Bad luck may be good, depending how you look at it
07-26-2009, 10:09 AM
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"Ride Until The Wheels Fall Off"
"we gonna ride 'til the wheels fall off, y'all motherfvckers, check the tires!" - said Jigga in my speaker when I was starting off to the meet yesterday. So, i checked the tires - one of them (front right) had a burst bubble - a sort of U-shaped puncture wound to the sidewall, that is beyond any repair and basically, if you're me, you roll on it, 'til it literally does fall off (or really close to it), cuz tires ain't free and why throw it out when you can drive on it while it is still holding air. And hold air it did - at least almost to the end of the meet, but more on that later.
I've never really advocated for use of RFT tires - their sidewalls being too stiff, RFTs being too expensive and way too terrible in the wet; but when it comes to making a Saturday early morn meet with a "wounded" tire, only RFTs can give you this kind of reliability, as it turns out. It is mostly for that reason that I've kept the two of my front wheels wrapped in RFT tires for the past several months. I took the bad in with the good, tearing up at every little highway pothole that upset the front, as if it was armagedon. Anyway, on with the story:
On my way to the meet I was on the highway, often going quite fast - tire held up, no loss of air pressure. At the first part of the meet, going through some seriously challenging twisties and running HARD - no problems. At that point I was loving my RFTs and feeling quite confident in my punctured tire's ability to handle the road. I didn't really have too many worries about the tire situation anyway, because I had information of a Bridgestone-recommended RFT facility near where we were scheduled to have lunch and a nice used RFT tire in the trunk that I was planning to have mounted at that shop while everyone else is having lunch. I'd be back before anyone knew I was gone and would be able to run the rest of the meet without any problems. One snag that really ended up being my biggest mistake - I could not call them, because the number I had was dead and I was too busy at the wheel to go on my iPhone and search for it again. So I figured I'll just come in.
"CLOSED" is better than "Closed-minded"
Lunchtime rolled around on the clock and we rolled up to an unnamed town somewehere around the border of NJ and PA. While everyone else headed into the restaurant to get lunch, I made a break for it and went to the tire shop with full confidence that I'll have my tire replaced with the one I had in my trunk and even if I missed lunch, it would have been worth it, as I'd have been able to run the second part of the meet.
So, I come into the lot of this Bridgestone "recommended" tire fascility and walk into the office:
"hi, I need a tire mounted please"
"what kind of car is it" - Not a response I like to hear, but ok
"I have an 18-inch wheel with a Bridgestone run-flat tire. I looked online and Bridgestone website said you're the recommended shop in this area, can you mount the tire, please?"
"You'd have to go in the back of the line, we're really busy and we're closing soon"
"Sir, I understand, but it is only to mount a tire - will literally take only 5 minutes for you"
"Let me see the tire"
So I take him outside to see the punctured tire, show him the one I have in the trunk and explain very politely that I need the punctured tire dismounted (I can take it with me, or you can dispose - I'll pay, no problems) and I need the other tire from my trunk mounted on this rim. Rim balanced and that is it. Guess what I heard in return?!
"We cannot mount a tire that you bring in" - he tells me.
Now, I don't know what the fvck is it about a young guy driving a Bimmer that just makes all these assholes automatically think "sucker", but I'm so fvcking sick of it, that I'm thankful I don't carry a gun with me. I'd have shot that fvck on the spot, had we been in the Wild West! So naturally, my response was:
"why can't you mount a tire that I brought in?!?!"
"It is a company rule"
"may I ask why?"
"due to liability concerns"
"thank you for your time, this conversation is over"
He bitched and moaned about some sh!t while I was tucking my spare tire back into my trunk and getting into my car, so I stopped him and said: you better not talk to me too much, or you might end up actually being helpful to me in some way - and I'm sure that's not covered by the corporate liability policy either!
In the end, I'd rather the place would've been closed - at least, I'd not have had to deal with the very source of the problem plaguing our society today and quite possibly the very reason our economy is on it's way to the septic tank.
"Is There Such A Think As Luck?"
So I get back to the restaurant and have lunch with the rest of the group and soon enough it is time again to get on the road. Scott tells me "let me say good bye to you now, in case something happens with your tire", I shrugg it off. I say good bye to those members who are not going for the second part of the ride and we are driving again in no time.
Sure enough, after about 40 minutes of driving I start hearing a little hissing noise from the right front and realize that the tire is losing air. I let the guy, who was behind me through and find a place to put on the doughnut. Takes about 5 minutes (impressed the sh!t out of my girlfriend too LOL) and I'm limping home. The meet is over for me and the ride is now slow and easy until I get this doughnut back where it belongs - in the trunk, and the right front wheel mounted and balanced.
So was it bad luck that the guy didn't wanna change the tire for me? Possibly, but on my way out of the area I pass by another member being pulled over by the cops. I was right behind him on the run too, so most likely, had I not had to change my wheel to the doughnut, I'd probably have been ticketed with him, instead of him or ahead of him. In other words, my having to stop to put on the doughnut actually led me to avoid the trap that the cops had set up in the area not to far ahead of where I "ran out of luck" (and air) on my punctured tire. Before yesterday, I'd never even think that there is such a thing as luck...
THANKS TO ALL THAT MADE THE MEET SUCH A GREAT PLACE TO HANG AND DRIVE. MUCH RESPECT TO SCOTT FOR PLANNING/ORGANIZING AND LEADING. SPECIAL THANKS TO JOE, RICH, AMANUEL AND EVERYONE ELSE AT THE MEET AND THE FORUMS. HOPE TO SEE YOU GUYS - AND MORE - AT THE NEXT MEET, WHICH I'LL PROBABLY HOOK UP IN THE BEGINNING OF SEPT - STAY TUNED!
"we gonna ride 'til the wheels fall off, y'all motherfvckers, check the tires!" - said Jigga in my speaker when I was starting off to the meet yesterday. So, i checked the tires - one of them (front right) had a burst bubble - a sort of U-shaped puncture wound to the sidewall, that is beyond any repair and basically, if you're me, you roll on it, 'til it literally does fall off (or really close to it), cuz tires ain't free and why throw it out when you can drive on it while it is still holding air. And hold air it did - at least almost to the end of the meet, but more on that later.
I've never really advocated for use of RFT tires - their sidewalls being too stiff, RFTs being too expensive and way too terrible in the wet; but when it comes to making a Saturday early morn meet with a "wounded" tire, only RFTs can give you this kind of reliability, as it turns out. It is mostly for that reason that I've kept the two of my front wheels wrapped in RFT tires for the past several months. I took the bad in with the good, tearing up at every little highway pothole that upset the front, as if it was armagedon. Anyway, on with the story:
On my way to the meet I was on the highway, often going quite fast - tire held up, no loss of air pressure. At the first part of the meet, going through some seriously challenging twisties and running HARD - no problems. At that point I was loving my RFTs and feeling quite confident in my punctured tire's ability to handle the road. I didn't really have too many worries about the tire situation anyway, because I had information of a Bridgestone-recommended RFT facility near where we were scheduled to have lunch and a nice used RFT tire in the trunk that I was planning to have mounted at that shop while everyone else is having lunch. I'd be back before anyone knew I was gone and would be able to run the rest of the meet without any problems. One snag that really ended up being my biggest mistake - I could not call them, because the number I had was dead and I was too busy at the wheel to go on my iPhone and search for it again. So I figured I'll just come in.
"CLOSED" is better than "Closed-minded"
Lunchtime rolled around on the clock and we rolled up to an unnamed town somewehere around the border of NJ and PA. While everyone else headed into the restaurant to get lunch, I made a break for it and went to the tire shop with full confidence that I'll have my tire replaced with the one I had in my trunk and even if I missed lunch, it would have been worth it, as I'd have been able to run the second part of the meet.
So, I come into the lot of this Bridgestone "recommended" tire fascility and walk into the office:
"hi, I need a tire mounted please"
"what kind of car is it" - Not a response I like to hear, but ok
"I have an 18-inch wheel with a Bridgestone run-flat tire. I looked online and Bridgestone website said you're the recommended shop in this area, can you mount the tire, please?"
"You'd have to go in the back of the line, we're really busy and we're closing soon"
"Sir, I understand, but it is only to mount a tire - will literally take only 5 minutes for you"
"Let me see the tire"
So I take him outside to see the punctured tire, show him the one I have in the trunk and explain very politely that I need the punctured tire dismounted (I can take it with me, or you can dispose - I'll pay, no problems) and I need the other tire from my trunk mounted on this rim. Rim balanced and that is it. Guess what I heard in return?!
"We cannot mount a tire that you bring in" - he tells me.
Now, I don't know what the fvck is it about a young guy driving a Bimmer that just makes all these assholes automatically think "sucker", but I'm so fvcking sick of it, that I'm thankful I don't carry a gun with me. I'd have shot that fvck on the spot, had we been in the Wild West! So naturally, my response was:
"why can't you mount a tire that I brought in?!?!"
"It is a company rule"
"may I ask why?"
"due to liability concerns"
"thank you for your time, this conversation is over"
He bitched and moaned about some sh!t while I was tucking my spare tire back into my trunk and getting into my car, so I stopped him and said: you better not talk to me too much, or you might end up actually being helpful to me in some way - and I'm sure that's not covered by the corporate liability policy either!
In the end, I'd rather the place would've been closed - at least, I'd not have had to deal with the very source of the problem plaguing our society today and quite possibly the very reason our economy is on it's way to the septic tank.
"Is There Such A Think As Luck?"
So I get back to the restaurant and have lunch with the rest of the group and soon enough it is time again to get on the road. Scott tells me "let me say good bye to you now, in case something happens with your tire", I shrugg it off. I say good bye to those members who are not going for the second part of the ride and we are driving again in no time.
Sure enough, after about 40 minutes of driving I start hearing a little hissing noise from the right front and realize that the tire is losing air. I let the guy, who was behind me through and find a place to put on the doughnut. Takes about 5 minutes (impressed the sh!t out of my girlfriend too LOL) and I'm limping home. The meet is over for me and the ride is now slow and easy until I get this doughnut back where it belongs - in the trunk, and the right front wheel mounted and balanced.
So was it bad luck that the guy didn't wanna change the tire for me? Possibly, but on my way out of the area I pass by another member being pulled over by the cops. I was right behind him on the run too, so most likely, had I not had to change my wheel to the doughnut, I'd probably have been ticketed with him, instead of him or ahead of him. In other words, my having to stop to put on the doughnut actually led me to avoid the trap that the cops had set up in the area not to far ahead of where I "ran out of luck" (and air) on my punctured tire. Before yesterday, I'd never even think that there is such a thing as luck...
THANKS TO ALL THAT MADE THE MEET SUCH A GREAT PLACE TO HANG AND DRIVE. MUCH RESPECT TO SCOTT FOR PLANNING/ORGANIZING AND LEADING. SPECIAL THANKS TO JOE, RICH, AMANUEL AND EVERYONE ELSE AT THE MEET AND THE FORUMS. HOPE TO SEE YOU GUYS - AND MORE - AT THE NEXT MEET, WHICH I'LL PROBABLY HOOK UP IN THE BEGINNING OF SEPT - STAY TUNED!
07-26-2009, 10:35 AM
#2
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Many tire places do that. Some cant mount used tires, some cant mount tires you bought EVEN if it's the same brand they carry. They make $20 for mounting ur tire. They wanna make $200 for mounting their tires.
I feel bad for Joe. I saw him did a rolling stop and then there was a cop. He pulled out. THat sucked. Hope everything is all well. Sorry we couldnt stop or else the cop's like...hmm, 5 more tickets!!
And Vlad and everyone else that was there, did u guys remember that VW Passat Station Wagon? My god, he saw us and then he was flooring it going over 90 mph and trying to weave in and out of us. We stopped at a light and he went at it again. I slowed down and he passed me. I got behind him at the second light. Turned green, we all went. He was too slow so I switched lanes and he decided to switch too. WOW!! I had to brake so hard. Guy's crazy
EDIT: BTW, I had 2 hours of sleep prior the drive. Slept at 4AM woke up at 6:15AM then got home at 11:30PM, went to bed at about 12:30AM and just got up. When I was coming home, it was POURING. I of course couldnt resist and went to WOodbury. Left there at 9PM, and it started pouring. Thank god I was in the car alresdy but everyone was driving at 30mph on the thruway!!!! Then stopped by Stylezzza's restaurant for dinner. Good food!!!
I feel bad for Joe. I saw him did a rolling stop and then there was a cop. He pulled out. THat sucked. Hope everything is all well. Sorry we couldnt stop or else the cop's like...hmm, 5 more tickets!!
And Vlad and everyone else that was there, did u guys remember that VW Passat Station Wagon? My god, he saw us and then he was flooring it going over 90 mph and trying to weave in and out of us. We stopped at a light and he went at it again. I slowed down and he passed me. I got behind him at the second light. Turned green, we all went. He was too slow so I switched lanes and he decided to switch too. WOW!! I had to brake so hard. Guy's crazy
EDIT: BTW, I had 2 hours of sleep prior the drive. Slept at 4AM woke up at 6:15AM then got home at 11:30PM, went to bed at about 12:30AM and just got up. When I was coming home, it was POURING. I of course couldnt resist and went to WOodbury. Left there at 9PM, and it started pouring. Thank god I was in the car alresdy but everyone was driving at 30mph on the thruway!!!! Then stopped by Stylezzza's restaurant for dinner. Good food!!!
07-26-2009, 10:48 AM
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wow that sucks to hear vlad jon told me about your tire going out... and for him to get a ticket for rolling stop come on... while we were heading back we saw the member with the white 525 pulled over because he had a problem with his tire too. we all pulled over to see if he was ok.. i think he made it home ok.. but richard just booked he disappeared lol
07-26-2009, 10:54 AM
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Joe, hope this won't stop you from coming to the next meet! And yo, fight the ticket - you might be able to win, who knows!
EDIT: BTW, I had 2 hours of sleep prior the drive. Slept at 4AM woke up at 6:15AM then got home at 11:30PM, went to bed at about 12:30AM and just got up. When I was coming home, it was POURING. I of course couldnt resist and went to WOodbury. Left there at 9PM, and it started pouring. Thank god I was in the car alresdy but everyone was driving at 30mph on the thruway!!!! Then stopped by Stylezzza's restaurant for dinner. Good food!!!
Glad you're alright though. Hope you're all rested and ready for the next meet - as soon as I get my tire fixed, I'm coming out again
which is probably monday LOL
07-26-2009, 10:58 AM
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wow that sucks to hear vlad jon told me about your tire going out... and for him to get a ticket for rolling stop come on... while we were heading back we saw the member with the white 525 pulled over because he had a problem with his tire too. we all pulled over to see if he was ok.. i think he made it home ok.. but richard just booked he disappeared lol
What happened to Richard?!?!
Prolly met some girl, or smth 
Yo, it was real! We gotta do this again!
Next meet, I'm thinking to do a run up to Hawk's Nest - there's an amazing stretch of road there and a nice place to do a little photoshoot by this quasi-abandoned rail station restaurant. They have some decent burgers there too
I have the route pretty much mapped out - just gotta get the date.
07-26-2009, 11:32 AM
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When I saw the condition of Vlad's tire at the meeting point, I was appalled. It had a big slit in the sidewall and I was amazed that it could hold any air at all. I thought that, for sure, Vlad would say hi to everyone, put on a donut and go home. I was astonished that he went on the meet because there was no way that that tire was going to survive the drive. Vlad is one dedicated member. I still can't believe that that tire survived for as long as it did.
As for Joe (king1828), he got toally screwed. Basically, we were in Greenwood Lake on 17A at the turnaround point we used for the April 25th Bear Mountain Meet.
There was a cop sitting in the parking lot of the shop where we turned around at the Bear Mountain Meet. The cop saw a line of BMWs and decided I was ticket time. So the douchebag picked on the car at the end of the line which happened to be Joe's M5. Joe did nothing work. He was guilty of driving a beautiful AW M5 in a backwater, podunk town. I hope the motherf*cking cop dies young of a heart attack from eating too many donuts. And yes I mean it.
As for Joe (king1828), he got toally screwed. Basically, we were in Greenwood Lake on 17A at the turnaround point we used for the April 25th Bear Mountain Meet.
There was a cop sitting in the parking lot of the shop where we turned around at the Bear Mountain Meet. The cop saw a line of BMWs and decided I was ticket time. So the douchebag picked on the car at the end of the line which happened to be Joe's M5. Joe did nothing work. He was guilty of driving a beautiful AW M5 in a backwater, podunk town. I hope the motherf*cking cop dies young of a heart attack from eating too many donuts. And yes I mean it.
07-26-2009, 11:42 AM
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The Meet was Great. Sucks that Joe got the ticket. I was second in line when we passed the cop. He was in the parking lot where we all made the U turn at the Apr 25th meet. I saw him turn on the lights and pull Joe over :-( The guy in the Passat wagon was a real asshole. Weaving in and out , getting in the way. Tailgating my M5 and Joe's He was literally ON Joe's Bumper. SMH. At the light I wanted to tell his ass off as he was next to me. But he stayed staring straight ahead and my fiance was saying to let it be. Had I been alone I would have told him how much of an ASS he was being. Other than that the meet was a BLAST!!!
07-26-2009, 11:43 AM
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Originally Posted by sdg1871' post='954736' date='Jul 26 2009, 03:32 PM
When I saw the condition of Vlad's tire at the meeting point, I was appalled. It had a big slit in the sidewall and I was amazed that it could hold any air at all. I thought that, for sure, Vlad would say hi to everyone, put on a donut and go home. I was astonished that he went on the meet because there was no way that that tire was going to survive the drive. Vlad is one dedicated member. I still can't believe that that tire survived for as long as it did.
As for Joe (king1828), he got toally screwed. Basically, we were in Greenwood Lake on 17A at the turnaround point we used for the April 25th Bear Mountain Meet.
There was a cop sitting in the parking lot of the shop where we turned around at the Bear Mountain Meet. The cop saw a line of BMWs and decided I was ticket time. So the douchebag picked on the car at the end of the line which happened to be Joe's M5. Joe did nothing work. He was guilty of driving a beautiful AW M5 in a backwater, podunk town. I hope the motherf*cking cop dies young of a heart attack from eating too many donuts. And yes I mean it.
As for Joe (king1828), he got toally screwed. Basically, we were in Greenwood Lake on 17A at the turnaround point we used for the April 25th Bear Mountain Meet.
There was a cop sitting in the parking lot of the shop where we turned around at the Bear Mountain Meet. The cop saw a line of BMWs and decided I was ticket time. So the douchebag picked on the car at the end of the line which happened to be Joe's M5. Joe did nothing work. He was guilty of driving a beautiful AW M5 in a backwater, podunk town. I hope the motherf*cking cop dies young of a heart attack from eating too many donuts. And yes I mean it.
But yes, the picking on BMWs has to stop!!!