Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Changing a flat tire on the side if the road

How old do you have to be before one of these young guys in the jacked up 4x4 pickups will stop and ask you if you need any help changing your flat tire. I have grey hair, no azz, skinny legs, creases on my face, all attributes of an old phart. I look old. I wouldn’t have accepted any help and I’m still going strong, I but it would have been nice if even one had slowed down.

I can’t guess the number of tires I’ve changed for people over the years, and I’m not going to stop. But if I think that you are younger than me, from now on, you are on your own.

I agree with you. Many people are scared to stop. When I worked mid night shift I wouldn't stop at night unless there were women and kids. I would call the state police and inform them.

I always stop and ask people if they need help.


Then I drive away. Regardless of their response.

What if they are injured and totally incapacitated?

Will you stop then? Call 911? Get out your tourniquet and stop the bleeding?

Nah, he'd ask how they're feeling, and then drive off.

Sometimes I tell them my favorite knock-knock joke before hitting the gas.

You got to be a geezer to be knowledgable about changing a tire. These young guys don't even know how to do it.
If they get a flat, they get on the Iphone and call for help, and stand by texting somebody, while a man shows up to do the work.

Many of the new cars these days don't even come with a spare.

Matsr, one of the things I did for myself to assist me in case of a flat was pretty cheap. Local O'Reilly's had small castored floor jack for $30 and a 4 way wrench for less than 10. Next thing I did was go to the salvage yard and get a spare stock wheel and had a good used tire mounted on it. I carry them so I am not handicapped with a Micky mouse jack, wrench, and worthless space saver spare or having to fight the stupid spare rack in nice conditions or really bad. While your at it a big long shank screwdriver for hubcap removal and atleast a 3lb hammer, these newer rigs sure have wheels that stick to drums and disc hubs. Flashlight/ worklight check. Mb

A big hammer, more force on a star wrench, and to drive the stuck wheel off brake drum.

If it's a obvious older person or woman with kids I'll stop..i pulled up to help an old guy with 2 flats on his trailer once. I was just firing up my compressor and rolling out my air hose&impact wrench when 2 16 year olds pulled up. They asked if they could help. I handed them the air tools and told them to have at it. Me and the old guy just watched. Rare thing these days

You are your Own out there . Be like Bob.
Be prepared.

Have and always will.

I am not so far gone that i can not change my own flats.

It is just what was hammered into me growing up..HELP YOURSELF

I was passing thru a four way intersection a couple weeks back and this big ass Blue Jay was standing in front of his F-150 with the hood open. Houses in this area start in the millions and end in the millions. Busy, busy intersection and it was a bit of a mess watching everyone having to navigate around this poor bastard.

After laughing and making my turn I thought 'Nobody around here is gonna help that Kimbo Slice lookin' bastard.' This made me flush with guilt due to my kids also being criminals. So I finished my beer, and made my way back toward the intersection.

I asked him if he wanted some help getting his rig out of the intersection and he was thrilled. I parked my truck and walked back and told him to steer and I'd give it the heeve-ho. A quick conversation about where to aim the truck took place as I did a bit of traffic directing and we agreed on the ideal spot. The guy couldn't get it into gear so I went to the back of the truck and pushed for a second and told him to try again. The trans was stuck in that no-mans-land portion that we have all experienced but it came loose after that.

We got him off the road and the only thing that could have made him happier would be a Thanksgiving turkey from Popeyes.

I asked him he had help coming and he assured me that he did.

We shook hands.

End of story.

Swapped one out on the van last night, as a matter of fact. Had to call the red head to look up where the f'n spare was, and how to let it down (hint, the crank mechanism is between the front seats, through the middle of the console). You might be an engineer, if......

Don't see too many stranded cars on main roads these days, but you sure do in the back country. These "P" rated tires don't seem to be any more resistant to rock punctures when you put them on fancy AWD SUV's....

Liar!

I've changed a number of flats for women. Can't recall any old men that needed help but I guess if you looked like Joe Biden I might stop and help.

Conditions dictate however. If I have my kids with me I'm going to drive on by.

If you're on the side of I-95 during rush hour, start prayin'.

When my daughter got her first car I taught her how to change a tire on it. She loosened the lugnuts and jacked it up. Got the spare out and put it on tightened the lugnuts, lowered it to the ground and finished tightening the lugnuts. Then I looked it over and told her she did a good job. Fast forward to her college days and she and her friends were out in her fiends car and had a flat and no cell service. Her friends did not know what to do so she taught them how to change a tire and got them home safe. I made sure she would never be a damsel in distress and get taken advantage of and she has thanked me several times for doing that.

Kimbo Slice!... may he rest in peace.

I've stopped for women and old men, but always thought is this the time I'll be accused of something I didn't do, is this the time I'll be robbed or killed. So I approach things cautiously. 2 years ago I had a border patrolmen stop and help my buddy and I change a tire at night. He ran his overheads so people would slow down. But, it isn't expected.