What made you trust the guy at the shop over the fifteen years of conventional wisdom before that? A tire guy in Boise could be right, but tires also age out and get hard whether they sit on stands or not, so I'm wondering how you ruled out the rubber just getting stiffer over those six winters. Did you notice any difference in how the car drove the first spring compared to the later ones?

Ouch, three weeks of scrubbing for nothing. Been there.

The Aerobus is solid but $4 adds up if you're with a group, since each person needs their own ticket. Three of us took a taxi in Lisbon for about 12 euros total and it was door to door with luggage. For solo travel the bus wins every time though, and that 24 hour pass is a real steal.