Roadside Assistance

On our way home from Flagstaff, I saw a minivan on the shoulder on the northbound side of I-17. There is a whole lotta nothing between Phoenix & Flagstaff on the highway and long stretches with no services.

So, I see this minivan full of people and a guy on a cell phone. I got some gas at the next major exit about 3 miles after we saw the van and think, why don't you drive back and see if they need help.

So we head back the opposite direction and they are still there. I pull up and see a flat tire and Dad trying figure out how to use the jack. This is probably 15 minutes after we first saw them.

I learned to change a tire in my early 20's (by having my Mom reading the owner's manual and supervising my brother Matthew & I), before I even had a car and have had ample opportunity to change tires since moving to Arizona. The heat seems to really trash tires and they blow out in the middle of summer. Don't know why, but they do. Even a new tire seems to go some summer days.

So, I put out my hand and took the tire iron and started loosening the lug nuts and then put the jack under the "correct" side of the vehicle and start cranking up the car.

It was funny that there were 6 people (Mom, Dad, 2 teen boys, teen girl and young girl) in the van and no one had ever changed a tire. How does that happen?

One of the daughter's spoke good English so I told her they needed two tires since the one that blew out was so bald you could see the steel belt along the edges and the other rear tire was no better. She asked if they could get back to Phoenix on the donut....um, NO WAY with 7 people going down 6% inclines going 75 mph.

I HOPE they got home ok......They were very appreciative that someone stopped AND knew how to change a tire.