The last couple of weeks I’ve noticed that one rear tire on the truck seems to be soft. I checked the air pressure on Monday, and it had only 15 PSI. Yep, low. I filled it up.
But today when I took bread to sell in town, it looked low again. I decided to stop at the tire shop. Town was very, very full today. The combis are running at full-force again; though, the lockdown is still theoretically in effect.
I turned onto the combi bridge on my way home. Halfway along it, a large semi truck decided to come down from the other direction. I squeezed tight over to the combis to pass, but I squeezed too tightly and clipped mirrors with a combi.
How this doesn’t happen all the time, I do not know. The other driver began yelling, which I sympathized with. But when I put on my hazard lights and parked, he stopped making noise. Then when I began walking back to him, he looked like he wasn’t sure he should have shouted.
Happily for him, I was only coming to apologize and check on damages. The combi was like many others: In such a state that it’s a bit hard to know which bump or dent was the new one.
He said all was okay, and that I shouldn’t worry. I told him again and again how sorry I was. He was eager to forgive me. His wife sitting beside him said, “God is with you. That’s why it didn’t break. He takes care of you.” That was a bit of a surprise to hear, but I thanked them and went on.
At the tire shop, they took off the tire and checked it over. They could find no leak. I told them it is definitely leaking, so they kept looking. They added some more pressure and coated it with more water mixed with laundry soap. I spotted the bubbling and pointed it out to them.
It was only a few minutes later, they had it apart and found a small nail. A couple minutes more, it was patched and back on the truck.
I asked the fellow what I could do with the nail. He told me just to throw in the street in front of his shop. Apparently, my look of shock was what he wanted. He roared laughing and took the nail to toss.
The charge was S/8 or $2.50. That’s the quickest tire service for the least cost I’ve ever experienced in my life.
Juan David 