of my trunk and put it in the back seat so I could get to the spare (I was taking a lot of stuff to the conference), I noticed it - not ONE flat tire, but TWO! Both the tires on that side of the car! When I had stopped before, the rear tire seemed fine. It wasn't.
So, call AAA back. Gonna need a flatbed. Okay.
So I wait . . . and wait . . . and wait . . . 2.5 hours later (!) the guy comes. Nice guy, but apparently, there are only TWO guys who work for AAA in the rather large section of Western PA I was in! By the time he arrived, all the tire places were closed - so where do I want him to drop my car? I DON'T KNOW! So a quick search on the phone finds "Tiny's Tire and Auto." Okay. Drop it there.
Uh . . . let's just say not a good choice! Kinda sketchy looking place. But it's getting late, and I still need to Uber to the conference center, so okay, drop it. I'll see to it tomorrow.
The next morning, I arrive right when Tiny's is supposed to open. No Tiny. Wait a little while. No Tiny. So I call another garage in town. Can you come get my car? Where are you? Tiny's. OH . . . Tiny's! Nice guy, but he kinda marches to the best of his own drummer. If you wait, he'll probably show up in a bit . . .
NO THANK YOU! So they come get me, charge me an enormous sum of money to pick up the car and tow it all of one mile! But they did put on two new tires and got me going again the next day, so thankful for that.
Then driving home, guess what? The tire pressure light starts blinking and comes on again! Oh no! Finally find a place with an air pump and check the tires - they seem fine. Turns out the blinking means the sensor is bad or going bad. Okay. I can deal with that. Then farther down the road and closer to home, the light goes out. Guess it's okay now!
Moral of the story (maybe a couple):
#1 - Be more vigilant for debris on the road.
#2 - Don't run over debris on the road!
#3 - Don't get your car towed to a place called Tiny's!
#4 - If you have AAA and are going to break down, don't do it in Western PA.
Next: Travel Woes, Part 2
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