Odds are…

Running errands in town this weekend I watched a tire actually just give out and go flat on the car ahead of me in the turning lane. When able, I often will assist stranded motorists but what I saw get out of this vehicle dispelled any thoughts of being a Good Samaritan.

Exiting simultaneously from their respective sides were a man and a woman already in an argument that was probably just going to get worse with their now dead-in-the-water status. The woman was talking out of the side of her mouth so as not to displace her cigarette, and in less than the minute or so it took traffic to slow enough for me to move past and turn the pot-bellied guy had already taken off his shirt.

Odds are that one of these two or both has an addiction, click "Read more" to continue...

The first clue was not only the flat, but the fact that the flat was on a “donut”, tiny spare tire, that had apparently been pushed just a mile too far. Flats can happen to anyone and on more than one occasion it one might find them self pulling out the spare from its hiding place of many years to find it has lost its proper inflation. However anyone who continues to ride on one of these little donut spares has a skewed sense of priorities. I can remember doing the same thing in my drinking days, twice actually. For me, it was a full size spare I was riding on that went flat leaving me with no recourse other than to walk. A friend gave me a bald replacement saying it would get me by so I could buy a new tire- and you guessed it, a week later it went flat while I was drinking on my new tire money.

Two other things about the male of this pair really rang the alky bell for me. He was a middle aged man wearing flip flops down town, yeah it was the weekend but the image stilled seemed off for the environment. And of course there was the dramatic coming out of his shirt, one of the classic drunk moves. Often blood alcohol content can be estimated just by using a simple calculation that involves a ratio of the extent and timing of disrobing behavior.

Sure I could be wrong, but as much as I hate to admit it the odds are with me. Drug and alcohol addiction are very common, and even the effects of abuse without dependence are severe and far reaching. Just the fact they had the money to buy cigarettes but not a used spare tire could be considered an addiction issue. This is my sad guess though: The woman was driving the guy’s car because he no longer has a driver’s license. Flip flops are his normal wear since work or anything of a serious nature that requires footwear isn’t a part of his daily routine. She’s smoking because she actually does have a little money but knows better than to give him any for a spare tire because he’ll just drink it away. The shirt coming off is a sure sign he is still drunk from the night before and/or has already had his clarifying beer for the morning.

Hopefully I’ve got it all wrong, but odds are…