Roadside Emergency Kit?

[Akikiki]

Good idea to have a spare cell phone in your car or your kit. Burner-type phone. Did you know 911 will work on a charged cell phone that does not have service? Got an old iphone or Android phone you stuck in a drawer? Pitch in a car charger and hope you never need it. Even catching one of the Trac phones on sale a couple of times a year can work. Don't have a spare, get one on ebay.

Take it the next step. Using a Micro-SD card in your car? Get a spare phone that has a Micro-SD reader so you can check those videos without going to a computer.

For more than 20 years FCC has required all cell phones in the U.S. to be able to call 911 even when there is no phone cell service. Put it where its reachable after an accident. Your cell phone mounted on the dash or a cupholder became a missile and if it didn't hit you, its in the back of the car.

 

[Puddles]

I’ve watched the guys at tire shops use the plugs. Doesn’t look like rocket science. Is it relatively simple with the wheel on the car if your trapped on side of the road to do yourself? I’m assuming you could get enough air in the tire to reinflate it somewhat to even try. I’m thinking nail or something that leaked down to flat .....

ive had 3 of these this year with all the roofing construction in my area.

I've only done it on my motorcycle, and it was easy, but I was able to make it to my garage and do the work there. I guess the plan would be to pump & run in order to get to a safe work location.

On further thought, I would say that carrying a pair of pliers would be necessary, because you would have to get the nail/staple/screw/shiv out before you could insert the plug.

 

[Puddles]

For more than 20 years FCC has required all cell phones in the U.S. to be able to call 911 even when there is no phone cell service.

This is interesting, I didn't realize. One nit to pick: if there's no phone cell service, your phone won't call anyone, not even 911. The federal requirement is for carriers to complete any 911 call whether or not there is an active cell plan for that phone. You still need to have service.

 

[Akikiki]

Puddles, that's true - there's got to be cell service. Watch what I wrote, please. I said phone service, not cell service.
Would you not rather have an old or burner phone that dialed 911 than no old phone? Yes, you have to be in an area where there's service.
You might be in an area where Verizon's tower service is slightly stronger than att or t-mobile too. Good idea for the spare to be on a different carrier. I'm not going to debate that they should be the same, maybe they are. I don't want to bet my life on it though.

 

[Akikiki]

I've only done it on my motorcycle, and it was easy, but I was able to make it to my garage and do the work there. I guess the plan would be to pump & run in order to get to a safe work location.

On further thought, I would say that carrying a pair of pliers would be necessary, because you would have to get the nail/staple/screw/shiv out before you could insert the plug.

We don't need to wait for the roadside emergency to try to plug a tire. If you are serious about helping yourself, pickup an old wheel and tire some place and put a hole in it and fix it - at home, - in your garage or living room, - where the light is good, - its not raining on you, - its not cold, - with a couple of cold Bud's to inspire you - if you are serious.

 

[Ostrichsak]

Yes, assuming you can locate the nail, move the car and rotate tire to access, and repair with your strong hand while not sitting with your back against traffic. Meet these and sure, anything is possible.

I didn't say it was easy but your description of "nearly impossible" seems like a bit of hyperbole.

 

[Big Toys]

I didn't say it was easy but your description of "nearly impossible" seems like a bit of hyperbole.

I think your description of "doable" is vastly overstated and probably dangerous, so here we are.

 

[ucmndd]

I didn't say it was easy but your description of "nearly impossible" seems like a bit of hyperbole.

I think your description of "doable" is vastly overstated and probably dangerous, so here we are.

I've done it with the wheel on the car, once. Certainly not "nearly impossible", but lots of variables at play that can greatly impact the degree of difficulty. Best case you're well off the road on a flat dry surface in fair weather and have an easy to find puncture near the outside edge of a front tire where you can crank the wheel and line things up so you can work from above. But things can quickly devolve from there.

 

[Big Toys]

Best case you're well off the road on a flat dry surface in fair weather and have an easy to find puncture near the outside edge of a front tire where you can crank the wheel and line things up so you can work from above.

That's a lot of criteria to meet, and you forgot that the tire should be on the shoulder side of traffic. Are we really having this OCD conversation?

 

[ucmndd]

That's a lot of criteria to meet, and you forgot that the tire should be on the shoulder side of traffic. Are we really having this OCD conversation?

Why did you edit out all the parts where I was agreeing with you just to continue this OCD conversation?

 

[Akikiki]

uh-oh

 

[Big Toys]

Why did you edit out all the parts where I was agreeing with you just to continue this OCD conversation?

OK, I'll quote your full post:

"I've done it with the wheel on the car, once. Certainly not "nearly impossible", but lots of variables at play that can greatly impact the degree of difficulty. Best case you're well off the road on a flat dry surface in fair weather and have an easy to find puncture near the outside edge of a front tire where you can crank the wheel and line things up so you can work from above. But things can quickly devolve from there."

Are we seriously debating the "ease" and "possibility" of plugging a tire still attached to the car, in traffic, along the side of the road on a dirty shoulder or sloped grass, on your knees potentially 1 foot from oncoming cars if it happens to be that side tire??? Does someone really need to win this one? This is the first internet debate of 2020, the degree of difficulty of plugging an attached tire in the wild?

 

[Big Toys]

uh-oh

Ha! Nah.....