Snotty Noses Happy Parents Raising Healthy Kids by Dr Orlena Kerek, Paediatrician

This post brought to you by Urgent.ly. The content and opinions expressed below are that of Snotty Noses.

As I turned around the corner, I could hear a funny chugging sound. I turned the radio off. The funny chugging sound continued. I was late for my appointment. As always. I kept going. Have you ever thought about what you’d do if you had a breakdown? No, neither had I.

A few minutes later, the car behind me started flashing their head lights. I glanced in the mirror again. Was that smoke I could see?

I slowed down to let him pass. He pulled along side me, waving his arms frantically. Apparently I had a flat tyre.

Well, that would explain the funny chugging noise. And the smoke. (I’d driven quite a way, any “car savvy” person would have realised before. I’m not so “car savvy”.)

I pulled over. In the middle of nowhere. Well, not exactly nowhere, onto the side of a busy high way. Not exactly anywhere useful.

Luckily it wasn’t raining. 

Luckily I didn’t have a car full of hungry, tired and grumpy children to entertain and keep safe.

I put on my yellow jacket, got out my red triangles and sat on the verge. (You should always sit outside of your car, in case someone drives into it.)

I was clearly not going to make my appointment. More importantly, how was I going to get home?

What was I going to do about this flat tyre?

As much as I’m a modern girl and know the theory behind changing  a flatty, I didn’t intend to start practising now.

I reached for my mobile phone. 

Modern girl. Moderntechnology. Thank goodness!

Have you heard of Urgent.ly? It provides on demand road side service. There are no membership fees, you just pay when you need to. If you live in the US, there are providers near you and you can see how close they are to you.

I watched the mechanic change the tyre with his electric drill and inflate the new tyre with an electric pump. Turns out I’m not such a girlie wimp after all. 

I even made it home in time to collect the kids from school.

 (Note. This is a true story but as I live in Spain, I sadly couldn’t call Urgent.ly.)