Flat tires deflate GV resident

In the past 15 months, Linda Green has had six flat tires. She says that’s five too many.

All six flats were on the same car, a 1998 Buick Century, which Green says is a “good car.” Diligent about maintenance, she has a thick envelope of her receipts.

Though four of the six flat tires were “pluggable,” two were so bad the tires had to be replaced. Both that required replacement occurred on Duval Mine Road.; one tire had a piece of shrapnel in it, the other had a bolt. Green said she’s curious if, or how often, street sweeping is done on local streets.

Regarding the condition of her tires, Green said she was never driving on bald tires. “I buy tires with 50,000-mile warranties and still had good mileage left,” she said.

She asked if there’s an ordinance or law requiring loose cargo in pickup trucks being covered. “When the tailgates open, things fall out... covers would help,” she said.

A Pima County vehicle ordinance relating to trash and refuse states that spillage of contents from vehicles shall be picked up immediately by the collector; vehicles transporting rubbish or manure “shall provide a cover.” It does not specify a cover for general construction materials.

Green’s six flats didn’t all occur in the same location such as the driver side/front or passenger side/rear; her flat tires occurred in three different locations.

Working in Tucson, she drives alone much of the time and says her dad taught her to carry an air pump and jumper cables in the car—and she does. But that’s not enough.

A 10-year member of AAA, Green had to call on them for three of her flat tires and they responded quickly. “I was never stranded, but after the third flat I got a cell phone,” she said.

At home in Green Valley, Green parks in a carport. “I live in a nice neighborhood and feel really safe; at work I park in a nice parking garage.” Not one to believe someone is singling out her car she believes she’s simply a victim of bad luck; now she looks at her tires regularly and says she’s very attuned to tire vibration.

While six flats in 15 months may well exceed the norm, Green isn’t alone.

At Fletcher’s Tire Center, manager Marcos Lopez said on average they repair seven flat tires a day, or between 40 and 50 a week. Most flats, he said, are due to a nail or screw, and Lopez keeps a bin of the culprits removed from tires. One specimen was a 4-3/4 inch long lag bolt with a 3/8ths inch diameter. Lopez, along with some waiting customers, agreed the high number of flats is due to new home construction in the area.

At Big O, manager Gordon Ellis said they average 15 flat tires a day. On November 26 at 10:45 a.m. Ellis already had 10 flat tire repairs—and the day was young.

“It’s mostly nails, screws, cactus needles… it’s almost ridiculous the number of flats we get,” he said adding that about 80 percent of flats occur in rear tires.

So what are drivers—particularly seniors or women—to do to guard against flat tires. DIYnetwork.com offers some tips for preventing flat tires.

Keep a routine maintenance schedule and check tire condition frequently. Check the treads frequently to make certain that they are not wearing unevenly. Wear to the inner or outer edges may indicate the need for a wheel balance and/or alignment.

Keep tires properly inflated and have them rotated at suggested intervals. Purchase a tire gauge and check the pressure in all four tires—including the spare. Overinflation typically causes the center portion of the tread to begin wearing out before the outer edges. Conversely, underinflation causes both outer edges to wear prematurely.

In addition to an inflated spare and a functional jack, an emergency kit should have a pry bar and flashlight.

Lastly, invest in an auto club membership and always traveling with a cell phone.

Ellen Sussman is a freelance writer in Green Valley. Contact her at ellen2414@cox.net.