I have had a rough run with kerbs lately culminating in me needing two new tyres. Faced with a ÂŁ288 quote, I thought, surely, I can get it cheaper, and I knew just the guy.
Earlier in the year, I hit a pothole trying to squeeze past another car on a narrow country road with an inexplicable 60mph speed limit. When I reached my destination, everything seemed fine. A week later, my car pinged me with a low tyre pressure warning. Turns out I had a slow leak that couldn’t be patched. Driving through the city, I spotted a small tyre shop and thought “That’ll do.” The man took one look, nodded and offered me a used tyre for £40. Perfect! Put it on.
So, when I showed up a few months later, needing two tyres, one of which he had only sold me recently, he gave me a disapproving look, wagged a finger and said, “Bad driver.” This time he recommended new ones. “Two for £150” he offered. Yay! My brain cheered. But with my best poker face, I said “Hmm. is that the cheapest you can do.” He punched numbers into his phone. “£140. Can’t go lower.” “Great” I said. Put them on.
Except he couldn’t, I had lost my locking wheel nut. We both searched the car, nothing. “you’ll need a new one” he said. Sigh.
Few days later, I headed to the car shop armed with the product code for a suitable wheel nut for £20.99, out of stock. I bought a £39.99 alternative just in case and ordered the cheaper one for store pickup. Hours later, the store called, the cheaper one won’t be available for a week. Unfazed, I went to another branch bought the cheaper version and returned the pricey one. Feeling smug, I returned to the tyre shop the next day. The guy took one look at me and said, “Nope. Wrong one. You need to get a new set from an approved dealership.” Sigh.
I called the dealership and no, I can’t have a replacement. I’ll have to buy a new set for £150 and another 30-mile round trip. At my wits end and poorer, I went back to the tyre shop. “Got the right one” he grinned. I held it out like Gollum presenting the One Ring. He chuckled and went to work clinking, clanking, and twisting my new tyres in place. I handed over the cash, got into my car and made a mental checklist of what would inevitably go wrong next. “See you soon” he quipped as I narrowly missed a kerb on the way out.
