Donuts!

This is a public service announcement.

This morning, as I drove to work, I saw something that I see often. Sure, I see people talking on their cell phones and swerving around the road. That bothers me, but I'll save that for another blog. Today, I want to talk to you about donuts.

"MMMmmmm, donuts," you're probably thinking. No, not that kind of donut, Homer.

A "Donut" is the small, spare tire you get with a car. Donuts replaced spare tires in the late 1970s as a way to reduce weight and improve fuel efficiency (for those of you who remember the great fuel crisis). Nowadays, most cars come with a full-size spare, especially larger cars. But you still see the donuts.

Donut tires are a handy thing to have. However, there are rules and responsibilities that come with using a spare tire. These are pretty basic:

1. Donut spare tires are not supposed to be driven on any further than it takes to haul your flat tire to a tire store - most say 20 miles max.
2. It is unsafe and irresponsible to drive on a donut faster than 30 MPH.

So, why oh why do I see folks driving 60 on the highway during my commute to work? When I see these people, I try to get around them as I envision their donut tire flying off at high speed, slamming into my windshield, and decapitating me. Please, please, if you can't afford to get the tire fixed, ride the bus!