POP!ssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssss

One more point in favor of bikes in "bikes vs cars," you can't have a blowout while going 70 mph on a tollroad on a bike. I will admit that was mildly terrifying, especially considering I couldn't get over to the shoulder before it was barricaded by a work zone. So instead I got to plod along at about 5 mph for a few minutes until I could pull over. Called AAA, resigned myself to missing the ND game I was on my way to see.

The tire wasn't just flat, the tread was practically off.

I have to admit AAA was great. Since I was on a freeway I was a "priority" commuter and a truck would be there within an hour. In the meantime, I was free to try and change the tire myself while I was waiting. Which I think I could have done, except for breaking the locked lugnut off the shredded tire. Whoops.

My father-in law showed up as I was trying to get the tire off. I already had the spare off, and had figured the jack out to the point where if we could get the bad tire off we'd be in great shape. I had 4 of the 5 lugnuts loose. The last one was the locked-lug, which I had already handled alright taking the spare off the back of the car. Of course, it broke almost as soon as we tried it.

AAA showed up to help, and broke it more. AAA was just a van at first, since it was called in as a flat even though I was under the impression a truck was coming. No big deal. It was actually less to wait for the truck to come than the van to show in the first place, and the we were on our way. Nothing worked on the busted lug. Pnuematic wrenches, chisels, only worked to break smaller pieces off the lock. Eventually the blowtorch came out, which honestly spooked me almost as much as the initial blowout. We were standing in a gas station parking lot, and all of a sudden behind me I hear this "whoosh" as he fires up the torch to cut the lock off. Fantastic.

But the blowtorch worked, and the bastard was off the car.
All in all, my little sidetrip only cost $50 for the labor taking the tire off. AAA covered the tow, and really the only casualty was a wasted opportunity to see ND beat Stanford. The final timeline:
9:25-blowout on 355 south near 75 st. exit

9:35-AAA called

9:40-10:20-attempted tire change

10:30-AAA shows, gives up, calls truck

10:45-IDOT truck shows up to ask if we're an accident or just flat

11:00-tow truck shows, head to 63rd & Cass

11:45-tire is finally off, spare is on, head back to 'burbs for beer & football

So basically, the slightly unsettling adventure of the morning took just about as much time as it would have to drive to South Bend. By the time I was done I didn't think I had time to make the game, so it was back to the in-laws' for some NBC.

And don't talk to me about how "the same thing could happen on a bike." I've flatted on a bike at full speed a couple of times and it's not even close to same thing. Once was even in the rain on the bike path and it wasn't anything to write home about. This was. The ride to work this morning was worlds calmer than any drive could have been. I keep leaning further and further to the no-car approach. I'm already car-lite, but that was something I would not want to experience again, thank you. So huge thumbs up to AAA, who made a terrible situation that much easier to get over. I did't miss a second of the game, even though it wasn't in person. So thank you, sincerely. AAA is awesome.

Current beer-scale: 4.3, although it's still pretty early.