"The Natural Philosopher" wrote in message
news
On 19/10/2018 09:35, Brian Reay wrote:
How difficult would it have been for them to put a hexagonal head on the
bolt of the same size as the wheelnuts? That would have been a proper
solution.

Your spare wheel idea gets my vote.

There is an argument for no spare wheel at all since frankly 50% of the
population can't change one - its an AA (or equivalent) callout and they
are quite capable of asking what tyre size you have and fitting one at the
roadside as trucks have long done

Do the roadside trucks carry a supply of spare tyres of all sizes and the
ability to fit the right tyre to your wheel? I never knew that. I thought
they would just fit your spare and then leave you to find a garage to get
the puncture repaired - assuming garages are open at that time. I've never
had to use the AA or RAC to change a wheel - apart from the one occasion
when I couldn't release the spare wheel from its under-floor cage, due to
the stupid "screwdriver and screw" arrangement that Peugeot used on the 306,
and on that occasion I was able to change the wheel myself. The RAC man said
he'd give me £5 if I could do it quicker than he could have done *using my
wheelbrace, not power tools*. I won :-)

When I reported the puncture to RAC, I wasn't asked what size tyre so the
RAC man could make sure he had the correct size in his van, and he didn't
offer to replace the tyre once he arrived.

I was gobsmacked that my wife would wait for AA, RAC or Green Flag instead
of changing it herself and being on her way in a few minutes. I offered to
show her how I do it, but she said no. The only time I wouldn't change a
wheel is if it's the offside when I'm on the hard shoulder of the motorway,
and even then I'd sacrifice the tyre and crawl along the hard shoulder to
the next junction to find somewhere safe to replace it, or else give it a
quick burst from my electric pump to make it safe(r) to drive on for a short
distance.