Friday / Weekend Open Line


One of the most desirable cars in automobile showrooms across the U.S. in 1954 was the Packard. The new models were the first to be equipped with a feature that soon swept the industry–the tubeless tire. The idea had been patented more than 50 years earlier by Goodyear, but had never been developed for sale. So for many decades, cars rode on tires containing an inner tube to hold the air. The air-filled or pneumatic tire was conceived by a Scottish veterinarian, who was looking for a smoother ride on his bicycle. Today, a lot of tire wear is racked up in the American workers’ daily commute, which averages 25.5 minutes one-way. Over 8 percent of workers have greater than an hour-long commute. You can find more facts about America from the U.S. Census Bureau, online at <www.census.gov>.