Flat in the Hat

Saturday June 17, 2017 I stayed overnight in Medicine Hat, Alberta. I did not mean to stay overnight there, I thought I would be able to make back home. I got kind of sidetracked driving down back roads. I got in Medicine Hat after eleven and it would have been another three hours home. Best to grab a room for the night. The odd thing is that when I do go out to explore southern Saskatchewan and Alberta I frequently end up in Medicine Hat for some reason.

Sunday morning after getting coffee and filling up with gas I was ready to hit the highway. As I was leaving the gas station a driver in the parking lot shouted out that I had a flat tire. I found a spot where I could pull over without blocking anyone and sure enough I had a flat.

It had been years since I had to change a tire. Then I started wondering if I even had a spare and a jack. I bought the 2003 Impala used a couple of years ago and I bought it in a hurry because I needed quick transportation as my prior vehicle needed to be scrapped. I never bothered to check if I had the items to change a tire or if I even had a spare. The good news was all the stuff was there.

There is no denying that cell phones in this day and age are handy. They can inform you via a quick search that any place to get a tire fixed is closed on Sunday. I could have called someone but there are some things you should be able to take care of on your own. Anyone I do know there I do not know well enough to impose on them anyway. A quick look at the emergency spare told me it needed air. In the past I have had to change tires in the rain and in the snow. In the space of one month years ago I had three flat tires. At least the day was warm and sunny. The tire came off with a bit of persuasion and the spare went on easily.

Of course these days you they want to charge you for using an air hose. I did not have any choice in the matter so I had to get change to activate the air hose to pump up the spare. Then I drove three hundred fifteen kilometres back at a much slower speed than I am used to driving. There were a few stops to get out and make sure the lug nuts were tight. At least it was a four lane highway all the way so I was not impeding anyone. I got to listen to a lot of talk radio on the way home.