In my time out here in the Texas Panhandle, I have spent a highly inordinate amount of time at the WalMart Tire and Lube "Express". With every encounter, I'm forced to add another reason to the list of reasons they piss me off.

On our trip last week to my hometown, I noticed that my rear tire was wearing down to the steel. Not having the resources to fix it as well as the offending front tire, we kept hoping it would hold up, and our faith was duly rewarded. I had to stay home on Sunday because the tire had been reduced to little more than a racing slick, with very little tread showing (and it cost me points on the trivia, a deficit that will be compounded with my absence tomorrow...but I digress). So I took the front tire off of my "pimpmobile", which I cannot GIVE away right now because it has a v8 engine, and filling one's tank will soon require taking out a second mortgage on one's house, and I put the tire, which is the same size as that on my Buick, in the trunk and head for town. The tire place I normally patronize was closed for the holiday weekend, and I decided I definitely do NOT want a flat on the fourth of July, so I grit my teeth and head for WalMart, leaving simple instructions:

1. Take tire OFF of Chrysler rim.

2. Put tire ON Buick rim.

3. Balance, place tire back on Buick.

4. Place Chrysler rim, sans tire, in trunk of Buick.

Feeling that the instructions were pretty much idiot proof (a BIG mistake when dealing with WalMart TLE), I head into the store. Still reeling from the whole spare tire incident, however, I was aware of the need to check their work. After being called back and informed that my car was done, I head out to the car. There was the tire, mounted on the car....on the CHRYSLER rim.

Now, one would be inclined to think this doesn't matter. After all, if the rim fits, right? Well, theoretically, yes, but you have to remember this leaves me with a Chrysler sitting at home with no rim at all (plus the fact that the Buick rims actually MATCH...something I'm not really that used to). The biggest kicker, though, was that, if you think about it, the TLE guys basically did nothing. They took off one tire, discarded the actual tire, and put on the other. And charged me $8 for what I could have done in less time and without the fee.

So, I explain to the guy exactly what it is that I want, trying hard not to be TOO condescending (it wasn't easy, believe me). The situation was remedied shortly, and I went out to my car, checking the trunk carefully to ensure the Chrysler rim was still there.

Where DO they find these guys?