Last night on the way back home I got a flat tire, my first one in years. I was driving on I-93 north into downtown Boston a little past midnight. There was much construction going on, so the two right lanes were closed. There was not much traffic.
I’m just cruising along (below the speed limit, thank you very much), when all of I sudden I hear a bang and feel a jerk on the back right side of the car. Sure enough, the tire pressure warning indicator lights up.
Unfortunately I had to go a little ways until I found a reasonable spot to pull over, because the right-hand lanes were full of cones and construction equipment.
In fact, I bet it was a stray piece of equipment or gear that caused my tire explosion.
Sure enough, when I pulled over, the tire was in bad shape. I don’t think the rim is damaged, but we’ll see tomorrow. I have a service appointment in the morning.
Anyways, a friendly state tropper explained that you can’t call AAA from the tunnels. Instead, a Mass Pike Authority truck and people have to help you out. He was kind enough to call a truck for me, and it showed up in about 25 minutes.
The truck driver was super-friendly and nice. I had a spare tire, and he did the replacement for me in under five minutes. I offered to pay and asked if I needed to sign anything, and he said no. Great service. I should have gotten his name to post up here.
It’s kind of interesting that you can’t call AAA from those tunnels. Ironically, it cost me nothing, whereas AAA may have cost something (besides its annual membership cost). It’s kind of like crashing an ER without insurance when you’re badly injured, and they have to fix you.
The repair was fine, and I drove home and to work today without any issues. Still, I feel a little strange not having a spare tire now.
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