Blown Tires & Good Samaritans at Christmas

I was fortunate enough to be able to spend Christmas with my Mom and the rest of my family again this year, although they live two states away from me. Traveling home to Nashville last Sunday night (December 28, 2008), my right rear tire blew out.

If this hasn’t happened to you yet, then you are really lucky. If it has happened to you, then you understand just how scary it is. I had no doubt in my mind what had occurred, even though it had never happened to me before. The car was hard to control and I could feel that end riding the rim.

I did what you aren’t supposed to do – I drove just a little bit further on it. I know, I know… But it was already dark and I thought I would prefer to buy a new rim than to be stuck in the dark on the side of I-65. It might not have been the right decision, but it’s what worked for me in the moment.

The other deciding factor in driving just a little further was that I was already at the Fieldstown Road exit in Birmingham, an exit I have used numerous times for travel breaks, meals, etc. I knew there was a gas station right off the exit, so I pulled into the Chevron and went inside to see if they could recommend a place to get a new tire.

They reminded me that there was a Wal-Mart just around the corner and suggested I drive there. Having already driven further than I should have, I decided it best to get a tow there. I was already someplace I felt relatively safe, so there was no need to chance further damage to the rim or face the hazard of driving a car that is hard to control.

I phoned Wal-Mart’s Auto Service department and asked if they could dispatch someone or if they had a tow service. The fellow who answered the phone said they had actually closed at 5 PM that evening (by now it was almost 6 PM) and I asked if he could recommend someone else that could do it. He put me on hold and Steve came back on the line to tell me they were going to reopen just to put a tire on for me and he also gave me the number to a tow service they liked.

I called the tow service, Hurst Towing & Recovery, and they dispatched someone pretty quickly. Chief showed up and took charge immediately, hooking my little Honda Civic up on the back of his truck and toting both it and me off to Wal-Mart. When I tried to tip him, he flatly refused, wishing me a Merry Christmas and telling me he was glad I was safe. I thanked him profusely before he left.

Then I met with Steve, the Auto Service manager at Wal-Mart who had been kind enough to reopen and wait for me. I made sure he had what he needed from me to get started and then begged to be pointed to their restroom (I hadn’t been in 250 miles by then).

Steve and his employee, Randy, worked hard to get a new tire on the car for me as quick as possible, without complaint. They went above and beyond to help a stranded traveler and I really appreciated the effort they went to in order to make sure I was taken care of. I would totally have understood if they had not reopened, but this group of people showed me that the spirit of Christmas is alive and well in Birmingham. Although I have to believe that Chief, Steve, and Randy probably exhibit that spirit year round, not just at the holidays.

I would happily do business with any of these wonderful people again, and highly recommend them to anyone in their area looking for services they provide.

Wal-Mart
Store #1201
890 Odum Road
Gardendale, AL 35071
(205) 631-8110

Hurst Towing & Recovery
Birmingham, AL
(205) 631-8697