OMG! I got a flat tire!

On the way home from work today about6 blocks away from work I heard and felt this "whub whub whub" and I thought it was the heat that I had cranked so I shut that off and the noise was still there, so I shut off the music and it was still there. I was near a gas station so I zipped in and walked around my truck and my heart dropped when I saw the flat tire. "NOW what do I do?" I knew the tools were in the truck but I had never been taught how to change a tire.

Realization of how helpless I was started to make me upset. I went inside and asked the gas station attendant if he had a phone or knew of one I could use, he looked at me for a moment and answered in a thick German accent "Here, use this" Thankfully the stations phone and I called Darrell. (Gradually getting more and more upset)

He picked up after the third ring and as soon as I heard his voice I broke out in tears and sobs. He almost freaked but got me calmed down and told me that flat tires happen all the time, to cars and trucks and bike's...mine was no different. He told me to fill the tire with air and see if it was just a slow leak and then call him back. So I went out and the attendant hooked up the hose and he filled it up and it turns out I have a huge iron pole in my tire. (Well I thought it was huge). So there was NO WAY I was getting home on that.

So, getting more upset, I called Darrell back and told him I HAD to change the tire. So he said he would call Jillian upstairs and ask if he could use her car and he would be down right away. So I thanked the gas station guy and went to the truck and half read my book until Darrell showed up. Half hour later he shows up and together we figure out how to do it and got it done. He said HE had never even changed a tire on a truck before so I wasn't totally alone in my uselessness.

Then we drove home, yay. I wasn't as upset about the tire as I was about how useless I was in the situation. I have never been taught to change a tire and only thanked my lucky stars that I was in town when it happened and not on the highway in the middle of no where, which is the route I have to take on the way home. and thankfully it didn't happen on the way to work or I would have been up $h!t creek without a paddle. So I'm thanking my lucky stars tonight.

ok sorry to rag, but I thought maybe you all could learn from my experience. GO LEARN HOW TO CHANGE A TIRE!

I'm so sorry your night turned out like that, but
at least you learned something from it.
It was also good luck that you were in town
our flats always seem to happen on the
freeway lol


I grew up around my sister's Husbands family who are
all racers so I learned how to do a lot on a car,
including how to change a tire lol

I took a shop class, in 8th grade and they taught us how to change a tire. As I've gotten older, though I've found that a AAA membership is worth it. Let someone else get dirty hands and broken fingernails!

Over here we have to change into winter tires each year, and ever since I got my license, dad has made me participate. Last winter I was very thankful for that. I was about to drive to school, when I noticed I had a flat. A big broken ring from a thick iron chain had puctured the tire, no way it could be fixed. A very helpful man from next door said he'd help me change it, he'd just go and get some gloves. Well, I waited a while, and when he didn't show, just started changing it myself. I had started to put the new tire in, when he finally came back, and you should have seen the look on his face! He had obviously assumed that I didn't know how to change a tire...

Honestly, I don't know why women often don't learn how to change tires, it's actually pretty easy, on "regular" cars anyway. And as you said, it'd be awful to get a pucture in the middle of nowhere if you didn't know what to do. Of course with cell phones and all it's usually pretty easy to get help.

I learned how to change a flat tire when I was 19. I was living with my brother, who worked very early in the morning. About 11 PM I ran to the store, a couple of miles away. I got a flat tire on my way home, about 1/2 mile from the store.

It was the middle of winter in Minnesota, wind chills were about 35 below zero. I walked back to the store to call my brother (no cell phones back then.) I woke him up when I called, and told him I had a flat tire. He said ((impatient, crabby, just-woken-up-voice)) 'Well, change it.' I said I didn't know how. He said something to the effect of 'Why in the #*&$#* would dad let you get a (#$&*&@$ liscense without teaching you how to change a &$#&$(*& tire?!?' and slammed the phone down.

A few minutes later, he showed up at the store to get me. When we got to my car, he got out. I stayed in his car until the door was abruptly opened. "Get out here - you're going to learn how to change a tire!"

So I learned how to change a tire in the middle of winter, in the dark, in 35 below wind chills. One thing I will say, I've never forgotten how!

You should always know how to change a tire. There is not always a nice helpful young man around to help you, although belonging to AAA is a definite plus. I got stranded one time in California on Pacific Coast Hwy in the fog with a flat tire. After that experience which turned out to be quite scary, I learned how to change a flat tire. I consider it a necessary survivial skill!

There is not always a nice helpful young man around to help you

Click to expand...

I've actually changed tires twice for men who didn't know how!

I just experience a flat tire myself last week. . . . certainly not my first. . . . I belong to AAA. . . . good thing I discovered it while I was still close to work. . . I just ended my cell phone contract! I had to drive back slowly and use the phone at work. Fortunately the car was in a well lit parking lot. . . and it wasn't raining out. I would have never managed to get the wheel off myself. . . . the lugs were on really tight. The mechanic had all he could do to loosen them. . . had to use a lubricant. . . and the car literally moved when he loosened them.

Well, I guess now you'd be able to change the tire yourself right? If you think you'd be able to do it again, then you're set!

Just curious,Tamme, but why didn't the gas station attendant help you change the flat tire in the first place?
I learned by watching guys do it. As Eeva said, it is easy.
Oh and one more thing, in my experience, there are always motorists on the road who stop and help you out!

Tamme- Sorry you got a flat tire.

Changing a tire's not too bad, good thing you learned how!

Now if I can ever just get my intake manifold installed...