The Disappearance of Spare Tires Reflects a Broader Cultural Decline in Self-Reliance
Source: https://www.facebook.com/americanspectator/. "Whatever Happened to the Spare Tire? | The American Spectator | USA News and Politics." August 22, 2026. spectator.org
The Gist
The author got a flat tire on a family road trip and discovered his van had no spare, Walmart doesn't sell spares, and nobody around knew how to change a tire anyway. He argues this incident symbolizes how Americans have lost basic self-reliance skills and instead depend entirely on modern conveniences like roadside assistance apps.
Conclusion
Modern American society has lost essential self-reliance skills and infrastructure (like carrying and knowing how to change a spare tire), reflecting a broader cultural decline.
Premises
- The author's minivan, like many modern vehicles, had no spare tire—it had been removed or never included by manufacturers.
- Walmart and other retailers no longer sell standalone spare tires, making it difficult to acquire one even when seeking to be prepared.
- Young people today do not know how to change a tire and instead default to calling for help via cellphone or roadside assistance services.
- AAA tow trucks, despite being highly competent, do not carry spare tires themselves, compounding the problem.
- Even when a spare tire exists in a vehicle, it may be poorly designed or nearly impossible to access, as with the author's daughter's car.
- This lack of preparedness left the author and his family stranded and vulnerable on a highway during severe weather conditions.
Assumptions
- Knowing how to change a tire and carrying a spare are important markers of self-reliance and personal responsibility.
- The decline in this specific skill/practice is representative of a broader societal decline in self-sufficiency.
- Previous generations were more competent and prepared in practical skills like tire-changing.
- Convenience-based modern solutions (roadside assistance, cellphones) are inferior substitutes for hands-on personal capability.
- Manufacturers and retailers removing spare tires reflects assumptions about consumer incompetence rather than legitimate engineering or cost tradeoffs (e.g., weight reduction, run-flat tires, space-saver kits).