I'll try to make this long story short--
Wife calls, immediately asks me where spare tire is on our 2015 Kia minivan. I ask... why? She says she has a flat (ran over an invisible curb) and that a stranger is there to put the spare on, but can't find it. I ask her to thank him for offering, but to decline the help. I can be there in 15 minutes and bring some decent tools with me and have it changed in 5 minutes, instead of fighting with the junk jack and garbage tools that come with the car. I also know there's likely not enough air in the spare (never checked it), so I can bring a portable air tank with me and make sure it's done right.
I have to call her for directions midway through my drive and she tells me she called her dad, and he offered to change it for her. I know he's closer and will get there before me, but I still also know it's in vain as the spare will need air. He's an old school car guy through and through, so I trust him to change a tire-- but I still feel like it's more efficient to use decent tools if she just wait an extra 5 minutes for me to get there.
I pull up to where she is, and I find the van sitting at a sharp angle, resting on the front passenger ball joint. Her dad raised it to take the tire off, did so, and then the van fell off the temp jack. I get out of the car, visibly and audibly upset (should have probably just kept my cool and fixed the situation; easier said than done), he gets defensive and upset and it escalates from there, nearly to the point he was threatening a fist-fight. I wasn't trying to dog his abilities, but I think he took it that way. I was just trying to convey that if everybody would have waited an extra 5 minutes, I had a full size floor jack, jack stand, air tank, breaker bar with 21mm socket, everything I would need to change the tire in 5 minutes flat. And I know how the spare tire comes off, which everybody was puzzled about. But I know he's her dad and wants to come to the rescue.
Still can't get it across to the wife to CALL ME FIRST before anyone else. If I'm 60 miles away, I get it. Have the stranger change the tire, her dad, whoever as long as she gets back on the road safe and I'll deal with it later. But at least give me the opportunity.
Miraculously no damage done. Whatever curb she hit must have had something sharp embedded in it, because there's a 1/2" wide slit right above the bead (going parallel with the rim, oddly) almost like somebody stabbed it with a knife. Missed the rim by a millimeter or two. Ball joint (sticks down below the control arm) has some scuffing on the bottom from the vehicle falling, but no worse for the wear. Temp jack is ruined, but somehow the pinch weld and side of the car / paint were unscathed.
I feel like I'm not wrong to be upset, but could have approached the situation more calmly. But I also feel everyone should have waited 5 dang minutes. Anyone else have a similar story, and how did you handle it?
Wife calls, immediately asks me where spare tire is on our 2015 Kia minivan. I ask... why? She says she has a flat (ran over an invisible curb) and that a stranger is there to put the spare on, but can't find it. I ask her to thank him for offering, but to decline the help. I can be there in 15 minutes and bring some decent tools with me and have it changed in 5 minutes, instead of fighting with the junk jack and garbage tools that come with the car. I also know there's likely not enough air in the spare (never checked it), so I can bring a portable air tank with me and make sure it's done right.
I have to call her for directions midway through my drive and she tells me she called her dad, and he offered to change it for her. I know he's closer and will get there before me, but I still also know it's in vain as the spare will need air. He's an old school car guy through and through, so I trust him to change a tire-- but I still feel like it's more efficient to use decent tools if she just wait an extra 5 minutes for me to get there.
I pull up to where she is, and I find the van sitting at a sharp angle, resting on the front passenger ball joint. Her dad raised it to take the tire off, did so, and then the van fell off the temp jack. I get out of the car, visibly and audibly upset (should have probably just kept my cool and fixed the situation; easier said than done), he gets defensive and upset and it escalates from there, nearly to the point he was threatening a fist-fight. I wasn't trying to dog his abilities, but I think he took it that way. I was just trying to convey that if everybody would have waited an extra 5 minutes, I had a full size floor jack, jack stand, air tank, breaker bar with 21mm socket, everything I would need to change the tire in 5 minutes flat. And I know how the spare tire comes off, which everybody was puzzled about. But I know he's her dad and wants to come to the rescue.
Still can't get it across to the wife to CALL ME FIRST before anyone else. If I'm 60 miles away, I get it. Have the stranger change the tire, her dad, whoever as long as she gets back on the road safe and I'll deal with it later. But at least give me the opportunity.
Miraculously no damage done. Whatever curb she hit must have had something sharp embedded in it, because there's a 1/2" wide slit right above the bead (going parallel with the rim, oddly) almost like somebody stabbed it with a knife. Missed the rim by a millimeter or two. Ball joint (sticks down below the control arm) has some scuffing on the bottom from the vehicle falling, but no worse for the wear. Temp jack is ruined, but somehow the pinch weld and side of the car / paint were unscathed.
I feel like I'm not wrong to be upset, but could have approached the situation more calmly. But I also feel everyone should have waited 5 dang minutes. Anyone else have a similar story, and how did you handle it?
