Chris Tires & Rims

My friends and I were driving from Miami to Fort Lauderdale at 10:30 pm one night. As we were zipping along on the highway, the back tire blew out. We pulled over and discovered that there was no spare. We waited an hour for the tow truck, and when he arrived, he listed our options: He could tow us back to Miami, he could tow us to a Kmart or Sears to get a new tire, or… we could go to Chris Tires & Rims.
Now, I have never been to South Florida in the first place before this night, so I had no idea that they were known for amazing tire shops. I figured that since the Kmart’s and the Sears and every other store that sold tires was closed, going back to Miami didn’t seem like a bad idea. «Chris Tires & Rims? I don’t know, are they any good?» I asked myself, silently in the back seat. Little did I know what I had in store for me.
As we rolled up to Chris Tires & Rims, the tow truck driver informed us that they were cash only, but the convenience store down the road had an ATM. My friend, his girlfriend and I started to head over there on foot, but he swiftly altered our route by letting us know that it «wasn’t a safe area» and that «the girls should probably stay in the locked car.»
Once my friend returned, we had to wait for the mechanics to finish their dinner break before they started on our car. I noticed that one of the mechanics was eating on the healthy side — a McDonald’s salad — that’s always refreshing to see.
After about an hour of being picked up by the tow truck, getting cash, sleeping in the locked car, and observing my surroundings, the tire change was finished and we headed on our way.
All in all, a great first south Florida experience. The mechanics didn’t speak a word to us, which I was a little bummed about, because I wanted to be friendly but I couldn’t get out of the car.