bclexus

Some of you have cited that you carry a compact compressor [actually] in the car. I presume you carry the compressor in the car in case you have a leaking tire so you can drive to a tire shop to have it repaired. This brings up a question about what you would do (or have done recently) if you have a flat tire. Let me preface the question by saying that it is never convenient to have a flat tire, but there are some times when it is more convenient than others. Not all flat tires happen when the weather is nice (e.g. not pouring down rain or snow, or the temperature in the teens) or on a day when you are just joy riding and killing time nearby your house and have on jeans and a T-shirt - and not wearing a $2,000 suit and $500 shoes.

So, what do you do - who do you call to put on your spare tire and get back on the road again?
.

• Put on the spare tire yourself regardless of the weather or how you are dressed
• Call your auto insurance road service
• Call Lexus road service
• Call your local tollway or turnpike road service
• Call AAA
• Call some other service or person to take care of it

np20412

I would always do it myself. Breaker bar and torque wrench is always in my trunk with the right attachments for the lugnuts/wheel lock.

praetor

99.99% of the time I do it myself. There was one time when it was like -10* and we were around the corner from a Discount Tire. We tipped the guys $20 for changing out one tire.

er34

Damn bro... so it means you've had 10000 flat tires in your life?

bclexus

I'm surprised there are more people who would call AAA (you or someone with you must be a paid member) than people who have roadside service as part of their automobile insurance.

For what it's worth, many people are unaware that they have access to roadside service as part of their automobile insurance, or as an add-on feature for just a few dollars more.

For example, State Farm charges a $4.56 annual fee for Emergency Roadside Service add-on coverage. That's a pretty reasonable rate compared to other providers. This covers the first hour of labor, whether it's a breakdown, towing, battery service, flat tire service, fuel delivery, lockout service, locksmith or extrication.

ChronoR

My credit card includes free roadside service. Depending where I am and the conditions, I might call. If it's in a side street in non rainy weather, I'd probably just put on the spare myself. On the highway? Roadside service

thallium

I'm in Phoenix so weather is rarely an issue except when it's stinking hot, and then, oh well, I'm used to it. I could have the spare on before anyone could possibly show up to help me and that's if I was doing it all manually but I also carry an Ingersoll Rand cordless impact and compressor so could air it up - if it will hold air long enough to drive to tire shop - or put on the spare in no time flat.

I've probably only had to put a spare on a car I was driving twice in the nearly 30 years I've been driving. I've helped other friends and family and done trailers I've been with probably 10-15 times over the years though, for what that's worth.

Worst experience I had was changing my tire when it immediately went flat from a pothole on the freeway on the inside lane in a construction zone with a narrow shoulder and the flat was on the passenger side facing traffic. It was pretty scary but luckily, highway patrol pulled up behind me with lights while I put on the spare.

praetor

LOL. I'm old what can I say.

[edit] Maybe not 10,000 but I use to change tires in my garage for me and my motorcycle buddies. So I have changed a lot of tires in my lifetime.