If you can’t change a tire yerself, you should take the damn bus!
Well, no. I can change a tire all by myself. I know how. I just can’t usually open up those stupid little nuts because they’re always so tight. Really, I don’t have the strength.
(I can change my own oil, too, but I don’t have a level place to park the car.)
So what am I supposed to do then?
Get yourself one of those lug nut wrenches that’s in the shape of an “X” (I forget the proper name) so you can get some leverage. Test it on the lug nuts of your tires; if they’re on too tight, ask a garage you trust to loosen them just enough so they can be removed with the wrench with some effort (the garages seem to love those pneumatic wrenches and crank the nuts on super-tight sometimes). If you got a flat out in the middle of nowhere and no cell phone/no AAA (or towing insurance/road service through your car insurance company), you might not have other options. A can of that fix-a-flat stuff couldn’t hurt, either. And make sure your spare has air in it!
Okay, just to further fuel the OP, I’ll add my own Maryland State Trooper story: about seven years ago, hubby and I lived in a beautiful home on the top of a mountain. The house sat at the top of a privately owned dirt road, and there was a blizzard. The road was just over a mile long. Hubby gets off work, gets to the bottom of the dirt road, to find the dirt road impassable in his truck. So, he parks the truck off the road at the bottom of the dirt road, so he can walk up. A State trooper sees him do it, and says “Sir, you can’t leave your vehicle there” So hubby explains that he can’t get the truck up the dirt road, and the place he’s parked his vehicle is out of the way of traffic, and he’ll be back in the morning to get it. The trooper agrees that our road is impassable, and that the truck is out of the way of traffic (not that anyone was really travelling those little back roads in the middle of a blizzard anyway), and the truck should be fine there until morning, but it has to be dealt with by noon. Hubby agrees. Eight o’clock the following morning, we get a call from the impound lot to come get our truck and pay the towing and storage fees. We ask who had it towed, and were told the State troopers ordered it towed. We call the troopers, and are informed that the officer who told him it could stay there until morning is the one who had it towed. Upon further investigation, we were told that the officer only said it was okay because he didn’t want to “start something” with a citizen, and that he called the tow yard shortly after hubby left the truck! Bottom line, because this trooper was a dick, we had to pay a couple hundred in towing and impound fees.
Two months later, MD State Police call and ask for a “donation”, and hubby says no, we won’t donate money to them, ever, and explains why.
I’m not trying to characterize all MD State troopers as dicks, but that particular one certainly was.
Stand on the lug wrench. Bounce if they still stick. I have the strength to undo lug nuts, and this is how I usually crack them anyway, it’s just easier.
If you can afford car payments, gas and insurance, you can afford AAA and a cellphone. If you can’t, then be able to fix your vehicle.
An emergency only, minimal cellphone and AAA costs less than the typical auto ad valorem tax bill.
I don’t want a cellphone and won’t be getting one, as long as I can possibly avoid it. I hate them. And I will suffer for it, I know.
But I only drive 8 miles one way. And I have been driving my car less and less other than work as it gets older. The chances of me getting stranded somewhere out of town are dropping.
FTR, the one time my car did break down on the highway (distributor cap blew) I walked to the nearest gas station. I didn’t wait for anyone or expect anyoen to help me, except my boyfriend when I finally called him.
No cellphones! 
Maybe that was her second flat of the day and amazing coincidence put her back in the same exact place as the first one.
Maybe it was just a similar-looking lady and car, and that particular stretch of road is just hell on tires.
The OP, too blinded by his rage, may not be a reliable witness.
Rage on the Beltway? :eek:
Of course the Troopers weren’t inclined to change her tires. Had that been the case they never would have shot them out in the first place.
I was going to post this. The only thing I’d add is that it’s best to do this before you jack up the car, for the obvious reason that bouncing on the lug wrench with a jacked-up car is not the safest thing to do.
Someone gave me this advice a long time ago, and the first time I needed to use it was to change a tire on a Land Cruiser - no problem. Damn useful advice, because no one stopped for me then either.
You got it right. Most PO’s can’t even change their OWN tires if they get a flat on their squad cars (liability donchaknow) so they’re not going to risk doing it for someone else. It sucks, but that’s the way it is.
Basic AAA membership is $35.00 a year. (I don’t think it could be much more than that even in the DC area.) How much do you think it could have cost this woman if she needed a tow truck without the card? I’ll spot you the cell phone point, though.
Interesting. Basic annual membership for AAA in Oregon is $54., Premium, $100.
That’s exactly my point.
Bryan Ekers: I feel well justified in my childish rage against those two Troopers. And yes I’ve had some bad experiences with cops.
Here’s a list:
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While Bartending, served two cops in uniform on duty several drinks. They left shortly after to respond to domestic disturbence.
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Was nearly killed by a cop doing 80+ mph with no lights or sirens on.
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Was nearly killed by two cops doing 80+ mph with no lights or sirens on. When I got uo the road, they were both in the Taco Bel drive thru.
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When I was in college, someone tried to carjack me. I managed to get away, nearly running the guy over. Nearby I found three cops parked on the side of the road. I stopped and told them my story. They told me they could do nothing to help. I was left with a broken door and a terrifying experience.
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I was pulled over for speeding while braking for a light, impossible if you ask me. When I argued this point the cop told me either I was stuipd or on drugs. He then gave me tickets for everything except speeding. He also followed me to school every morning for the next two weeks.
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I had a friend who was a cop. It was a perfect job for him, he was a jerk.
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My aunt dated a cop, pretty nice guy too. Some of the best stories he told were of bs policies and regulations cops followed. He’d always tell me, “Never ever take a field sobriety test, even if you haven’t been drinking. Anyone stone cold sober can fail it.”
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I’ve seen Cops
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I took classes at the Police Academy. The only impression made upon me was the lack friendliness they all seemed to express.
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I got a reckless driving speeding ticket. When I got to court there were 30 of people awaiting their fate for the same offense by the same officer. The judge threw out every reckless charge but we all had to pay a 400 buck fine.
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Lastly, I’ll admit I have been arrested a couple of times. But I take full responsiblity for each of those incidents. You can use this admission to completely dismiss my experiences if you like.
So maybe I am jaded. Maybe I’m making too much out of this. Maybe there was something else important for them to respond to. Maybe they got a call there was only two rasperry jelly doughnuts left at the Dunkin Donuts. Maybe 7-eleven was running low on the new Kona special coffee. And maybe today’s world of politicing and legal liability has left our police forces impotent.
Troopers may very well not be able to help out for a few reasons. First, the liability issue. Second, changing tires would become expected and Troopers, quite frankly, have better things to worry about. Third, it takes away business from the legitimate companies that do that type of work.
It’s the same for us in the CG - if you’re broke down on the ocean or out of gas, we’ll call someone for you or put you in touch with Sea-Tow, but we’re not just going to fix your problem for you; even if we’re right there on scene with a boat. If we just fixed every simple problem we encountered, we’d put marine assistance companies out of business.
So I wouldn’t be surprised if the Troopers couldn’t fix the tire even if they wanted to.
Actually, the lugs need to be broken over before the car is jacked. Trying to start the lugs with the tire in the air is nigh-impossible.
AAA up here is $55.00 a year. Not bad at all. I think they were quoting me the premium, or something else, it’s been a long time since I checked them out.
Is that not what I said?