This thread reminds me of a guy who was kinda notorious in the tire circles (pre-internet days). He was located out in the west Texas area, similar to one of the last gas for 200 miles scenarios. I have to first give a little background info.
Tires have what is called mold-release chemicals inside them, that does as the name states, keeps the tire from sticking to the molds during the manufacturing process...it's usually some kind of silica based compound (if I remember correct). If you ever watch someone patch a tire, you will see them spray/pour what is known as a pre-buff cleaner on the spot before they grind the tire. This helps dissolve these mold release chemicals and let's the patch bond better with the rubber.
You may have noticed in your life before, that when your tire was dismounted, these little small beads inside the tire. This is just any dirt, and/or excess mold release stuff that kinds bonds together as the tire rolls. No big deal, and is just part of the nature of tires. Doesn't really hurt anything, as they are extremely little.
Well, this guy in Texas, anytime he would see these in a tire he was repairing/or replacing , would call the tire customer back into the shop and point these silica balls out. He would then explain to the customer that these balls were the feces of "rubber worms"......and he had seen it many times.
He would go on how these rubber worms were eating into the customers rubber tires, and their tire was going to blowout.......as evidenced by the rubber balls. He would also convince them that if the worms were in one tire, they were in all the tires. He'd start grabbing some kind of insecticide spray and start spraying the rubber worm infested tire. He'd also go thru the act of hurriedly trying to get the customers vehicle out of his shop before they contaminated his new tires.
He would then sell them a set of new tires.......and then sell their perfectly fine used tire pull-offs he just acquired (since no customer would take back a tire infested with rubber worms).
Sad but true......even though you know you're laughing at the absurdity of it
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