My road trips tend to be quite eventful. This time, I got my first flat tire and now, reflecting on that great experience, I realize how I could have prevented/helped myself in this situation.
So here's what happened.
I loaded up my little black Kia Soul and hopped in, mentally preparing for the three hour drive to my parents' house ahead of me. As I started my car I noticed this weird light thing on my dash and thought to myself, "What are that?" But I was quickly distracted by the song that started playing once my bluetooth connected. I spent the drive jamming out to Broccoli and dramatically singing my fave karaoke songs so by the time I pulled into my parents' driveway I had completely forgotten about the weird light on my dash.
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After eating too much Thanksgiving food and teaching my parents slang words I was ready to load up my little Soul and head back to Conway. When I started my car I noticed the weird light thing again and asked my dad what it was. He informed me that it meant my tire pressure was low, because sometimes that happens when it gets colder, and kindly aired them all back up.
I waved goodbye to my cutie parents and headed back toward Conway, trying to ignore the fact that it was starting to rain and the wind was blowing my little car all across the road. I made it almost an hour away from my parents house, just past Greenland, when the stinking light came back on. I called my dad and told him it had come back on and he advised me to stop at the next gas station and check all the tires, assuming the sudden drop in temperature was to blame. I felt like something was wrong but I brushed it off and planned on stopping at the next station, which was in Rudy. If you're familiar with the drive from Northwest Arkansas to Central Arkansas you'd know that gas stations can be few and far between, so I was a little worried about how much further I would make it.
Not even two minutes after I hung up with my dad I started to feel like something was very wrong and suddenly heard this weird sound. I called my dad back through my bluetooth speaker and said, "My car is making a weird sound now, listen." After a moment of silence my dad responded with a hint of annoyance at my stupidity, "You have a flat tire. Pull over." I was going 75mph in the slight rain and crazy wind as my car started to swerve on it's own due to my lame tire being all clunky and flat so I was only freaking out a little bit. After a hurried pep talk from my dad I finally pulled over in the midst of the traffic and came to a stop just off the shoulder in the grass where the ground was starting to slope into the ditch, as far as possible from the speeding semi trucks.
The wind was unforgiving and ridiculously cold and it was starting to get dark. I got out and checked my tires only to find my back passenger tire as deflated as my independence. So I called my parents again.
Me: "Yeah, it's really flat."
Dad: "Okay. Where's your spare?"
Me: "Uhm..."
Dad: "Yeah. Your car doesn't come with a spare tire."
Me: "It doesn't?? Well, why not?"
Dad: "They just don't. So what are you going to do?"
Me: "Uhmmm..."
Dad: *Sighs* "We'll be there soon."
They decided that since my mom and I have the same car they were going to take the tire off of hers and replace mine with it. Which was releiving to hear that they had a solution because the only thing I could come up with was...yeah I didn't have any solutions. :/
I sat in my dark and freezing cold car for an hour or so and naturally I had to pee like crazy. It seemed too windy and scary to pee outside next to my car so I found a cup and did what I had to do. Twice.
Finally a giant Dodge truck pulled off the interstate behind me and I couldn't be happier to stand out in the freezing, misting wind and watch my dad change my tire. Twenty minutes later I was back on the road and on my merry way to Conway.
Here's what I learned:
- Know what the lights on your dash mean.
- If your low tire pressure light comes on, check your tires for screws.
- Know what a flat tire feels like when you're driving on it so you don't have to call your dad and ask him what that noise is because you'll look really dumb.
- Always keep a blanket in your car because it definitely came in handy.
- Keep large cups/buckets and toilet paper in your car at all times.
- Bring extra pants w/ you.
- Know where your spare is/if your car has a spare. Some cars come with tire inflation thingys.
- Learn how to use inflation thingy.
So the next time I get a flat tire I will use my inflation thingy and...do whatever it is that it does...and get myself back on the road WITHOUT having to call my parents. Loljk, I will just hope and pray that if it happens again I'm close enough for someone to come save me. Or at least hang out in my car with me so I don't start talking to myself like last time.
**Shout out to my cutie parents for saving me and not giving me too much crap about it :)
