Here’s a warning to all bike shop mechanics (and anybody
who mends punctures): when checking for the cause of a puncture use something other
than your finger!

Tim Johnson of Sideways Cycles in Cheshire emailed Bikebiz magazine with a warning
about the potential dangers of ‘feeling’ for the cause of a puncture. You always
do this gingerly, of course, a shard of glass or a thorn is always going to hurt
when found in a hurry but even the slightest of pricks could be lethal if the point
you find is from a hypodermic needle discarded by a druggie.

Tim takes up the tale:

“All mechanics and shop owners should be alerted to the possibility, when checking
tyres for the cause of a puncture, that the offender may not be the humble Hawthorn
or even a nasty piece of sharp glass. A customer recently told me the tale of a colleague
of his who drew his hand onto the pointy end of a used hypodermic needle and came
away with a nasty infection to boot! Think of a different way to find the hole poker,
without using your fingers – and charge more for puncture repairs!”

© Bikebiz 1999