Random Acts of Smartness

Springlering · 08-10-2008, 07:19 PM

OK, I've got a few things I've been meaning to post, so here goes. And this is a lot!

First of all, we took the youngest to her new dorm today. Since we no longer have grownup cars, we took two Smarts. I was the pack mule. We were a big hit when we pulled up to the dorm. The president of the university was helping the kids move in (how cool was that?!!! This is a big school, too!) and we were quite a hit with him and the dorm team.

This is a shot of the back of my car. It was packed to the gills, front and back. Everyone was laughing as we pulled stuff out, and kept pulling more stuff out!

Springlering · 08-10-2008, 07:24 PM

This is an article from Brandweek Magazine that I thought was quite interesting, which I don't think has been posted here before:

Springlering · 08-10-2008, 07:26 PM

And here is an old, but wonderful 07/2002 article by James May, of the British TV show Top Gear, reprinted in his book Notes from the Hard Shoulder:

Springlering · 08-10-2008, 07:33 PM

and here is what happened to the Yellow Peril, while parked at my insurance agency. Maddeningly, no one came in to tell me what they'd done, even though it's a dead cert they had insurance. *sigh*

I thought about taking a Sharpie to it and doing this:

but the dealer kindly knocked out most of the dent at no charge (!!!!), while waiting for the new fender to arrive, so it's hardly visible:

Their service was outstanding, but turned out that though the folks in Germany sent the new fender in less than a week, unfortunately, it was both cracked, and for the wrong side, so I am waiting for the new one.

But, on the plus side, the dealer had a little mini-coffee shop inside with cush leather sofas, so after having a gander at the new SLK280 (is it sinful to have two cabrios? A Smart for everyday, and a 280 for special days? But every day in the Smart is special, but I want, no, lust for the 280.......thus speaketh the angel and devil on my shoulder), I sat down for a bit of nice reading. With the way things have been lately, that was the first "me" time I've had in months, and I am thinking about bashing in all the fenders in turn just to go and enjoy the quietude at the dealer.

Springlering · 08-10-2008, 07:45 PM

whoops! One more short article to post. This is from the June '08 issue of Top Gear UK magazine. For those of us that have given up trying to explain what a Smart is, and now just tell people, 'Oh, it's made by Mercedes', now we can also tell them, 'with the same flappy paddle gear box as a Lamborghini or a Maserati'.....

Springlering · 08-10-2008, 07:49 PM

...and finally, if anyone remembers me from a few months back, I was the one who made the comment about being embarrassed about being seen as the fat chick in the itty bitty car, and had decided to do something about it.

Well, I have lost two dress sizes since then, and am proud to now call myself a moderately big chick in a little car.

My Smart has been good for and good to me thus far. I love this little bugger!

jediknight36 · 08-10-2008, 07:50 PM

WOW!!!!

JanetMermaid · 08-11-2008, 08:03 AM

GREAT post!

And congratulations!! I know how tough losing two sizes can be.

Rmichael1 · 08-11-2008, 08:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Springlering

...and finally, if anyone remembers me from a few months back, I was the one who made the comment about being embarrassed about being seen as the fat chick in the itty bitty car, and had decided to do something about it.

Well, I have lost two dress sizes since then, and am proud to now call myself a moderately big chick in a little car.

My Smart has been good for and good to me thus far. I love this little bugger!

Hey congrats! It's hard for me, at 44 y/o, to keep my weight reasonable too. However, I have seen plenty of BEARS riding in smart cars and my partner is a bear as well. People of any size can be smart and you sound smart! It's a fun little car and I bet you're havin' fun!

SuperGeek · 08-11-2008, 04:41 PM

It's great to be 350lbs and get out of a smart with ease. It's even better to watch someone in awe that a person that large can even fit in a smart. The response is something like, a glance, jaw drop, pick up jaw, nervously look away so as not to offend, then back again. It can amuse for a little while, but I can understand the feelings that one wouldn't want their own size to be the focus of attention. I've given up on being bashful; gawkers get the whole package.

But it does make people realize what can fit in a smart: 300+ lbs, 6'5"? No problem.