Last night I had an experience that’s still making me go, “Wait, did that really happen?” It was pretty freaky and not something you ever really plan on happening to you. My car broke down. 🙁
It was 9:15 pm on a major highway. It was after dark and I was alone… I was driving along, listening to music and feeling like everything was fine. Suddenly a really loud white noise overwhelmed the car. I couldn’t tell what was going on so I slowed down to assess the situation. I had a couple bikes on the back of the car but it looked normal in the mirrow. I slowed down even more and debated whether or not to take the exit I was passing (I think it ended up being a good thing that I didn’t) A few seconds after passing the exit, the sound “blew up” and the car started shaking. Mystery solved. My tire blew out.
Not just flat, it basically exploded.
I sat on the side of the road for a minute feeling bewildered before calling my husband who was playing basketball about an hour away just to let him know what was going on. Then I called my dad so he could come rescue me. Luckily he was on his was home and wasn’t too far away.
He was wearing a shirt he got for father’s day a few years ago that says “Best Dad in the World”. Perfect day to wear a superhero shirt 🙂
He was able to blow up the spare tire using the bike pump I’ve been carrying in the car and then do a quick tire change like a pro. A cop pulled up behind us just as we were putting the bikes back on the bike rack. He was stopping to make sure things were alright and I kind of wish he’d been there sooner because the whole time my dad was changing the tire, I was praying that no one was going to go crazy and veer off the road since most people drive 65+ mph on that highway.
Today the tires have been fixed up and the car is back to normal. My wallet hurts a little, but I’m glad that the situation didn’t end up being as bad as it could have been.
So here’s your public service announcement for the day, make sure you keep your tires fully inflated and check regularly. Make sure you do all the necessary maintenance things on your car and drive happy. Don’t get stuck on the side of the road like me.
Have a good rest of your Thursday! (3 days til triathlon! I am so not ready… 😮 )
