Warning: a guy at a gas station in Moab saved my weekend trip with a zip tie

Nancy Butler · 2026-04-20T21:20:08.631142+00:00

I was about 20 miles out of town last fall when my Tacoma's front skid plate started dragging. I pulled over at a dusty station and this older guy in a beat-up Land Cruiser walked over. He didn't say a word, just handed me a big 11-inch zip tie from his pocket and pointed at the mounting hole. I cinched it tight and it held for the whole three-day trip. He just said, 'Always keep a handful of the big ones.' Now I've got a bag of them in every door pocket. What's the weirdest trailside fix you've ever seen someone pull off?

uma_baker993mo ago

Ha, actually nylon stockings work better than pantyhose cause they're thicker and tougher!

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ellis.susan4mo ago

That nylon stocking trick is wild, @margaret_chen, but what did you use for a tensioner?

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margaret_chen4mo ago

My buddy's Jeep lost a belt in Death Valley and he made a temporary one from a nylon stocking. It got us to a real auto parts store about thirty miles away. Sometimes the simple fix is the only one you've got.

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