BHPian @ppy.tbhp recently shared this with other enthusiasts:The “Puncture Scam” – My Late-Night Experience in PuneIt was a weekend well spent – a fun meetup with friends and a late movie at Seasons Mall, Hadapsar. Around 11 PM, we wrapped up and started riding back home to Wakad on my friend’s Suzuki Access. The roads were calm, the air cool – the kind of peaceful ride you enjoy after a good night out. But about five minutes in, I suddenly felt the scooter wobbling. We stopped and checked – the rear tire was losing air. It was pretty late, and finding a good tire shop open around 11:15 PM was nearly impossible. Just when we were about to give up, we spotted a roadside puncture repair shop – it honestly felt like a stroke of luck. We pulled over, relieved that help was nearby. But what happened next – I’ll never forget. The tire shop guy got to work right away. In barely ten minutes, a few more riders pulled up at the same shop – their bikes and scooters had punctures too. The tire shop guy had an old, half-cut tractor tire filled with muddy water, kept in a dimly lit corner of the shop. He inflated our scooter tire and dipped it in muddy water inside that half cut tractor tire, saying he was checking for air leaks from punctures. Tiny bubbles appeared – “one puncture,” he said. Then he dipped it again – “second puncture.” Another dip – “third puncture.” And then a fourth. By that point, we were confused. Four punctures? How could we have possibly ridden 26 Km from Wakad to Seasons mall, Hadapsar, earlier without even feeling anything? It made no sense. That’s when the guy started his pitch – “Each tubeless puncture will cost Rs 300. But looking at your tire’s age and condition, I’d suggest replacing it. I can give you a new one for Rs 3,500 – no other shop will be open this late.” That’s when it clicked – this was a setup. When we checked closely, we found that only one small rusted threaded screw had actually pierced out scooter tire. The other three were clearly made deliberately during his so-called inspection for punctures. We decided not to argue, it was getting really late. We just asked him to give us a new tire-tube, which he sold for Rs 500, and we rode home carefully with a tire tube in tubeless tire. The next day, my friend – who lives near Seasons Mall, Hadapsar, Pune – asked a few locals about the shop. That’s when the full story came out. Apparently, these guys throw small, rusted screws on the exit road of the mall every evening, right before the last movie shows end. Riders leaving late at night often run over them, loose air in tires, and end up at their “open” shop nearby. Locals informed my friend that police complaints had been filed before, but nothing really changed. The scam was too clever – inside that half-cut tractor tire filled with muddy water, they had long, needle-like, sharp objects hidden at the bottom. They were barely visible when seen from above, due to muddy water hiding them. While pretending to check for air leaks from punctures, the tire shop guy would press the tire onto those spikey objects, creating new punctures. His partner would then immediately and carefully remove the sharp objects from the muddy water – the same ones meant for piercing tires – making sure they couldn’t be caught red-handed later when rechecking for air leaks after the punctures were repaired by them. When I heard it from my friend that day, it all made sense. Everything – the muddy water, the dim light, the fake “puncture repairs.”What I Learned (and others should too)Don’t stop at the first open puncture shop you see late at night.If multiple riders stop at the same spot with the same issue, be suspicious.Inspect your tire yourself before agreeing to multiple repairs or replacements.Get a second opinion from a trusted shop the next day.Stay calm if you suspect a scam – just do what you need to get home safely.This incident was a lesson learnt well. Ever since that night, I make sure to always keep a good tire inflator and a good tire puncture repair kit in my car – just to avoid any unfortunate encounters with scamsters like these, who end up doing more harm than good under the guise of helping. Stay alert, stay equipped, and don’t let such scams catch you off guard. Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.
