Is the spare tire safe?

[Kurt V]

A year ago, when I still had my 2001 Base, I had a nearly new rear tire sidewall just disintegrate while driving down the highway. Fix a Flat would not have helped. No tire store within 150 miles had a replacement. So I put on the spare (which looked brand new) and continued the 70 miles to my destination. Then drove all weekend on the spare. Then drove 186 miles back to my house averaging 65 mph on the highway. Spare still looked new when I got home! The Boxster spare is a fairly substantial piece of rubber with lots of tread. Just narrow.