# Les Schwab died **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [June 3, 2007, 1:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/les-schwab-died/406579 "2007-06-03T13:32:48Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2007, 1:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/les-schwab-died/406579/1 "2007-06-03T13:32:48Z")
[Les Schwab](http://www.portlandtribune.com/news/story.php?story_id=117954191482869200), who founded a chain of tire stores in the Pacific Northwest, died on 18 May at the age of 89. In 1963, in order to boost sales during the slow season, he introduced his Free Beef campaign that continues still. My friend parodied the campaign in his film _Night For Nixie_, having Old Tyme Pest Exterminators offer ‘free meat’ with their services. (Wife, OS, to her husband, sitting in longjohns and drinking a beer while watching the commercial: ‘What kind of meat is it?’ Husband: ‘It’s _free!_’) When I mentioned to my roommate that Schwab had died he said, ‘I guess that means no more free meat.’ I said, ‘Well, maybe a little.’ As a newcomer to the PNW, I didn’t grow up with Les Schwab and his commercials. But I’ve gone there when I’ve needed tires. The local store has good service. Apparently one of my cousins runs a Les Schwab store in the Seattle area. ---
**Author:** ![Enter\_the\_Flagon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b9bd4f/32.png) [@Enter\_the\_Flagon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enter_the_Flagon)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2007, 2:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/les-schwab-died/406579/2 "2007-06-03T14:04:35Z")
[QUOTE=Johnny L.A.] [url=“[http://www.portlandtribune.com/news/story.php?story\_id=117954191482869200](http://www.portlandtribune.com/news/story.php?story_id=117954191482869200)”]When I mentioned to my roommate that Schwab had died he said, ‘I guess that means no more free meat.’ I said, ‘Well, maybe a little.’ [/QUOTE] OK, since today is Sunday, the, y’know, sabbath and everything, I just wanna say that this is in really bad taste. Fuckin’ hilarious, but in a really bad taste kinda way. 🙂 Is this Schwab guy any relation to Charles, by chance? I’d drive to the PNW for some free TRW with my FEA. ---
**Author:** ![Lightnin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lightnin/32/180_2.png) [@Lightnin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lightnin)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2007, 3:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/les-schwab-died/406579/3 "2007-06-03T15:22:30Z")
I live in Bend, and his death’s been a fairly big deal here (he was born here). From everything I’ve read of him, he was a genuinely nice guy. ---
**Author:** ![Fiveyearlurker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/da6949/32.png) [@Fiveyearlurker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiveyearlurker)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2007, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/les-schwab-died/406579/4 "2007-06-03T15:27:36Z")
My wife’s an Oregonian, so she laughed at me a year ago when we pulled into one of the stores to pick up tire chains, and I had no idea why an auto supply store would have a French name like that. Good store, good prices, good service. ---
**Author:** ![thelurkinghorror](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7c8e57/32.png) [@thelurkinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelurkinghorror)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2007, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/les-schwab-died/406579/5 "2007-06-03T18:04:08Z")
Me too, the first time I saw their billboard up near Sacramento, I read “Les Schwab Tires” as something like “The Schwab Shootings” ---
**Author:** ![Seven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Seven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Seven)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2007, 11:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/les-schwab-died/406579/6 "2007-06-03T23:18:20Z")
Les Schwab Tires is one of the few remaining honest car related stores. ---
**Author:** ![WarmNPrickly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/d78d45/32.png) [@WarmNPrickly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WarmNPrickly)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2007, 11:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/les-schwab-died/406579/7 "2007-06-03T23:23:13Z")
I have received said “free beef” and it was good. Weirdest promotion ever. ---
**Author:** ![picunurse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7bcc69/32.png) [@picunurse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/picunurse)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2007, 11:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/les-schwab-died/406579/8 "2007-06-03T23:53:49Z")
[QUOTE=Johnny L.A.] [Les Schwab](http://www.portlandtribune.com/news/story.php?story_id=117954191482869200), who founded a chain of tire stores in the Pacific Northwest, died on 18 May at the age of 89. In 1963, in order to boost sales during the slow season, he introduced his Free Beef campaign that continues still. My friend parodied the campaign in his film _Night For Nixie_, having Old Tyme Pest Exterminators offer ‘free meat’ with their services. (Wife, OS, to her husband, sitting in longjohns and drinking a beer while watching the commercial: ‘What kind of meat is it?’ Husband: ‘It’s _free!_’) When I mentioned to my roommate that Schwab had died he said, ‘I guess that means no more free meat.’ I said, ‘Well, maybe a little.’ As a newcomer to the PNW, I didn’t grow up with Les Schwab and his commercials. But I’ve gone there when I’ve needed tires. The local store has good service. Apparently one of my cousins runs a Les Schwab store in the Seattle area. [/QUOTE] Which one does your cousin run? We go the the one on Lake City Way. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2007, 12:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/les-schwab-died/406579/9 "2007-06-04T00:44:48Z")
[QUOTE=picunurse] Which one does your cousin run? We go the the one on Lake City Way. [/QUOTE] No idea. I should write to my relatives in Idaho and find out. ---
**Author:** ![Sofaspud](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/8491ac/32.png) [@Sofaspud](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sofaspud)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2007, 4:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/les-schwab-died/406579/10 "2007-06-04T04:27:43Z")
It’s big news in Spokane, too. Les Schwab Tires is the _best_ tire store I’ve ever gone to. And they’re the only one I know of that not only offers in-house credit with reasonable interest rates, but also WORKS with you if you run into problems. If they ever change their business model, I’m going to cry.