Wheel Rim Expedition

I stepped out from the cinder block bunker and marched down the asphalt seam toward a giant green recycling bin. The ribbed plastic wheel loomed over me like an industrial waterwheel. Wedged right between two heavy rubber tread ribs was a bent metal soda pull-tab and a smooth popsicle stick. I grabbed the flat stick, slotted it straight through the pull-tab's ring, and levered it upward with both hands. It popped loose with a crisp snap, leaving a clear gap in the tire tread. I hooked the tab onto my belt pocket as a sturdy carabiner—now this wheel axle makes a perfect climbing ladder toward higher ground!