The good news is that you'd have to work on a pit crew to change a tire more efficiently than me. I swung into action, only to find that this rental car had no jack.

This is an important point, so let's be clear: Advantage Rent-A-Car gave me a vehicle with no jack. None. (Believe it or not, this will sound even worse later on....)

I went into the hotel and asked the young lady at the desk to call a taxi. There's no taxi service in Artesia.

Eventually, I had to call my customer and beg for a lift. I've never imposed on a customer for last-mile transportation before, and I wasn't too proud of that solution. It's what I was left with.