In 2 years time that I have stayed in K-town, this was the 5th time my car/ bike had a flat tire And each time I felt like it was the first time. The thought struck my mind – Is it my riding/ driving or is it because of the roads in the city which is being demolished in each side and constructed after weeks and weeks. Kudos to the project head when it’s finally done .You can ride normally without a bumpy ride and without waiting for half an hour to cross a 5 minute drive and thankfully no blocked roads because of the structure. I agree it’s hard to control the traffic when the widening of the roads is being done but seriously how long we have to use the diverted roads when it’s blocked. And to realize the poles on the side are still blocking the way of the car as it’s still on the middle of the roads. And there we have the next construction team working on that. Anyways, it’s always better late than never. What made me write was how your mind works when you see a flat tire.
1. Firstly, when you see a flat tire as soon as you are about to leave for your work, gym, appointments, the very first thought of how are you going to reach that place comes in the picture. How much time that you have, and how important is it to reach the place?? Alternatives, friends staying nearby who could drop you or taking a cab, all these thoughts keep shuffling in your mind. Informing the office or concerned person that you cannot make it on time. Calling up at your place and telling them that you are genuinely stuck for an hour at the minimum.
2. And there if you cannot leave your vehicle at the middle of the road, you tell your heart that everything will just be fine. And its just simple physics and everything is related to lever, recalling the fifth standard science. It is really easy. Put the jack at the right place and turn and twist it upwards and take the lug nuts out of the tire, replacing it with the one in the trunk. You can simply do that.
3. With all the willpower that you have, you go to change the tire realizing that the tire is super heavy and you cannot take the one in the trunk out all by yourself. Moreover, finding the iron is an easy task but the jack raiser / lower is not, if you really have no idea about mechanical parts of the car. And the last resort is to find someone who can change it for you.
4. Switching on the “Around Me” application on an iphone does not really work at places like K-town where you can get to know the repair shops and how far it is. Asking the cab drivers, barging into a stranger’s house and asking the owner if their drivers are free has mostly worked out for me. The worst situation that I have been in when the spare tire is also punctured and there is no workshop nearby. Walked a kilometer and a half and I came across a repair shop, and I had to use my charm to get the mechanic to the place I had left my car.
5. Once again I realize how important it is for a driver to know how to change the tire of the car, it has to be one of the conditions of getting the license (Wild thought). And learning how to change a tire was on the top of my list. This was the first thing that I did after reaching home and second was writing this piece.
PS. I CAN NEVER IMAGINE A FLAT TYRE ON A HIGHWAY. DAMN; I WOULD BE STRANDED IN THE MIDDLE OF THE LONG LOST ROAD AND TO ADD TO IT NO NETWORK ON THE PHONE.
