I took my truck in to have the tires rotated yesterday. I joked with the service manager that this would be the last time they would have to do it since I was going to get new tires next month. I gave them my keys and off I went to the mall to pass the time while they worked on my truck. I came back a couple of hours later and picked up the keys. I was less than two miles away from the tire store when I heard some awful metal noises and the truck started driving like I had a flat tire. Being that the tires are worn and will need to be replaced I thought that is what happened. This happened when I was approaching a red light, so I wasn't going very fast. I was able to pull into a parking lot. When I got out and looked all of the tires were inflated. Then I looked under the rear end and saw that the axle had come loose from the drivers side rear tire and was hanging about two inches below the bottom of the rim. Then I look at the outside of the rim and there are no lugnuts or lugs sticking through the rim. Now I am thinking boy can this just be a coincidence. I wonder what the tire guy is going to tell me when I call. Isn't it the American way that nobody takes responsibility for a mistake when they make one. So I got out my receipt and called the tire store and told them what happened. They said they would be right down to help me out. Two guys showed up to have a look, the service mgr and the tech that worked on it. When they arrived I was walking back along the road to see if I could find the lug nuts or any other parts that feel off. As I turned around they were both there looking under the rear end. So I walked back to the car wondering the whole time what story I was going to hear about it not being their fault and that I was sol. The tech started apologizing as soon as I got the car. He said it was his fault and he didn't know how he could have made such a mistake. The service mgr said that they would fix everything and give me a new set of tires. They called a wrecker and then we went back to the tire store. As we were getting into their car to go back to the store the tech said well I guess I lost my job today. I told him that I hoped he didn't because I really respect a person that can admit when they make a mistake. That we don't find that quality in many people anymore. I just told them that I was glad I didn't get hurt or hurt anyone else. All things considered it could have been much worse. the service mgr agreed and said that he could fix anything on my truck but couldn't fix me or someone else if we were hurt. He said that that was one of his worst nightmares about his business. When we got back to the shop the mgr came over and explained everything that they were going to do to fix my truck and assured me that they would do everything needed to make it right. I told him that I hoped he didn't fire the tech because he admitted that he made a mistake. That I understood that mistakes happen and have no problem with them as long as the person that made it admits to it and makes it right. He told me that the tech was one of his best men and had never made a mistake before. He would not have to fire him as long as we could keep the incident in house.
You can bet that from now on when I have work done on my truck I will look everything over before I jump in and drive down the road.
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