Be Prepared
“Be prepared”– Boy Scout motto
As I left the office today I discovered I had a flat tire.
No problem, I thought. I’ll just whip out the tool kit and patch it up. After removing the wheel I decided put some air in the tire to assist in finding the leak.
That’s when I discovered my bicycle pump doesn’t work. There are some missing parts. Where did the pump come from? Had I ever used this pump before? Did it ever work? Probably not. All my recent flat tires have occurred close to home, so I always used the superior floor pump.
So it was on to Plan B – I would use the air at the nearby gas station. But when I got there, I realized that the air machine required quarters. No problem, I usually have some change on me. Today my pockets were empty. Even my wallet was empty. Penniless like a vagrant.
On to Plan C – take advantage of all the piggy banks, aka newspaper racks, I have around town. If I could open one of them up, I could get the quarters I would need for the air machine. But the keys to the racks were at home in my car. The racks were useless.
So it was on to Plan D – with the “D” standing for defeat. I walked the bike home, head hanging low, as I trudged down School Road and made my way home. It wasn't too far, but there's nothing more pathetic than having to push a bicycle.
The flat was fixed and this evening I purchased a new portable bicycle pump. I also made sure that my tool kit is properly equiped.
(Note: The flat was caused by a small staple.)
posted by Jack Durham @ 6:57 PM
1 Comments:
Using gas station air hoses to fill bike tires is not recommended. People don't realize how much pressure they use. I've seen a number of people over the years trying to fill bike tires at gas stations only to have their tire burst.
No harm done, just a loud POP, but it renders the tire useless and unrepairable.
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