Well that was stupid

Did you ever do something knowing it was a bad idea from the get go? Sometimes you just have to give into temptation.

So there I was putting a new tire on the scooter. Once again, I was fiddling around trying to set the bead. There’s a trick where you wrap a ratchet strap around the tire to squish it in the middle and made the sides set. It can be a fiddly thing sometimes but often works.

However, I’d been messing around outside for a couple hours. The black flies were swarming. They know when your hands are busy and you can’t swat at them. I literately had blood running down the side of my head from their bites. 

Then I came in for a minute to get another tool. That’s when I spotted a can of starter fluid left over from when I ran diesel engines. That’s when the temptation to do something stupid was too much. I geared up with eye protection, heavy gloves, the whole bit. I went back outside with the can of starter fluid and a very long lighter used for fireplaces. 

Yep, I used the starter fluid to explode the tire onto the rim. My first attempt I used a very small amount. Too small, as it turns out, but that was fine. Just a timy bit more did the job. A short while later the wheel was back on and going down the road. 

Sure, I got away with it, but I plead temporary insanity from the black flies. It’s a really really bad idea and a lot people get injured every year from this idiot method. If you decide to be stupid it’s on you, not me. 

-Sixbears