Service technicians like mechanics often have wild stories about bizarre car troubles they've diagnosed — but on occasion, a photo says it all.
Reddit's r/Justrolledintotheshop is, as the subreddit's name suggests, a forum for exchanging the "absolutely stupid things that you see people bring, roll, or toss into your place of business and the people that bring them in."
It's not exclusively for automotive shops — HVAC technicians, IT workers, and aviation mechanics are welcome — but this particular post was about a blown tire with a strange cause.
"Ever lose your vape?" the original poster's title began. "Check your tires."
An attached image showed a thoroughly wrecked car tire that didn't even require a mechanic's expertise to identify the problem: a discarded cigarette-style vape pierced the tread like a pencil through a sheet of loose-leaf paper.
The device in question was a Blu-brand vape, and unlike the ubiquitous box-style disposable vapes, its cylindrical shape made it a greater hazard. Although the original poster didn't provide further details, it was highly likely that the unlucky tire owner was a victim of vape litter.
Disposable vapes are not new, but a Food and Drug Administration partial ban enacted in 2020 caused them to explode in popularity — though that's not the only exploding thing about them.
Reusable vapes with rechargeable batteries were the norm throughout the 2010s — but every disposable vape has an inbuilt lithium-ion battery, making them a volatile form of e-waste that is prone to detonation.
As disposable vapes became more prevalent in 2025, so too did explosions and fires at waste processing facilities, and, alarmingly, on garbage trucks in service. The latter is frighteningly common, as zombie vape batteries are readily ignited by truck compactors.
Single-use vapes are designed to be depleted, discarded, and replaced routinely. Each unit generates between five and six pieces of waste, including inner and outer packaging, safety seals, and so on.
TCD Picks » Upway Spotlight
💡Upway makes it easy to find discounts of up to 60% on premium e-bike brands
|
Do you think disposable vapes should be banned nationwide? Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. |
Definitely 👍 In addition to being a nightmare for sanitation workers, the highly addictive nicotine in disposable vapes poses significant health risks to teens, impacting cognitive development.
Vape litter is hazardous, as the image evidenced, and it wasn't the only time discarded vapes punctured a tire. That endangers everyone on the road — and as one user noted, tires are expensive to replace.
"I ran over someone's cap a few years back. [$]500 tire down the drain," one lamented.
However, other Reddit users couldn't resist cracking a few jokes.
"Brings a whole new meaning to smoking the tires," one quipped.
"This customer will be Blu when they learn that this tire cannot be repaired," another replied.
Get TCD's free newsletters for easy tips to save more, waste less, and make smarter choices — and earn up to $5,000 toward clean upgrades in TCD's exclusive Rewards Club.
Cool Picks
