Um, I'm having an emergency you jackass.....

[Dave1982]

So a couple weeks ago the valve stem on my right rear tire failed, causing a lovely leak that resulted in a flat tire.

Today, the left rear tire - installed the same day as the other one - also had a valve stem failure, except this time it was a fast leak that emptied the tire rapidly, and I was out and about when it happened.

And I'd forgotten my cell phone.

Great.

I notice the problem just as I was pulling away from the bank. I stopped at the light just by the bank, then turned right and pulled into a parking lot behind a small shop.

I broke out my emergency compressor and attempted to air up the tire.

Scarcely had I begun when this asshole of a manager came out of the shop and complained that I was blocking the entrance to his lot, that I was on private property, and that if I didn't leave, I'd get towed.

OK, I was parked across two spots (having pulled off the road and immediately stopped), but I was NOT blocking the entrance. Not by ANY stretch of the imagination.

Plus, dude......I'm trying to fix a flat tire. Trust me, it's a lot more inconvenient for me than it is for you. Oh, and out of ten spots available, you have only two cars in the lot. So chill the fuck out, ok?

Asshole: Well you need to get out of here ASAP.

Me: I will be.

*he goes back in*

Me: Asshole....

Unfortunately, the compressor could only maintain 9 PSI, at which point the tire was leaking at fast at was filling. By holding the valve stem pushed in slightly, I was able to get the tire aired up enough that I could pull around the block and back to the bank, where I had to put the compact spare on. Before doing that, I ran to a nearby pizza shop and used their phone to call Captain Jellico and let him know I'd be late. I made it worth their while by buying a drink.

Then I drove home and borrowed my mother's car. Ended up being 35 minutes late to work.

The bank was closed (I'd used the drive-up ATM earlier) so they obvioulsy had nothing to say about me being in their parking lot for a while.

Seriously though, how much of an asshole do you have to be to complain that I have a flat tire in your lot and threaten to have me towed?

[mikoyan29]

Reminds me of the time when I was on the freeway and my hood popped up. I pulled off the freeway and into a parking lot. Someone came out and told me that I would have to move....Uh yeah...Okay....

[HawaiianShirts]

Scarcely had I begun when this asshole of a manager came out of the shop and complained that I was blocking the entrance to his lot, that I was on private property, and that if I didn't leave, I'd get towed.

I would have asked if he was offering to pay to have my car towed because, if he was, I would have been willing to let him. He gets my broken-down car off his premises, and I get a free tow to the tire shop. It's a win-win situation!

(Hey, I can dream, right?)

[One-Fang]

Yup, that right there is an asshole. I mean, technically, he's within his rights. But ever hear of a little compassion? Also practicality. It's not like you parked up over his entrance and then sauntered off to enjoy a few hours at some other establishment.

Him: Well you need to get out of here ASAP

Me? What the fuck does it LOOK like I'm trying to do?

[Dave1982]

And the thing was, I wasn't blocking his entrance. Not at all.

[Rine]

I had the same thing happen to me just the other day. A rapid leak caused by a failure in the valve steam...tire was flat in no time. At least it was a free repair, though. edit: I read your other post...you got it fixed at Sears too! You must have bought the road hazard with the tires then.

That guy sounds like a real jerk. I'm glad I don't work for him. How mean can you get? I can understand him asking you not to leave your car there for a super long time, but you were just fixing a flat. Geez.

[Sandman]

Best thing I suggest people to do.. is write letters to the editors about what he did. If he's like that, make him answer to the public to what could *have been* a future customer.

Who knows how he treats his staff and current customers!

[PepperElf]

"tire's flat. wanna help me put the spare on? or can ya at least wait for me to fix it first?"

if he threatens to call the tow... "sure lemme call the cops too, maybe they'll help me with the tire"

[Dave1982]

A rapid leak caused by a failure in the valve steam...tire was flat in no time. you got it fixed at Sears too! You must have bought the road hazard with the tires then.

Yes, I bought the tires from Sears and they installed them, with full road hazard coverage ($6 or 7 per tire for the life of the tire. Not bad at all).

I asked them about the curious fact that both of the valve stems installed that day failed within a few weeks of each other. The guy there told me that it's a known problem, and that their supplier at the time had been sending them bad parts (not the tires themselves, but the ancillary stuff like valve stems). They've since switched suppliers, but from time to time they have people coming back in with blown valve stems.

[Rine]

Well, that makes me worry! But I did make a point to ask about it when it happened, and they said mine was cracked. This was the tire that hit the curb when I swerved to avoid a car driving in the wrong lane coming towards me...sooo, I'm thinking that's what caused it. (That it was damaged then and when I was backing up in my driveway and heard it go flat is when it finally failed.) I hope it doesn't happen again because the air leaked out so quickly. Glad I bought that road hazard, though. Glad you did too!

[RestaurantDude]

Assho!e manager

A summer to two ago i got rear - ended at a red light. Both myself and the girl that rear -ended me pulled our cars into a nearby diner so we could trade info and the like. Owner of the diner comes out and starts yelling at us that the parking spaces are 'for customers only'. I calmly explain the situation, to which he replies "Too bad! Leave now, or i'm calling the police!" Police show up, and basically tell the diner owner to go have intercourse with himself.

But really, someone with a disabled car in your lot? Show some dammed sympathy.

[LillFilly]

I get cars every now and then that wont start, have run out of gas, etc. No big deal, the person leaves their name and number and when they're going to try and have the car picked-up.

It's the people that buy parts and begin doing a total engine rebuild, or decide to change their oil, or rotate their tires in our Lot that is a problem. We are not a garage and you cannot use our parking lot as such; not to mention if we allow you to do this and you hurt yourself, you'll sue because you 'got hurt on our property.' They also decided to do this in the busiest sections of the Lot, thus tying-up several spaces at a time. I once caught someone who decided the fire lane was the right place for him to install his shiny new personalized license plate holder.

[Gruesome]

I can't get a tow truck when I need it in less than two hours anyway, so I'd tell the guy to go ahead and call the truck. By the time he gets there I'll be patched up and long gone, and if the tow truck driver wants to get paid for coming out then I guess he can chat with the guy who called him

[Anakah]

My fiance and I had a flat tire on a bridge! It's constantly busy due to it being the only one and the only way to get to the other state. Now, we're pulled over on the right side, emergency lights flashing. A cop comes up. We're thinking: yay, we're saved.

Nope. He simply made it possible for us to DRIVE on our flat tire and get off of the bridge. I get why but he just said good luck to us and ditched us once we were off.

[blas]

I have a car that is INFAMOUS for all of its little quirks.

Seriously, if he starts throwing a tantrum and starts trying to shit the bit and I pull into a parking lot and open the hood and start calling my dad and some yutz comes out to yell at me for taking up a parking spot, I'll probably get arrested for disorderly conduct.