LOL!
I rented a U-haul with no spare yesterday. I told them I need a spare, they said, "Oh! You just call this number and we come fix it!" I said, uh huh, you're going to come 400 miles, into the Nevada desert to bring me a spare while I wait 20 hours?
Somewhere, some bean counter figured it all out, spending $600 per flat tire is cheaper than buying spares...sounds like Marchionne has a twin...
I had the same exact conversation with the U-Haul guys this weekend, I rented one of their 6x12 trailers to move a couple of our small Walker Bay boats. At least I am in an area where its not so isolated but still.
I am a big believer in spares and being prepared. Two our our road trips are through a desolate area of the NYS Thruway (going from Long Island NY to Montreal Ca for the Formula 1 race, and similar for going to Watkins Glen NY for the NASCAR race) where there is no cell service. Of course the WK has a full size spare, but we also carry:
1 qt of motor oil, 1 qt of ATF+4, 1 qt of the NV 245 fluid, 1 qt of gear oil and pump, a spare serpentine belt, fuses, headlight/tailight bulbs etc.
On the boat:
1988 4.3 OMC Cobra I/O original engine, unknown hrs. Frequently ventures into Long Island Sound. Spares: motor oil, fuel filter, set of spark plugs, points n condenser, thermostat n gasket, raw water impeller, belts, hoses etc. Hard mount VHF radio, spare hand held, GPS linked to panic button on radio, Vessel Assist towing.
Boat trailer: jack/lug wrench, spare tire, spare bulbs.
When I bought our 2 older vehicles new back in '98 (98 ZJ, 98 Subaru OB) the first thing I did to both was to replace the temp spares with full size spares.
My brother used to have a '99 Ferrari F-355, one day we got a flat. I asked him where the spare was and he takes out a can of fix-a-flat, lol I am not kidding on a car that cost $125K. So we wait for the flat bed, but since he was the one of the head guys at Asurion who does most cell phone ins and roadside ins, they showed up pretty fast. Then at the tire shop, we had Larry, Moe and Curley. They could not get the shop lift under the Ferrari, it was too low. They are standing there scratching their heads. I tell my brother give me the manual for this car. I see that Ferrari does offer a normal scissor jack for this vehicle. I tell Moe to go the jack out of the Hyundai in the shop and show him how to jack it up. As a joke I gave my brother a nice scissor jack that Christmas lol....