Creepers....Must be the Gas Prices?

[Springlering]

OK, I've been gently accused of being Pollyanna here on the forum. Yeah, I love my Smart, it runs great, no problems to report, like having the top down, relish the attention, etc.

I get stopped everywhere I go, and I always take time to tell people about the car, offer to let them sit in it, open the trunk so they can see it really does hold groceries, etc. Everyone has loved it, nothing but positive comments. I get thumbs up everywhere I go, from the 'hood to the Nawth Side.

But I had some wierd experiences yesterday which kind of rattled me.

Yesterday morning, some guy had apparently waited for the Smart driver to come out of Publix, jumped out from where he'd been kind of hidden beside his SUV (scared me half to death) and without so much as a howdy-do, loudly demanded to know, "What kind of mileage?" I kind of stepped back, shielded my teenage daughter, and guardedly said, "Oh, 40-50."

He sneered, I mean like frickin' Snidely Whiplash the man sneered as nastily as I've ever been sneered at before,"Can't you be a little more specific?"

It takes a lot to get me to be ugly to someone, but as rudely as I could, I said, "I get 39, my husband gets 41, my daughter gets 50, is THAT specific enough for you?" and got in my car and drove off. I wish I could have thought up a better comeback, one that made more sense, but he just stunned me with his behavior.

On the way home from work, we stopped by Curves, and parked right in front of the window. People were coming by, and trying my car doors, looking in my windows (no problem with that, but trying the doors is a little......bold, imho!). It wasn't just one person, it was a bunch of them, the whole 45 minutes we were in there. (BTW, Project Eliminate-Big-Fat-Arse-in-the-Little-Smart-Car is coming along, coming along. The Smart as "Health Concious" instigator, lol! )

Afterwards we stopped by Target, and parked away from the other cars, by ourselves. My daughter was getting out of the car, when this beater comes flying up next to her, nearly rips the half-open door off our car. This woman flings her car door open before her car even screeches to a halt, which blocks my daughter in the car so she can't finish getting out, and starts just shouting at us, "This is a Smart Car. I want one of these now. Where can I get one? Give me the dealer's number and address. I deliver pizza. It is very important that I have one of these immediately".

The last time I saw a car come flying up like that, I had inadvertently driven into the middle of an undercover drug raid and was too dumb to realize what was happening! At least no one pulled a gun this time, lol!

I was just floored. She'd almost hit my daughter and my car, was shouting at us, and I just didn't know what to do, so I snapped back at her, "Oh.....gee.....there's a two year or so waiting list, so I guess you'll just have to wait", retrieved my daughter, and stalked off.

On our way out of Target, an SUV passes by with two little cute but unbelted children hanging out the window, singing, "it's a Smart Car, looky! it's a Smart Car!"

At least they were cute, but at this point Em said, "Mom, I don't want to ride in your car ever again."

I checked my calendar, the full moon was Tuesday. What the heck is up with all the hostility all of a sudden? For the first day since I've gotten the Yellow Peril, I'm making excuses not to go out.

[VinceLA]

I can understand how you feel. I myself get a little paranoid when pple start walking up and have a tendency to "touch" the smart. I can sense that some folks are desperate about the gas prices. It's the talk of any town now. Yet these are the same folks who are suspicious about the smart. Admit it. The smart does look like a space pod for transporting aliens from out of space, at least to those who have never seen/heard of it.

[jwight]

IMHO, people are panicking (for whatever reason) with seemingly no end in sight to gas price increases; they either really want a smart (NOW!) or take it out on smart owners because they're upside down on a loan for a $50K gas hog SUV that's worth about $30K trade-in now. Too bad, just watch who's headed your way.

[SuperGeek]

Yep, it's gas prices and SUV upside down loans... my SUV lost 40% of its value in one year. Fortunately it's paid for, otherwise I'd feel just as antsy as everyone else. It still does a heck of a Sam's Club run, though.

First people get dinged on their $300,000 houses and now they're mad that their SUV lost value even faster, so naturally there's a lot of tension.

But face it, SUV owners ** if your SUV or large truck still works and does what you need, still has value to you. If you're looking at selling in a panic, consider the $20-30k loss you'll take vs. how much difference actual gas consumption. For most people, you won't go through $20k in gas for many years. Don't join the mob mentality. Just because John down the street sold his 2 year old truck for a $20k loss doesn't mean you have to. Keep the SUV as a secondary vehicle and just don't use it as often. In 5 years when the energy crisis calms down, you can probably sell it as a low-miles truck.

[Dave Van]

All of the sudden Honda CRV's are getting 50 mpg....or is it the owner just trying to make themselves feel better? After I give out my mpg I am finding whatever they are driving NOW gets better than my Smart.....at least we Smart owners have helped raise the national mpg average!!!

[orngandblack]

Originally Posted by SuperGeek

In 5 years when the energy crisis calms down, you can probably sell it as a low-miles truck.

That's the problem "it will NEVER Calm down"
People in the USofA just don't get it. Change your driving habits now.
The price of gas will never be what it was just a year ago. This is not going away.
If the usa would have taken steps back during tricky dick's days we would have been prepared for what is happening to gas prices today.
It's still a business. Supply and demand. As long as there is a demand the price will stay high. If everyone would just do the most simplest of actions (like slowing down) the demand would drop. But no we still don't get it. I still see people with big SUVs’ and monster pick-up trucks driving like nuts, just to get to the next red light.
And now because some of us were smart enough to at least take a step in the right direction, by ordering a more fuel efficient vehicle we are getting, in some cases, badgered
People need to wake up!!

[Springlering]

well, I guess statistically, not everyone is going to like the Smart. I guess I just got my numbers skewed so the negatives were all in one day?!

What I don't understand is people gripe and complain about gas prices, but yesterday I added cars to three different folks' insurance policies.....an Explorer, a Yukon, and a Suburban. So go figure...........folks complain on the one hand, and can't (won't!) change their habits on the other. One even told me, "I can't afford to go to work, and I can't afford not to go to work".

Sometimes, I just bite my tongue.

[Westfield 11]

Our Dear Leader would rather go the the King of Saudi Arabia on his knees to beg for lower fuel prices, like he did last month, than ask his citizens to drive slower or force the car makers to improve efficiency.

[spdickey]

To all current smart owners. Aren't you glad you took a flyer on this car a year ago when you made your reservation? Don't you feel smart today?

[24-42]

Originally Posted by Springlering

OK, I've been gently accused of being Pollyanna here on the forum. Yeah, I love my Smart, it runs great, no problems to report, like having the top down, relish the attention, etc.

I get stopped everywhere I go, and I always take time to tell people about the car, offer to let them sit in it, open the trunk so they can see it really does hold groceries, etc. Everyone has loved it, nothing but positive comments. I get thumbs up everywhere I go, from the 'hood to the Nawth Side.

But I had some weird experiences yesterday which kind of rattled me.

Yesterday morning, some guy had apparently waited for the Smart driver to come out of Publix, jumped out from where he'd been kind of hidden beside his SUV (scared me half to death) and without so much as a howdy-do, loudly demanded to know, "What kind of mileage?" I kind of stepped back, shielded my teenage daughter, and guardedly said, "Oh, 40-50."

He sneered, I mean like frickin' Snidely Whiplash the man sneered as nastily as I've ever been sneered at before,"Can't you be a little more specific?"

It takes a lot to get me to be ugly to someone, but as rudely as I could, I said, "I get 39, my husband gets 41, my daughter gets 50, is THAT specific enough for you?" and got in my car and drove off. I wish I could have thought up a better comeback, one that made more sense, but he just stunned me with his behavior.

On the way home from work, we stopped by Curves, and parked right in front of the window. People were coming by, and trying my car doors, looking in my windows (no problem with that, but trying the doors is a little......bold, imho!). It wasn't just one person, it was a bunch of them, the whole 45 minutes we were in there. (BTW, Project Eliminate-Big-Fat-Arse-in-the-Little-Smart-Car is coming along, coming along. The Smart as "Health Conscious" instigator, lol! )

Afterwords we stopped by Target, and parked away from the other cars, by ourselves. My daughter was getting out of the car, when this beater comes flying up next to her, nearly rips the half-open door off our car. This woman flings her car door open before her car even screeches to a halt, which blocks my daughter in the car so she can't finish getting out, and starts just shouting at us, "This is a Smart Car. I want one of these now. Where can I get one? Give me the dealer's number and address. I deliver pizza. It is very important that I have one of these immediately".

The last time I saw a car come flying up like that, I had inadvertently driven into the middle of an undercover drug raid and was too dumb to realize what was happening! At least no one pulled a gun this time, lol!

I was just floored. She'd almost hit my daughter and my car, was shouting at us, and I just didn't know what to do, so I snapped back at her, "Oh.....gee.....there's a two year or so waiting list, so I guess you'll just have to wait", retrieved my daughter, and stalked off.

On our way out of Target, an SUV passes by with two little cute but unbelted children hanging out the window, singing, "it's a Smart Car, look! it's a Smart Car!"

At least they were cute, but at this point Em said, "Mom, I don't want to ride in your car ever again."

I checked my calendar, the full moon was Tuesday. What the heck is up with all the hostility all of a sudden? For the first day since I've gotten the Yellow Peril, I'm making excuses not to go out.

Springlering;
I've read every one (I think) of your posts and have concluded pretty accurately your persona. I like your writing style, I look for your posts.

You, of all people, should not succumb to rude people, they learn nothing, are emboldened and you are adversely affected by their poisoning.

I suggest you consider replying in kind. IE: when approached as you have described, tell the person, you resent the rude demanding nature of their approach. Under other circumstances (a polite request) you would have been more than pleased to not only answer their questions but point out other features of the car. You have no fiduciary obligation to answer their questions.
If they of their own volition, apologize, then consider continuing the conversation .

Consider also the the modeling for your daughter.

Just sharing my thoughts and opinions with someone that I respect.

Donald LaFavor