Re: Risking life and limb

Kelly, I taught high school auto shop for over 25 years and most of my students had no clue how to change a tire. They did not pass my class unless they showed how to look up in the owners manual where to find the jack, spare tire, lug wrench, and then install the spare tire. Just to provide motivation. I point out that cell phones don’t always work everywhere and if they don’t know to change their own tire they are screwed. One student practiced on his mother’s car and we discovered that her jack was missing. Mom called her daughter and found out daughter had ‘borrowed’ her jack and ‘forgot ‘ to return. Momma laid down the law with her daughter had that missing jack back before the end of the period. I also reminded them that you check air pressure on all FIVE TIRES! The only thing more frustrating than having a flat is finding out your spare tire is flat or missing, (now you have two flats).

Many new cars do not even have spare tires on them. One of my friends at OERM/SCRM had one of their run flat tires shred and it took them half a day and almost $1,000 to have two tires replaced. Ouch!

BTW, my wife and both daughters can change their tires and my kids have had to show their husbands how to do it as well. I had my oldest change her flat tire and would only hold the flashlight and gave her instructions. She was pissed at me making her change her tire in the rain, but when she was finished she felt quite empowered by doing it herself.