I had to travel 20 km to find a shop willing to fix my electric motorbike's flat tire

At every shop I visited, the mechanics took one look at my flat tire and waved me off, saying it was "complicated and difficult."

I’ve been riding this electric motorbike for a year now, but when the tire went flat, the experience of getting it fixed was far from straightforward.

The first shop, just down the road, had a young mechanic who tried for a moment before telling me to go elsewhere. Left with no choice, I took the bike home, loaded it onto a pickup truck, and drove to another shop further away.

A woman rides an electric motorbike in Hanoi. Photo by VnExpress/Ngoc Thanh

But the story repeated itself: this second mechanic said he didn’t have the specialized tools and sent me on my way. At yet another shop, I was told they could patch tires but weren’t equipped to replace them—especially not for electric motorbikes. Once again, I loaded the bike back onto the truck.

Eventually, I found someone willing to fix it, but the explanation I got was sobering. Because the motor is built into the rear wheel, it’s complicated to work on, time-consuming, and not particularly profitable. In the end, I had to drive over 20 kilometers—back to the place where I bought the bike—just to get the tire fixed.

This made me think back to the 2000s when bulky CRT TVs were the norm. As LCD and LED screens took over, many electronics technicians found themselves left behind. Their skills in repairing circuit boards and picture tubes became obsolete almost overnight. Some adapted by learning new skills, while others simply quit the trade once repairing a TV became more expensive than buying a new one.

The pattern is clear: as technology advances, so must workers’ skills. Those who remain stagnant risk becoming irrelevant. The workers who rise to the challenge—learning, updating, and adapting—are the ones who thrive.

What struck me most was the attitude of some mechanics I encountered. Their response to a complex task was simply to pass it on to someone else. This is not just about fixing tires. It raises broader questions about how we prepare the next generation for the workforce. Too many people choose a career path because it seems "easy" or because their peers are doing it. When that career becomes competitive, or when new technologies emerge, they are often caught off guard, unsure of how to adapt.

Every profession faces challenges. But to sustain a career, one must commit to lifelong learning. A skilled worker isn’t someone who avoids tough jobs but rather someone who embraces the opportunity to grow. In an era of rapid technological change, it’s the willingness to evolve that separates those who remain relevant from those who fade away.

This tire repair may seem like a small issue, but it reflects a larger trend. How are we teaching young people to approach their futures? Are we encouraging them to pick the "easy" path, or are we showing them the value of resilience, hard work, and adaptability? It’s not enough to simply work to make a living today. We must prepare to adapt for tomorrow.