Cops teach young driver to change a flat tire, much to the amusement of social media

How to change a flat tire typically is not on a driver’s license exam, so a young driver in east Tennessee was dumbfounded when faced with the problem for the first time this week.

It also was dark and 34 degrees.

What happened next has tickled social media’s penchant for busting the chops of young people, particularly Millennials.

Two passing cops stopped, realized the driver’s awkward predicament and decided to “teach an inexperienced driver how to properly change a tire,” according to a Kingsport Police Department Facebook post. Kingsport is about 100 miles northeast of Knoxville, near the Virginia border.

“Rather than simply do it themselves, they patiently got down on the dirty pavement with the young driver and showed the safe use of the jack and the appropriate lifting points,” the post said.

“An old proverb said it best: ‘Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime,’ ” the department concluded.

The driver’s name and age were not released. The officers were identified as Toby Wells and Dillon Moyers, and a photo shared by the department shows the two standing over the driver, offering guidance.

Department officials could not be reached by McClatchy news group for details, but TV station WJHL reports the department declined to elaborate further.

“None of our officers would personally want a fuss made over them for doing a simple act of kindness,” a department official was quoted telling the station.

Dozens of people have shared the department’s social media posts about the incident on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. Many blamed the young driver’s parents.

“Thanks to the officers for assisting and not being content with assuming this young person should already know how to do something,” Corey Harris posted on Facebook.

“This is what dads are supposed to teach their children,” Bruce Anthony Howard wrote. “I guarantee my kids know how to change tires.”

This story was originally published December 4, 2019 at 2:07 PM with the headline "Cops teach young driver to change a flat tire, much to the amusement of social media."