Glass Half Full

[Xraycer]

About 5 minutes from work, around 5:15am, on of my tires had a blow-out. It's super gusty out, and the temp was 20degrees lower than the morning before 😒
Despite the inconvenience, I find myself rather fortunate. The blow-out occurred just as I was at the exit. I was able to find an empty parking lot nearby. My donut had full pressure. I keep a headlamp in my car at all times, and it had power. Took me about 15-20, from start to finish, and I was only 13 minutes late for work.
I believe I found the damaged spot, and I may be able to plug it. I'll find out later this evening. After 38 years of driving, this is my first blow-out. Pretty dang good, considering for the past 20 years, I put +22k miles per year on my cars.
Gotta see the glass half full in life!

[ssbn617]

Dinh,
I don’t envy your commute. Unfortunately once a month I have drive down there for my wife’s Dr.  appointments, and I can say without doubt, your glass is not half full, it will never be empty.

[Xraycer]

Dinh,
I don’t envy your commute. Unfortunately once a month I have drive down there for my wife’s Dr.  appointments, and I can say without doubt, your glass is not half full, it will never be empty.

Hey, Mitch. Hope all is well.
After 20 years of this commute, it doesn't even phase me, as long as there's no unforseen tie-ups.
I'm just grateful, this morning, that it wasn't raining, or that I would have to change the tire on the side of a major artery. And, after all that, I was only 13min late to work? I think I need to apply to be in a pit crew. Lol
So, the glass, from my perspective, is absolutely half full!

[airgunaut]

Good thing the blowout didn't cause you to lose control of the car! That adds another couple ounces into the glass.

[Xraycer]

Good thing the blowout didn't cause you to lose control of the car! That adds another couple ounces into the glass.

Indeed! Luckily, it's a small awd car with small tires, and I was only traveling about 55mph. I just felt and heard an unfamiliar vibration from the back of the car, but the car drove true and never even felt wonky. Then the tpms light came on.
I'm also glad that several months ago, I checked and filled the spare to the correct psi.

[splitbeing]

38 years x 22k per year = dang, that's a long time without a blowout,

[Xraycer]

38 years x 22k per year = dang, that's a long time without a blowout,

38 years of driving, total.
Last 20 years have been +22k miles per year.

I was able to plug that tire this evening. Hopefully, it holds. Fingers crossed.

[Hoosier Daddy]

Woke up this morning and started with a full glass...again.
So let's see how much gets dumped out.

[airgunaut]

Woke up this morning and started with a full glass...again.
So let's see how much gets dumped out.

The real question is does it get at least partly refilled after being drawn down. It's like "Body Battery" on the health and fitnesss app on my Garmin watch.

[Methuselah]

Been driving 50 years now, time for a nap.

Had only one high speed blowout and crossed 5 lanes before I got a good grip on the steering wheel. Was doing 100 mph when it went, rim was bare, no tire left.

I'm glad you didn't get hurt.

[Madd Hatter]

Were you in Germany?

[Xraycer]

I'm glad you didn't get hurt.

Thank you!

Glad you came out unscathed from that blowout, as well!

[avator]

Lots of blowouts over the years but the worst of them had to be a front tire on a Harley at highway speed. After successfully getting it slowed and off to the shoulder with adrenalin trying to pound my heart and lungs out of my chest came the realization that there is no spare tire on a Harley. And this was before cell phones were a part of life. I had to leave the most important thing in my life at the time at the side of the highway, flag down a ride home, find a trailer and help loading the bike up and bring it home.
It was a while before I could get out on the road without that thought in my head. It didn't stop me but the thought was there. I've had several flats on bikes but that one was the sketchiest. Wasn't much left in the bottom of that glass.   

[Xraycer]

Lots of blowouts over the years but the worst of them had to be a front tire on a Harley at highway speed. After successfully getting it slowed and off to the shoulder with adrenalin trying to pound my heart and lungs out of my chest came the realization that there is no spare tire on a Harley. And this was before cell phones were a part of life. I had to leave the most important thing in my life at the time at the side of the highway, flag down a ride home, find a trailer and help loading the bike up and bring it home.
It was a while before I could get out on the road without that thought in my head. It didn't stop me but the thought was there. I've had several flats on bikes but that one was the sketchiest. Wasn't much left in the bottom of that glass.   

Front motorcycle tire.......yikes!!!

[avator]

Lots of blowouts over the years but the worst of them had to be a front tire on a Harley at highway speed. After successfully getting it slowed and off to the shoulder with adrenalin trying to pound my heart and lungs out of my chest came the realization that there is no spare tire on a Harley. And this was before cell phones were a part of life. I had to leave the most important thing in my life at the time at the side of the highway, flag down a ride home, find a trailer and help loading the bike up and bring it home.
It was a while before I could get out on the road without that thought in my head. It didn't stop me but the thought was there. I've had several flats on bikes but that one was the sketchiest. Wasn't much left in the bottom of that glass.   

Front motorcycle tire.......yikes!!!

Yerp... no bueno.

[Madd Hatter]

I've never had a flat on the front on any of my street bikes but I've had a few on my dirt bikes that I had to ride many miles back to the truck or home. I've ridden home on rear flat mini of times over the decades.

[buellm2]

I have only had one flat tire on a street bike.   1972 Bonneville, dirt road, rear tire.   My front tire kicked up a sharp rock that sliced through the rear tire and tube.   The cut was a couple inches long so it was an instant, explosive loss of pressure.   My first thought was someone took a shot at me.   I was on a sharp corner on the dirt road so I wasn't going that fast but it was a scary moment.   The blowout was a couple hundred yards from my parents house so it wasn't that big of a deal except that I had a lot less money in those days to spend on tires.   I still miss that Bonneville.