That's what I call the Tire Store people who stole my flat tire. Although I'm still trying to figure out why anyone would want to steal a flat tire.
Confused? Let me back up a bit.
So remember yesterday, how I walked out of my apartment to do errands in the afternoon and discovered I had a flat tire? And I took it over to the Tire Store? And they told me it was flat and unfixable?
Well, I didn't mention that first they attempted to sell me a set of four new tires. Yes, you read that right. A set of four. Now, I may not know much about cars, but I do know that one flat tire does not mean I have to purchase an entire set of four tires. Because when I got my oil change just three days before? They told me my tires were fine (little did they know I'd be dealing with a flat tire in a matter of days).
It might have been the skeptical look I gave Tire Man, because all of a sudden he's talking about me purchasing either one or two tires. It sounded a bit more reasonable, but like I said, I know very little about car maintenance aside from getting my oil changed every 3,000 miles.
"How about you guys just put on the spare and I'll talk to my Dad."
Because that's what any reasonable 27-year-old girl would do. Talk to her dad. Because dads? They know about cars.
Tire Man gave me this look and said OK. His cohorts put on my spare, making the Focus a bit ghetto looking and off I drove, with my quotes for a set of four tires, four tires that I would not be buying from Tire Man.
I get back to my apartment and tell Dad about what just went down at the Tire Store. He says he'll talk to Trusted Tire Store, where my set of somewhat functioning tires were purchased two years ago. In the meantime, I'm thinking my old, flat tire is sitting safely in the trunk of my car.
Fast forward to today. Something just didn't feel right. So after work I pop the trunk, just to make sure my now flat tire was there.
IT WAS GONE!
There was an old winter jacket, some mittens, my bike rack and my comfy campfire chair. But there wasn't any sign of a flat tire.
I go inside and immediately dial the Tire Store.
"I was in last night with a flat tire. You guys weren't able to fix it so you put my spare tire on. Do you by chance still have my old tire? Because I kind of need the rim and hubcap thing."
"Oh, was it from a Ford?" the Tire Man asks.
"Yeah."
"Yup. It's sitting right here."
"Can I have it back?"
Tire Man kind of chuckles. But at this point. I'm not laughing. Not only do I have to make another trip to the Tire Store, but I feel as though the Tire Man is holding my flat tire hostage, like he'll only give it up if I buy a new set of four tires from him. And last time I checked? That flat tire (and the hubcap/rim thing attached to it) belonged to me.
But I got it back. And I will never in my life recommend someone go to the Tire Store if they find themselves faced with a flat tire. Because at the Tire Store, they steal your flat tires. And that's just not cool.
5 comments:
Damn tire store.
Last December when I got a flat tire, I did end up having to replace all four tires because they were badly worn. Shelling out $400 a few weeks before Christmas really put a crimp in my holiday shopping.
Cars are the biggest waste of money, right? Too bad we need them for things like getting to work and such ... I'd only had my new car 1 1/2 years before my dealership convinced me I needed new ones. NEW ones? Aren't they supposed to last like, I'm just taking a stab in the dark, THREE years? Yeah. So that ... blew.
This sucks, but I avoid going to get anything done to my car without some kind of guy with me. It's the nature of the automotive beast.
I usually like having a guy with me when I have to deal with big car stuff. But I had no choice. Something needed to get done so I could get to work in the morning.
And tomorrow it's off to the Trusted Tire Store for the real fix.
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