u/DeiaMatias

I am a 45 year old woman and I got a flat today.

I am very good at changing my own tires. My second car had been in an accident before I bought it, and I was perpetually loosing valve stems. I'd be on the side of the road once every month or two. I can change a tire in under 10 minutes. I called my husband and told him I had a flat. He offered to come up and change it for me. "Naw, I'll be done by the time you get here."

I got a flat today on a busy city street and pulled over into a parking lot to fix it. I was plainly visible to anyone driving down the road.

For the very first time in almost 30 years of driving, not a single person pulled over and offered to help. I'm not annoyed by this, I'm perfectly capable of doing it on my own, but I am a bit... perplexed?

I've had rednecks in F150s stop and help. Hippies in a cloud of pot smoke, and a carful of guys who spoke zero English. I've had very butch women offer to help a couple of times, and even a little five foot nothing blond girl stop one time. "Gotta help a sister out!"

But never no one.

So I've got to ask, do people not pull over and offer to help change a spare anymore? Granted, it's been about 10 years since I've had to change a tire on the side of the road, but still.

I will conceded that I was much hotter at 22 than I am at 45, but that can't be the only reason.

Hello! I'm going to be headed to your fair city in a few weeks for a family funeral.

I'm going to have a meal or two where I'm on my own, and wanted some recommendations.

I'm looking for locally owned. Ideally, it would be local flavor kind of stuff (do you know how hard it is to find a decent pork chop outside of Iowa?) But I'm also a big fan of sushi and Italian. Czech food would be great too.

I just learned the Maid Rite closed. I'm heartbroken.

And seriously, what's the fifth season? I've been going to Cedar Rapids since I was a toddler and no one seems to know.

Thank you!