This past Friday morning, I was with Wendy, sitting on the front step of a friend's house, waiting for them to come home so we could start the weekend's festivities.  Thankfully this friend was late, because as we sat there, I noticed my tire was low on air.  We drove to a nearby gas station and filled up the semi-flat tire, at which point I could actually hear the tire hissing.  We drove to the nearest deli to get some lunch -- because let's face it, nothing is worth doing on an empty stomach -- and by that point my tire was completely flat.  I've never changed a flat tire before, and this seemed like the perfect opportunity to learn how.  We weren't in a rush to get somewhere, we were parked in a safe parking lot, the weather was clear, and there was a deli nearby.  Wendy had changed a few tires in her day, but I asked her to let me do it from beginning to end so I could learn.  She found my owner's manual and guided me through the relatively simple process, and 20 minutes later, we were on our way with my full-sized spare.  Mission accomplished. 

Two things of note: 
  1. Why don't all cars come with a full-sized spare?  I mean what expense are we really saving by carrying around a stupid little donut?
  2. Changing a flat tire is something that should be taught in driver's ed in high school, as well as jump-starting a dead battery.  These are two activities that 98% of car drivers are likely to face at some point in their lives, and it's something that can be easily taught in a hands-on, practical way.  Instead, we read it in a book.
#travel