Roadside Saints and Other Protectors

• Needles, California, is known to me only for the frequency with which the town ranks number one hottest spot in the US. There was no intention of stopping in Needles other than to score cold drinks and switch drivers. Thus we pulled into the combination Dairy Queen/Shell gas station, looped around the gravel back-lot and came to a stop.

• An older guy, not immediately recognizable as a roadside saint (RS), happened to be out back putting trash into the bin. He waved us over and said, “Looks like you girls are working on a flat. Passenger side, front. Pull around and I’ll fill it for you.” When we hopped out to check, it was obvious the tire was going down.

• As the RS attached the air hose, he cautioned that the tire was in really bad shape. “Michelin,” he said, “they’re no damn good. You’re going to have to replace it soon.” Having had previous experience with replacing a full set of no-damn-good-Michelins on my car, this wasn’t exactly news but it sure wasn’t the kind of news I wanted to hear out in the middle of a desert. Being a low-risk sort of person, I asked about replacing the tire and indeed the matching no-damn-good-Michelin on the driver’s side. The garage owner, another RS, came out to talk tire type and cost. Having been advised, about 1,500 miles earlier back home in Victoria, that the rear tires would probably need replacing by the end of my trip, the cursed no-damn-good-Michelin name now screamed at me from the rear tire sidewalls. By then the front tires were off and I’m sure I paled at the sight of treads that seemed to be hanging on by a few lousy threads. So I asked the RS to give me a price on a full set of six tires. Obviously the Needles economy is suffering as much as everywhere else and this potential sale music to the RS’s ears. We struck a deal to upgrade to commercial grade tires at no extra cost and replace the valves on all six tires.

• An hour later when we pulled back onto the scorching desert highway I was still feeling anxiety knowing how close we came to a front tire blow-out and perhaps a major disaster.

• Yes, I believe everything happens for a reason, even a per-chance stop for a cold drink and driver change. I am convinced the Needles RSs saved my life. And, I’m certain this happened with a full measure of assistance from the legion of guardian angels dispatched from heaven in answer to my Mother’s prayers to keep me safe on my journey. (Thanks, Mom!)