the wrong way to inflate a tire

As a kid I worked at a local gas station that was on the main road to the beach. Back in those days there was a time of year when the undeveloped stretch of road would be loaded with land crabs after dark. They were so thick at times it was impossible to avoid them. Needless to say I repaired many a tire with a crab claw in them. They would pierce a tire pretty good. Today you rarely see one. Development or who knows what ran them out.