The Flat Tire Saga

After discovering on the 25th of January that I had a flat tire in La Manzanilla, I had the tire changed and threw the spare in the back of the car to be fixed.

You see, the 25th was a Sunday, and no tire repair places are open on Sunday, none at least that I could find.

The funny thing about that, is when I saw the flat on my way out to go to brunch,  I immediately thought "Uh oh" cause I knew I would not find someone to change the tire for me to leave La Manz on Monday.

Oh me of little faith!  While many gringo men stood around shaking their heads at the flat, the owner of a Mexican tienda walked over and said he would gladly change the tire for me.  It was hot. It was humid, but he still offered.  Gosh was I grateful.

My spare is under the car with all kinds of equipment necessary to get the tire out by using a tool that lowers the tire and all kinds of other assorted stuff.  I knew this as I had a blowout near Nuevo Laredo many years ago and at the time did NOT know how or where the spare tire was.  It was a two hour episode that day in 109F temperatures.

So, this time I immediately showed the man the Owner's Manual and showed him where this tool fit in the hole above the back bumper to get the darn tire out.

He did it.  You can not imagine how grateful I was for his help.  Then when I started to pay him, he would not take any money!  Oh my, Mexican people continue, even after all these years, to amaze me.

Getting back down near Melaque on Monday I had noticed a tire repair place across the highway from the Pemex station.  Tire repair places can be spotted because of all the tires sitting out in front!

So, in I went to the place, opened the tailgate door of the Pathfinder and showed them the tire.  They found a nail in it.  While I was sitting on a tree stump waiting for them to put  the repaired tire back on the car, a huge truck came up and they pulled a huge air hose over to put air in a back tire. Those tires are huge compared to a car tire.

Then in a "flash", something happened!  I heard this sound and at that instant, the kid who was putting the tire on my car jumped and started running toward me.  I immediately turned my back, instinctively to the truck and with that there was a huge "BOOM".

Holy moly, they had left the hose on the tire too long and this huge tire blew up.  It could have been a disaster if the young man had not moved so quickly...........sheesh.  BIG and little pieces of rubber were flying like projectiles everywhere including a few hitting me in the back.

The chair in the photo, which I was not sitting in, lost some of its seating material.  That's how strong that boom was.

Of course, then everyone was running around and I stayed out of the way, sitting on my tree stump, just wanting to get the car tire on so I could get out of there.  For the rest of the day, I just shook my head at what had happened in a matter of seconds.  Had I been unlucky, or someone else, it could have been a tragedy.

Of course, it wasn't and I have a photo of the chair to prove it.

Life is always an adventure, even when you least expect it!