03-19-2008, 10:59 PM
Maybe three months ago while driving my Prius, I noticed the rear driver's side tire was very low. I limped to a gas station where the service guy looked the tire over and said, "Hell, that looks like a tiny cotter pin. Sure enough, he proceeded to pull a small cotter pin from between the tread. He charged me 20 bucks for a quick patch, and all was well.
Until two weeks later when I noticed that my rear passenger side tire was very low. Inspecting it, I found what looked like a tiny cotter pin between the tread. I pumped the tire up at home and planned to take it to a gas station for repair, but it hasn't lost any more air -- so I've let it be.
Then just two weeks ago I took my Prius in for an overpriced oil change at the local Toyota place. They didn't give me the advertised price or guaranteed turnaround time for some mumbled reason. Anyway, eventually the mechanic came and told me, "All done, but we discovered a nail in your front passenger tire. We can repair it for 45 bucks." I declined, preferring to pay a gas station 20 bucks. Anyway, when I got home, I did an inspection of the front passenger-side tire. It doesn't look like a nail to me. It looks like another goddamned little cotter pin.
So I have to wonder, and maybe I'm just getting paranoid. But we get young guys knocking at the door now and then selling whatever. And I try to be polite yet firm. It just never seems to work out, and they usually go away expressing their annoyance at me, following the sidwalk around to the driveway which is not visible from any part of our house.
Do I think one of them did something? Well, to be honest, I don't think so.
Maybe I'm prone to sleep-driving, and I spend whole nights driving through the cotter pin factories dotting Mountain View.
Until two weeks later when I noticed that my rear passenger side tire was very low. Inspecting it, I found what looked like a tiny cotter pin between the tread. I pumped the tire up at home and planned to take it to a gas station for repair, but it hasn't lost any more air -- so I've let it be.
Then just two weeks ago I took my Prius in for an overpriced oil change at the local Toyota place. They didn't give me the advertised price or guaranteed turnaround time for some mumbled reason. Anyway, eventually the mechanic came and told me, "All done, but we discovered a nail in your front passenger tire. We can repair it for 45 bucks." I declined, preferring to pay a gas station 20 bucks. Anyway, when I got home, I did an inspection of the front passenger-side tire. It doesn't look like a nail to me. It looks like another goddamned little cotter pin.
So I have to wonder, and maybe I'm just getting paranoid. But we get young guys knocking at the door now and then selling whatever. And I try to be polite yet firm. It just never seems to work out, and they usually go away expressing their annoyance at me, following the sidwalk around to the driveway which is not visible from any part of our house.
Do I think one of them did something? Well, to be honest, I don't think so.
Maybe I'm prone to sleep-driving, and I spend whole nights driving through the cotter pin factories dotting Mountain View.
I'm nobody's pony.