Personal Note: First!

Thirty years behind the wheel, more or less, and only yesterday did I experience my first flat tire. Fortunately it was a non-traumatic event: I turned a corner, heard a weird noise from the rear of the car, drove the remaining mile to the baby shower I was co-hosting, and discovered a screw embedded in the back passenger-side tire. Called the rental agency and they sent a man to put on the donut (what a waste of time that was -- I thought when they said they were sending a man to change the tire, they were sending a man to change the tire. The assembled party-goers would cheerfully have helped me put the donut on myself. Sigh.). Returned the car to the rental agency that evening, filled out a sheet of extra paperwork, and that was that. Phew.