Julie: A word about spare tires

Julie Titone, of Everett, Wash., a former regional editor who improved my copy during her tenure by re-writing my ledes, offers this word of advice about spare tires: “It took me from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. to have a flat tire repaired today, thanks to a series of snafus, roadside service glitches, icy conditions and bad luck. Out of all of that, I have one bit of advice: Go out to your car and make sure you can get the spare tire out. My previously unused spare could not be budged by two strong young men who do this for a living. Eventually had to be dislodged at the VW dealer.”