The last time I went shopping for a new car, I almost didn’t select my first choice because it only came with run-flat tires. I had seen the commercials where a mother and her young child were on the side of a deserted road with a flat tire… in the rain of course for added impact. Safety has always been of paramount importance to me, but this was a new concept. These tires were more expensive and since they were standard equipment on the car there was not enough space in the trunk for a spare… not even one of the donut variety. Well, the deed was done and that car has been on the road with me for a few years without having to test how safe the tires would be on a treacherous road. That was, until I discovered [imagine music here] ♪ dun dun DUUN ♪ the pothole capital of the world, New Jersey! In the army we didn’t call these obstacles potholes. We called them tank traps.
I was up at 2am for an early flight back home so that I would have the whole afternoon to catch up. Landing in Newark, I paid the required ransom to get my car out of the parking lot and charged up the highway. I had been on these roads so many times that I didn’t ask Helga, as I lovingly call my onboard GPS voice, to show me the way. While looking up at a road sign it happened. ♪ dun dun DUUN ♪ While changing lanes there was a loud WHUMP followed by a whispered beep from the Tire Pressure Monitor on the dash. Remembering that it was possible to drive on run-flat tires for short distances if speed is reduced below 50 MPH, I steered to a safe place to call for help. Needless to say, it was after dark when I got home to Connecticut so obviously all those plans for an early departure did not allow sufficient time for stopping to buy a new tire. I am happy to report that this amazing tire worked as it should and I did not die. I did piss off several truckers by going under 50 MPH, but they chose not to kill me either.
Always looking for the “moral to this story†approach, the writer instinct in me kicked in and I began to think about how we could incorporate some of this run-flat technology into our daily routine. We run our daily lives at speeds greater than we should until we are forced to change our plan because of some minor irritant in our path. Nobody can plan for the unexpected, so we have to remember the run-flat mantra: reduce speed and ask for help. We don’t have to stop. We don’t need to backtrack in our routine. We simply need to slow down. There is also no rule that our original solo course requires that we continue alone. There is no loss of pride in asking for help. Calmness and slowness can allow for thoughtful reaction to unplanned events and we are more likely to bring the day to a successful close.
I feel safe that I have run-flat tires on my car and there is a sense of peace that I have learned how to slow down and cope with daily frustrations that try to stop me.
Image credit: BMK, Germany