Stranded

I learned some important things yesterday and wanted to share them with you:

-Road hazards exist.

-Changing a tire on the side of I-75 is terrifying no matter who you are.

-Road Rangers exist to get you to safety or protect you while you are changing a tire on an interstate. Call them, it’s free. I didn’t and wished I had.

-When you get your oil changed, ask the technicians to check your spare tire air. Most will not do it automatically. Air does escape from them over time. I didn’t know this. I do know…..

-Florida Road Rangers do not have air compressors. They are sponsored by State Farm, not Binford Tools.

-If you do end up on a spare tire with low air, hobble your vehicle to an automotive place rather than the gas station air compressor. They are not reliable.

-If you don’t have roadside assistance, get it. I’ve had AAA since I started driving and don’t regret it a single time. They may take a little bit to get there, but they get there and damn near all of my interactions with whomever is responding has been positive. Tow truck drivers are really cool people trying to help.

-AAA has a policy in place right now that doesn’t allow riders in the tow trucks due to Covid-19, so you need to find your own ride while your ride goes for a ride. Just a suggestion: before calling the Uber, ask the tow truck driver if they can help you out. A quicker alternative might be found. Like I said, they’re really cool people.

I’m counting my blessings that it was a dry sunny morning, not a cold rainy night. The tire blew out and didn’t send me careening across three lanes of traffic or into the woods. On the side of the road, roaring semis whisking by me less than 6 feet away has made me thankful that texting and driving is illegal. I hope that it has deterred enough people from doing it so they pay attention to the road, which by my estimation, everyone that passed by me did exactly that in the 10 minutes it took me to change my tire. A lot of things went in my favor so I’m not going to complain about how things went down. Blessings don’t often look that way at first glance.

Shameless plug: Tire Kingdom on Clark Road in Sarasota got my tire changed out in under 30 minutes. I have never had that kind of service before. Thank you!

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