I was on the verge of giving up and phoning for a lift at the time.
I think this is illustrative of one of the major changes in recent decades in cycling culture and in the mindset/outlook of most who have taken up cycling as a leisure activity during that time.
It used to be that the expectation of anyone riding a bike was that if they had a mechanical, they would be self-reliant and get themselves back home using the tools and spares they had brought and their skills to fix the bike. It was very rare that a problem would be so severe that a rider would need to get a train to get back home or call someone for a lift. (I recall one ride as a 13 year old when I was knocked of my bike while still 15 miles from home. I was taken by ambulance to a hospital a very short distance away where I was given a few stitches. I then got back on my bike and rode home.)
Nowadays many new cyclists are quite happy to adopt new technology and equipment which is not tried and tested (or at least not tried and tested by them such that they can use it properly and can fix it if it goes wrong). Instead they rely on their mobile phone or smart phone to get them out of trouble.
I think there is a link with the downturn in club cycling and especially club runs. Although I had ridden long distances solo before I joined a club, riding 80 miles or more on a club run felt much less committing, because of the added reassurance that being accompanied by other riders gave, who might be able to help if I had a problem for which my own tools, spares or skills proved inadequate.
I suspect that the number of cyclists for whom tubeless is the best option is a lot smaller than the actual numbers using tubeless. For example, tubeless might well be essential for a group of MTB riders who ride in the dark, rain and cold on weekday evenings in the winter on trails with a high probability of punctures due to thorns etc. Moreover, the members of such a group will help each other with the inevitable learning curve of how to set up tubeless tyres and deal with problems. Conversely, I suspect most solo riders are much less likely to need tubeless, and without the benefit of learning from riders who are more experienced in using tubeless they are much more likely to get into trouble*.
* Like the last two riders I came across who had punctured. Both had tubeless tyres, neither was adequately equipped to fix them. One was facing a five mile hike cross country pushing a heavy e-bike, and the other was relying on their smartphone to get them out of trouble.
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