smart car owner since 2002

[lhoboy]

Originally Posted by alejake

Pretty smart-mouthed and ****y for someone who whould be speaking German now if it wasn't for our Grandfathers, Fathers, Uncles and such!!

Ken,
Please don't take your hostilities out on this site. Over the past couple of months, there has been alot of disagreement, but no personal attacks. In short, a very pleasant and affable community. There's no need to get threads locked down.

[markus]

....I fear I can't understand what means "yanking our chain"........

[DaveInTexas]

It's a term used to say they are 'teasing' or joking with you.

The term is used to signify the dog chained up in somebodies yard with a kid pulling on the chain to upset the dog.

[Fredvon4]

In defense of Alejake.... I also think Markus's post to be very rude and insulting.... perhaps Alejake is in THE desert and has no sense of humor these days.....

Let's not forget that as a Smart Car eclectic group we still are comprised of Americans from all walks of life......there are many of us who are not too willing to have some snotty European do a drive by neener neener neener and not have some negative thought....

Yes, the hot headed comment is also very rude----but it concerns me that several of you chose to scold AleJake and not Markus.... hummmm

[MaryG]

Sorry about your conception of American and Americans! I've had a Ford, Chevrolet, multiple trucks, etc. I often travel a 150 mile round trip and I'm just so EXCITED about getting my SMART, spring 2008 to do this trip. Also, I'm looking forward to the gas savings. Having driven the SMART during this past summer, it will be just marvelous to own.

[jwight]

Originally Posted by Fredvon4

hummmm

Fred, it may be that several of us have lived and worked in other parts of the world and have a little more flexibility in dealing with folks from other countries who speak English as a second language. I can't tell you how many of my countrymen (and women) I saw act out the "ugly American" stereotype over the years - very disappointing. We don't need to do it here. As an exercise, try translating your comments into Italian and let us know how that works.

Can't we all just get along?

[sisyphus]

With the soon-to-occur rollout in the U.S of the new NON-FAKE model 451 smart, the community of smart fans will be in 37 countries around the globe. I find it fascinating to read the viewpoints of our brothers and sisters from other countries and what they think of us as a nation and a people. Some of us may feel their opinions to be uninformed, but it is, nonetheless, how they see us. Only we can change their perceptions of us by responding to them as equals, not some sort of superior beings. We, as humans, are in no way superior to any other human beings on the face of this planet, so let's all act in a mature and respectful manner to those who come from a different country and/or culture, and welcome their opinions and viewpoints.

[dbwill]

I think we have to remember that when a person who's native tongue is other than English there are always communications problems.

First most Europeans speak a number of languages with reasonable fluency. How many of us do?

Secondly most ESL speakers do not know the nuances of our language, which has many. Think of trying to get computer support from India. In this case the terms POS and jerking your chain were not understood.

Give the guy a break and consider how hard it is for him to communicate his thoughts with an incomplete knowledge of our language, Think of trying to communicate with him in Italian

Different is not necessarily wrong, it is just different

Will now climb slowly down from my soap box

[Old smart]

I think I can understand the Euros’ antagonism. The Gen I 450 has been “their� thing, foibles and all, but they have happily been getting along with it for nine years. Instead of dealing with the foibles and improving the 450, M-B/smart completely re-did it as the Gen II 451 to conform to the (un-popular already) U.S. in regulation and marketing realities. Now it is “our� thing forced upon them, a little bigger and a little less fuel-efficient. It will be easy to precipitate unnecessary wars of words.

But I don’t think they give enough credit to the situation that if it (specifically the 451) doesn’t do well here and start making some money for Daimler, it will be shortly lost for everyone. The U.S. market is the car’s last best hope now. I know the M-B is contemplating building them in and for China, but at best Daimler will only get licensing residuals, and that may not be enough to satisfy the stockholders.

[dbwill]

A couple of interesting things

The smart body frontal redesign was to meet Euro standards for pedestrian safety.

I have the distinct impression from reading on smart mania that there might have been longevity problems with some of the MB engines