The only reason I went to the store today was to unload some old oil. That’s all…just getting rid of some well-used Texas Tea, and maybe I’d spend a few minutes BSing with Store Manager and Warehouse Guy in the hopes that I might dredge up a good story. It’s a nice sunny day, and it’s actually a bit warm after a few days of “Aw, hell no!” level cold, so I’m enjoying the drive into town. I’m cruising and carefree right up until the store falls into sight, at which point I don’t know whether to laugh or to feel bad for the person with this Saturn.

Lots of things are not adding up. For starters, the MIA wheel is just that..missing. It’s not in the ditch, it’s not in the parking lot, and it’s nowhere along the road. I honestly wondered if he drove on the disc brake to the store. There’s no oil trail, so at least for the moment the engine is safe. The person I assumed drove the car was on the phone and oddly enough, didn’t look as pissed-off as most people would be when their car’s wheel decides that it’s had enough and disappears without prior knowledge.

Avoiding eye contact, I made my way into the store. Anywhere else, this might warrant at least a raised eyebrow, if not everyone at the windows watching the scene unfold. Nope…this is the place where we’ve had people crash in the parking lot. Nobody batted an eye as I came in, signed the log and dumped my oil. As I left the tow truck guy was in the middle of informing him that the car was just a bit too low to be put on the truck, and that he would have to wait for one of his workers to show up with a jack of some kind.

Does this happen to anyone else or is there something about me that brings this kind of carnage to the parts store?