chatillion 71M
2289 posts
1/1/2020 7:23 am
The smell of car tires...


Flashback to the winter of 1970 and I was in a band performing at a nightclub in Daytona Beach. The gig was a week long and the management provided us a small apartment to stay at.
It was a two story building, living quarters on top and a business on the ground floor.
We were told it once was funeral home. The owner and his family occupied the apartment above.
Inside the kitchen hall was a small door in the wall that had a shelf connected by a chain that could be raised or lowered between the 2 floors. Commonly called a dumbwaiter, the access was blocked off since the apartment was no longer connected to the business below. Possibly the intent was the send food from the kitchen down and not used as a trash chute.
The business below us was a tire store and the aroma of tires leaked into the ductwork via the access door. It was a really unusual smell. Something I have not forgotten, especially connected with a musical career at the time.
As a high mileage car owner, I am buying or getting tires serviced every few months and when I smell tires, I remember the first experience from the tire store/funeral parlor.
Yesterday, was no different. The weather beautiful with temperature around 65 and I am out running errands. On my list was to get my car serviced and one tire patched that had a slow leak from a nail.
Always in a hurry, I neglected tire rotation (possibly a few times) and the service adviser mention the 2 rear tires were good but the 2 front tires were down to the the wear indicators... one of those tires had a nail too close to the edge and unable to be patched.
Time for new tires... I decided on 4 and not 2 as the rear tires had developed and oscillation that I recognize from previous experience. they work, but have some road noise. They still have some life to them... and no nails, so I packed them in the hatchback and will schlep them to Miami today. I need to decide if I want to keep them or give to my neighbor as his car uses the same size tire.
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chatillion 71M
1567 posts
1/1/2020 7:25 am

Expecting my car to be filled with the smell of tires this morning, I'll head out with the windows down enjoying a Florida winter with temperatures in the 60's