This all started in early November. A car dashboard sensor came on, indicating I needed air in a tire. No big deal. I have a tire shop close to me that offers air for a free. A mini mart chain does the same thing. A quick squirt, and I was on my way.
As an aside, I know it costs money to keep an air compressor running, but the price some mini mart chains and gas stations charge is outrageous. Stop it. Stop it now! Do something nice for customers. Anything more than 50 cents is robbery.
Be that as it may, I've been airing up this tire every couple of weeks. Late November and December was a busy time for me. I should have stopped at a tire shop. I didn't. Now, the air experience was going from twice a week to once a week.
I checked the forecast. Trends are changing. Cold weather, very cold weather, is on the way. Snow, too. The last thing I wanted was a flat in a blizzard.
Monday morning, I called the tire shop where I bought them, and made an appointment for the afternoon. Diagnosis: nail. 40 minutes later, I was back on the road.
Here is my point. I'm amazed that I was able to drive around with a nail in my tire for three months, with only a few pumps of air getting me through. In the old days, a nail meant an instant flat.
We've come a long way!
