Flat Tires!!!!! Not one but two!!!!
By risris24
@risris24 (712)
United States
June 22, 2008 2:36pm CST
Friday morning I woke up excited that it was the last day of work for the week and I could finally relax and enjoy my weekend. Not the case, on my way to work, only about 2 blocks away, didn't feel any bumos or potholes or anything, but, thump, thump, thump... I got out and looked, and there it was a FLAT! I immediatley called work an dtold them so I wouldn't be considered late and they sent someone to fix my tire. When the guy got there and went to take out the spare, he notofied me that I had a flat in the back also and I bent my rim. As you could imagine, I was fuming, because one flat was bad enough, but two!!!!! They drove me into work and went back to fix the car, when they called to tell me that the tire couldnt be repaired and i needed to buy a new one. Unhappy about it I called and got a price of the tire, then received another call that the second tire couldn't be fixed either and I had to buy 2. $280 later and my car was fixed and had 2 brand new tires on it. The men who fixed my car, noticed that where I got the flats, was a damaged sewer cover with the metal all sticking up which is what SLICED my tires. Now I know these things happen, but don't you think the city should be responible for fixing these streets to avoid drivers having to spend unecessary money. If I hit a curb or ran something over, then yes, it is my fault and responsibility, but because of a pothole. Who should be responsible in your opinion?
1 person likes this
5 responses
@mentalward (14691)
• United States
22 Jun 08
The city is definitely at fault! You should not have to deal with things like this in the course of ordinary, everyday driving! The city is responsible.
However, it might be hard to collect money from the city, or any form of government. They're quick to tell you that you owe them money and come after it, but you practically have to rip it out of their hands when they owe it to you.
I would go for it and see if you could file a claim against the city for this damage. If you lost time from work, they owe that to you, as well as "punitive damages" for the time spent getting the tires fixed.
Good luck!
@dodoguy (1292)
• Australia
22 Jun 08
Hi risris24,
I think you should send the city council the bill for your tire repairs, and if they don't come to the party, then take the story to the local, state and national rags and a few TV shows like 60 Minutes and the Today Show etc etc.
AND once you've got a bit of notoriety, sell your story to all the gossipy magazines and womens magazine all over the country and around the world.
Make sure to get photographs of the sewer cover and the damaged tires. And surely there's someone else who has suffered the same trouble as you - so you might even get a class action against the city going.
It all sounds like a lot of effort, but you'd actually be doing a community service if you managed to get the city council to take responsibility for this sort of thing.
@gemini_rose (16264)
•
22 Jun 08
To be honest it does not sound as if it is your fault, if the sewer cover is what sliced your tyres then it is the city or council of your area that is at fault. If I were you I would see about complaining about it, you are lucky it was just flat tyres really and not a serious accident.
1 person likes this
@frankiecesca (2489)
•
24 Jun 08
wow - inlucky!!
Yes councils and the city departments should keep the roads nice as after all a major accident could happen if they didn't and then they could be sued - i'm sure they wouldn't prefer that option! x
@kaytee717 (188)
• United States
23 Jun 08
If that is the case you should take pictures and talk to your local Assembly / Congress and have them help in the direction to go. I've actually heard of this happening and people do get reimbursed if you can proove that the sewer ( take pics) was actually the cause and have the reciept for the tires.
