Met someone who was renting a Hertz smart

[Carl242]

My wife and I were in Trader Joe's on Masonic today, and as we walked out of the store to load up our shopping, we saw a couple with a red/black Pure. I asked them how they liked their smart, and they said that they were just staying in SF for a week and were renting from Hertz! They had a lot of questions on the car, and how our Passions differed, and seemed to really be enjoying their rental. When we were driving away, I realised I was wearing my "Smart Breeds" shirt that I had designed--no wonder they asked me so many questions about the car!

Its interesting, with the price that Hertz rents the smart for, that you get a Pure instead of a Passion. I wonder if all the rentals are Pures.

[BigWarpGuy]

That is unusual. Perhaps they think that no one would 'rent one' and never return with it(ie; steal it?) ?

[Godfather]

Put them in a size appropriate cell.............

[buellwinkle]

In SF, people pay more the worse the car is. Imagine renting the car below in S.F. and paying $49 for 1 hour. Then the rental on the Pure does not look so bad.

[kalliergo]

Originally Posted by Carl242

...they said that they were just staying in SF for a week and were renting from Hertz!

I was at smart center Stevens Creek this week (yeah, we drive down from Marin--they really treat us well) and Paul, the service manager, told me that Hertz had purchased a bunch of smarties. IIRC, he said 30 of them!

I can't think of better PR than renting smarts to visitors to SF. Nothing else is nearly as much fun to drive here--and I'm totally unbiased. ;^)

~Doug

[kalliergo]

Originally Posted by buellwinkle

Imagine renting the car below in S.F. and paying $49 for 1 hour. Then the rental on the Pure does not look so bad.

Wow, do they really charge that much? I see them all the time, creeping along in the middle of our crazy traffic. Usually, the people look lost, confused and/or scared, trying to listen to the recorded audio tour in the midst of the roaring background noise.

~Doug

[Alchemy R]

... and I just shut down my Smart rental shop...

[Krootie]

Originally Posted by Carl242

My wife and I were in Trader Joe's on Masonic today, and as we walked out of the store to load up our shopping, we saw a couple with a red/black Pure. I asked them how they liked their smart, and they said that they were just staying in SF for a week and were renting from Hertz! .

Same thing happened to me at our local Post Office. A German visiting our Ohio Valley area said she rented one in SF in this past summer. Said Hertz apologized for not having their original rental available. She loved the Pure and wondered about my Passion. She also said they did fit 4 people in her Pure. Hope two were children.

[Carl242]

Originally Posted by buellwinkle

In SF, people pay more the worse the car is. Imagine renting the car below in S.F. and paying $49 for 1 hour. Then the rental on the Pure does not look so bad.

When I see these on the streets here (we see a lot of them by Golden Gate Park) it makes me feel adequate in my smart . . . JUST KIDDING!!!!!

[forestacademy]

Geat, Now the streets will be filled with lost tourists driving smarts. That will make folks think smart drivers just don't know how to drive