Flat Tire Problem
January 19, 2026
I got a flat tire recently. My car hit a pothole outside Pittsburgh on my way to an Ignatius hockey game I was coaching. Very frustrating.
I was able to pull off the highway and get into a safe spot.
It was a Sunday morning. The weather was turning bad.
I called AAA (25-year member!). Within an hour, a tow truck arrived with the necessary tools to quickly jack up the car, remove the flat tire, place the spare, inflate the spare, and send me on my way. This was done for free (or as part of my <$100 annual AAA payment).
I used the time to search for a tire store that was close, open on Sunday, AND that had the tire I needed in stock.
There was a Starbucks across the street from the tire store where I could wait while the work was done.
I was on my way home about 3 hours after the flat occurred.
That entire chain of events is amazing (tow truck —> the tools —> tire store —> tire in stock —> coffee close by … all on a Sunday morning).
What an amazing world we live in.
I subsequently heard someone mention the “flat tire problem”.
You only notice the thing that was quietly essential once it fails.
You don’t think about this thing, ever, until it fails. Then it is your #1 priority.
This is a saying that suggests people often fail to prepare for the unexpected.
My spare tire was completely flat. I never even looked at it until it was suddenly the most important thing in my life.
I guess my being a member of AAA is my way of preparing for this type of event, but it sure feels like I am outsourcing it rather than handling it myself.
