PACKIN'
No, we have not reached a point of desperation that has motivated us to begin talking about packing a firearm. However, there a few items that deserve to be carried in your vehicle that probably are not on board.
Put aside all the exotic auto-wares catalogs. We have compiled a short list of three essentials that can make a big difference in how your highway adventures turn out.
First, you need a fast and easy way to deal with the inevitable time when one of your tires develops a large flat spot. (Old joke: It's OK, because it's only flat on the bottom!)
Changing a flat has become a pain in numerous parts of the body. In most vehicles you've got to dig down under the trunk mat and access panel and twist off a large wing nut to retrieve a tire that looks like it's surplus to one of those circus clown-mobiles. There's always a moment of suspense when you feel the "emergency spare" -- as it's denoted in owner's manuals -- to see if it, too, is flat. Then there's all the fussing with the jack and the lug wrench, plus the very real risk of being struck by an errant vehicle while squatting low next to your wheel well.
You can carry a product that makes all this unnecessary -- most of the time. One brand is called Fix-A-Flat. It's an aerosol that will seal the leak in a tire and re-inflate it. The stuff works pretty well when the hole is not too large. Just follow the directions and be careful -- some of these products contain flammable ingredients.
So much for the spare tire -- the one onboard your vehicle, that is. The one around your waist probably is permanent.
Next up is a wheel chock, or scotch, as it sometimes is called. Jacking up a vehicle can be dangerous if it hasn't been immobilized.
Last, here's one you probably haven't thought of: toss one of those cheap, throwaway cameras into your glove compartment amid the mound of service receipts and three-year-old ketchup envelopes that didn't make it to many orders of french fries. Why? You might just happen on a Pulitzer-prize-winning scene. More likely, a camera really can come in handy in the event of a collision. Remember the "one picture is worth a thousand words" proverb? It would be mighty useful to be able to show who did what to whom and where.
(Questions? Comments? Send them to [email protected])
