02AutoWag
Registered User
It was dark. It was raining. We were just passing a truck and trailer. I know we cleared it, but wanted to give more room before putting the turn signals on to get back in the slow lane. I didn't get that chance before the passenger front tire blew. The truck fell to the right, but was quickly and uneventfully corralled. I straddled the lane for a few seconds so as to not make any quick movement. Then signaled and pulled to the side of the BRIDGE.
We just barely had a single lane of pulloff space. My passenger mirror nearly clipped the call box and my other mirror must have been hanging over the solid white line (a dually would definitely have been in the lane of traffic). Those roadside call boxes are great, but they are also a joke. Great that you can call someone, but ridiculous in the fact that the person on the other line has NO idea where you are...these call boxes have ID numbers and you'd think they correspond to a frikin' map?!?!?!?!?????? We were lucky that we had an idea of our location, but what is someone to do if they aren't familiar with the area?...I don't commit to memory each exit I pass in the event that I need to provide my location?
My wife frustratingly talks to the operator and gets AAA and the CHP en route to this mysterious location that we're at. I then notice people pulling off the road up ahead. We needed to get our a$$e$ out of this dangerous spot, so we quickly (as quick as my bare rim will allow) make for the exit.
I kicked myself for not previously identifying where all my tire changing equipment is located. Seriously, not 15 minutes before the tire blowout, I commented to my wife that I, yet again, forgot to consult my father in-law about where the jack and wrench are located...so I called Towcat for the info...thanks. The AAA driver arrived as I was on the phone with Towcat, so we parted ways. The driver had a hell of a time on the wet ground trying to get the tire down, but figured it out by the time I got off the phone with Towcat for the second time...thanks again. The tire finally got changed and we successfully make it home.
I've got to say, AAA has worked out well for me. I'm fully capable of changing a tire, and never would have called them except for the fact that we were initially stuck on a BRIDGE and we didn't know there was an exit as close as it was until we saw cars pull off...I wasn't going out there in the position we were at...I wanted a flat bed there to take me to safer ground.
We purchased the AAA service 3 years ago when we were taking a 30 day camping trip through southern Utah. Didn't need it at all for that trip, but have used it since then for many other situations that couldn't be fixed roadside:
1) Purchased car that was 40,000 miles over its timing belt interval (interference motor). It was squeaking and groaning and I wasn't going to drive it the 80 miles home.
2) Lost all coolant due to a cracked fitting. Bubble gum wasn't going to patch the leak.
3) Rear spring broke and fell out while on the highway. Again, no chance for repair.
OK, so now on my Christmas wishlist are new rims... anyone selling a set of Alcoa wheels or have suggestions where to shop for different aftermarket sets?
We just barely had a single lane of pulloff space. My passenger mirror nearly clipped the call box and my other mirror must have been hanging over the solid white line (a dually would definitely have been in the lane of traffic). Those roadside call boxes are great, but they are also a joke. Great that you can call someone, but ridiculous in the fact that the person on the other line has NO idea where you are...these call boxes have ID numbers and you'd think they correspond to a frikin' map?!?!?!?!?????? We were lucky that we had an idea of our location, but what is someone to do if they aren't familiar with the area?...I don't commit to memory each exit I pass in the event that I need to provide my location?
My wife frustratingly talks to the operator and gets AAA and the CHP en route to this mysterious location that we're at. I then notice people pulling off the road up ahead. We needed to get our a$$e$ out of this dangerous spot, so we quickly (as quick as my bare rim will allow) make for the exit.
I kicked myself for not previously identifying where all my tire changing equipment is located. Seriously, not 15 minutes before the tire blowout, I commented to my wife that I, yet again, forgot to consult my father in-law about where the jack and wrench are located...so I called Towcat for the info...thanks. The AAA driver arrived as I was on the phone with Towcat, so we parted ways. The driver had a hell of a time on the wet ground trying to get the tire down, but figured it out by the time I got off the phone with Towcat for the second time...thanks again. The tire finally got changed and we successfully make it home.
I've got to say, AAA has worked out well for me. I'm fully capable of changing a tire, and never would have called them except for the fact that we were initially stuck on a BRIDGE and we didn't know there was an exit as close as it was until we saw cars pull off...I wasn't going out there in the position we were at...I wanted a flat bed there to take me to safer ground.
We purchased the AAA service 3 years ago when we were taking a 30 day camping trip through southern Utah. Didn't need it at all for that trip, but have used it since then for many other situations that couldn't be fixed roadside:
1) Purchased car that was 40,000 miles over its timing belt interval (interference motor). It was squeaking and groaning and I wasn't going to drive it the 80 miles home.
2) Lost all coolant due to a cracked fitting. Bubble gum wasn't going to patch the leak.
3) Rear spring broke and fell out while on the highway. Again, no chance for repair.
OK, so now on my Christmas wishlist are new rims... anyone selling a set of Alcoa wheels or have suggestions where to shop for different aftermarket sets?
