AAA

Went to Mt. Sterling to evaluate a multiple time rapist of adult women. Minor little addition was that he committed murder. Turned out to be one of the most pleasant inmates I've met. Murderers often are. It's very strange. One of the things an evaluator has to do is to see through the mask people wear and to the behavior that lies beneath the mask. Fortunately, over the years, I've become very good at seeing through the masks and roles people cloak themselves in. Masks and roles are meaningless covers, behavior matters.

Anyway, I eventually got home alive. I left Mt. Sterling at about 1 pm and should have been home by 5 pm. I drove back to Quincy and crossed the big bridge. Pulled into a BP to buy some gas station coffee. I pulled out of the gas station and didn't even make it to 35 MPH before the front passenger tire blew. Thankfully, I was going slow because the car jerked and ran off the road to the right. It was one of those busy interstates where cars and big 18 wheelers fly by at 70 plus miles an hour even though the speed limit is 60 MPH. For a long time, no one stopped so I called the police for help. This was after I tried for quite some time to get the lug nuts loose. They'd been put on by the tire place with one of those big air hammers. They wouldn't budge. I also called the police because I don't feel particularly comfortable with strangers along side the roadway. Finally, a lady with her two teenage sons stopped. They couldn't get the lug nuts loose either. The kids were scared half to death by the big trucks whizzing by at high speed. Finally, the lady had to leave because she had to do the weekly exchange of the boys with her ex-husband. The police called about 12 times because they couldn't find me. Thank God for cell phones and 911. About 20 minutes later, an older gentleman and his adult son (driving an 18 wheeler) stopped. They managed to loosen the lug nuts. The police arrived.

Older trucker mentioned that all four tires looked relatively new and in very good shape with lots of tread and even wear. As he got the tire off, he called the officer over and mentioned that this was a peculiar puncture. Officer went to exame the tire and asked me where I drive it and park it. I told him I park it in my driveway, at prisons and in nice hotel parking lots and that I drive on good roads. Truth is that I actively avoid situations were there is construction or accident debris. The tires on this car cost a small fortune. His response was "Well either this was a badly defective new tire when you bought it or somebody wants rid of you" I told him that multiple people want rid of me, but that I had not had a direct threat for nearly 2 years. He showed me the place where the tire blew. It looked like an exit wound from a bullet. But, there was no entrance wound.

So, I went to the closest tire store (which took a while because I had to drive 35 MPH on the donut). The closest tire store was a WalMart. Remember, I was out in the boondocks. It took them more than four hours to get the tire needed for the Spyder and they had to have it trucked in from St. Louis. But, they eventually got a tire, replaced my donut and I got home at 9:30 pm.

Today, I purchased AAA. I hated having to call 911 for help and to depend on the kindness of strangers. Cops have other things to do. Pleasant cop, pleasant trucker, pleasant lady, unpleasant day.