Smart Women - check in here!

[Bamawama]

Hi. What a great idea to have a thread just for us girls! My name is Kathie. I live in the San Francisco South Bay and my baby is due in to the dealer on 29 November. It's blue with a black interior. I first saw a Smart in Switzerland about 6 years ago. I called my husband that night and told him I was packing one into my suitcase and would be bringing it home with me! It was love at first sight. When I found out they were coming to the U.S. I was beside myself. When I was in Europe earlier this year it seemed there were hundreds of them everywhere, taunting me. I'm so excited that I'll soon be getting mine. I'm so envious of those of you who already have yours.

[wiloran]

Just realized I didn't post my name - it's Lori.

[Suze]

Originally Posted by smart fortimo

Good reading all the posts.
So let's hear it Suze - tell us your story...

Keep your pants on, Timo - I'm getting to it.

I am LOVING all these stories! The way this little car has touch lives and changed attitudes, not just in people we meet, but in ourselves. Very cool - keep em coming!

I know there are a lot of women "lurkers" on this board. I say come on out - don't be afraid to share your stories - we welcome you. Chime in on any of the threads. We have opinions, experiences and knowledge that's valuable. If any of the "mean boys" say something naughty, they'll get it 10 fold back. (That's a joke, boys, don't say something naughty, ok?)

I'm Susan, but most people here know me as Suze (he he) and I'm 52 and that's not so bad. My 2 sons are grown and gone (Except for the boomerang boy that came back this year).

My story is similar - I saw smarts in England in 2003-2004 and thought "If I lived here, that would be for me".

So when they came to the states, I went to the road show and fell in love. Put in my reservation and waited. But as soon as the dealer opened I called for an orphan. (Patience, not for me )And I got one from the first shipment to Portland! That was Feb 4 2008 and 8,958 miles and countless smiles later I love him more each day.

The best thing I ever did to my smart was swatch my panels from silver to red. That really brought his personality to life and changed his name from lil monster to zippy.

I love going to smart events and meeting other smarties. I've been to 4 and have re-met some at all 4! Anyway, I love the club idea and the local get togethers and the weekend trips. It's a blast.

I like meeting new people and I'm happy to know everybody here! (blushing for being so corny, now)

Cheers! More, sister-smarts, more stories!

[voitureintelligent]

Another smartie sister here - though I am, perhaps, the youngest of us?

Stephanie, 22 years old. I've had my smart since July, though I'd wanted one for six years leading up to it. I went to Italy with my father the summer after my freshman year of high school, and I first laid eyes on a smart car there. I swore to my father then and there that I would get one.

The details from then to now are fuzzy, but every time I went back to Europe, I wanted a smart more and more. And then, on and then I found out that they were available in the United States. When I found this out, I was driving our third family car (the other two were for each of my parents), but my brother, 18 months younger than I, had started rumblings about wanting a car. So the fortuitous deal was struck with my parents that I would reserve a smart and my brother would get the family car.

But then. The DDE showed up and was going to take forever. So I started calling around for an orphan. And the third dealership I called, in Englewood, NJ, had an orphan on the lot in the exact colours I wanted. And lo, it was mine.

It is my pride and joy and I could not be happier with it. Between July and now, I've put almost 4000 miles on it already. It's good to hear that there are other smart females who love their smarts as much as I love mine! Hi to all, again!

[hijinx54]

My name is Michelle and I am from Lansdowne, PA., a suburb of Philadelphia. I adopted my little convertable orphan on Aug. 6th. (I call her The Waif) I had put in my reservation on June 17th. I look for excuses to go out every day. The only time the top is up is when it is raining. I love my car and I love this forum. Thank you all.

[danag]

Well I'm going to post even if my smart isn't here yet, but expecting it sometime around February I'm guessing.

My name is Dana and I'm 51, at least for another month. I live in the San Francisco Bay Area and the first time I saw a smart was when I took my kids to the see the movie, The Pink Panther. Hated the movie, but loved when Steve Martin drove into the scene driving a smart car and parked it. I fell in love right there and then. When they finally came to the US I fell in love all over again, and knew I had to have one. I drive a big SUV that gets horrible mpg and when the price of gas was really high over the summer I knew I needed to just park my SUV and start driving a small economy car. This was my chance to get a smart.

I put my 99.00 down and now I'm trying to be patient. It really hasn't been bad since I only started this whole process in July. I've been offered several orphans, but they were the wrong color or just way more options on them than I wanted. My husband keeps asking me if I'm sure I really want to do this since we still have kids at home. He still thinks we should buy a Honda civic since it seats four to five people. Most of the time while I'm driving it's just me and my son since my daughter, who lives at home and is a college student has her own car. I figure when I need to carpool with some of the other moms once a week I can always drive my SUV.

The Bottom line for me is... I am not rational or practical when it comes to getting a smart car; I just have to have one. I even got my friend hooked who is also on this board and is eagerly awaiting the arrival of her smart now too.

Love reading every one's story.

[Piccola]

Hi sister smarts! I am Kathie (the 2nd one to post with that spelling ). I'm 56 and live in Sonoma County (north of San Francisco). I, too, fell in love in 2001 while in Italy. I annoyed everyone with us with promises that I was taking a car home in my suitcase - each and everytime I saw one . I almost drove myself crazy - but I was in love with a car for the first time. I've been fortunate enough to have returned to Italy two more times, and the love for this "la macchina piccola" continued. I HAD to have one.

I went through the frustrating experience with the ZAP dealer trying to get a car in 2004 (and 2005, 2006), but alas, ZAP and the state of California couldn't agree on emissions, computer stuff, etc. - so no cars. That's when our little smarts announced they were coming to the U.S.! I was on the list in a heartbeat and picked up my car Feb 08. It was my retirement gift (yep - I jumped ship early) to me! I've got 4,000 miles on it and enjoy every minute. Although it was an adjustment from the standard car driven here in the U.S., I wouldn't trade it for the world. (But, I have to admit, I still miss a clutch.)

And I just love telling people about this car! I am an unpaid Public Relations person for Mbz and smartUSA!! I can talk forever on the car. My "spousal equivalent" hates all the attention people pay to the car. I think it's cute. He's very patient though when there is a crowd of people standing around the car and asking questions - teee heee. smarts are pretty rare up here in our neck of the woods - maybe 6-8 of them so far! And so many people commute to San Francisco!! They don't know what they're missing.

Suze - love that you had this idea for us girls! Can't wait to read all the stories from other 'sisters'. Hip-hip-hoorah for us - and our little smarts!

[doenut]

Hi! I'm Janet. I'm 62 years old, have four teenage grandchildren with a fifth on the way at the end of February.

Like many people, I fell in love with the smart when I first saw them in June of 2007 in Europe during a month-long trip. I took so many pictures of them in Germany that the friends we were staying with there suggested we see if there were any plans for them to be brought to the US. I can't begin to tell you how happy I was when I heard they were bringing them here! Rome is LOADED with little smarts, and I was in heaven! We got home on June 23rd, and I placed my reservation on June 25th. Picked up my little Poppy on June 20th and I've never looked back. She's wonderful, incredible, beautiful, (ummm, running out of superlatives!). I am absolutely obsessed, and thanks, Suze, for getting this thread started. Great idea!

[Nicholas]

Hello all! I'm Linda (Nicholas's wife), 52 years too old and we are "empty-nesters" now with my first grandchild born at the end of September (boy) and another due in the middle of January (girl). Now if they just lived a little closer then I could spoil them so easily!
My husband did all the research on the smart, put the deposit on it and then when it finally arrived, he "lost" it to me. I had the car only five days with 385 miles on it when he was filling it up the first time after dropping me off at work. He was approached and was offered $25,000 cash (and it was a serious offer) right there while at the gasoline pump. The lady was from Munich, Germany and was driving an older Mercedes and wanted the car without waitting her turn or trying for an orphan. She knew the price of the Zap units and was willing to pay that price. My husband called me at work right then as that she was wanting an answer.
My answer was that I had fallen in love with my smart Passion and I didn't want to wait possibly another thirteen to fifteen months. This was the vehicle that I picked out the color options, accessories, etc. on and it was exactlly what I wanted and had waited for. My husband tried to persuade me to sell it, pointing out that we could of made apporximately $6,000.00 profit but I asked him if he liked where he was presently sleeping at...end of conversation. To this day, I've not been sorry and yes, I understand that some would say, "It's only a car?" but over the years I've had probably more then my fair share of cars (from Cadallics to Suburbans). To this day, I really enjoy my "Weeblemobile" (from the Weebles wobble but they won't fall down, for those old enough to remember those times) and still get way too many questions and comments.

[GeenasMom]

and I'm 56 ... got my little Smarty in March of 08, and have wanted one for at least 3 years. Was going down the QEW in Canada a few years back and a little car flew by us ... was in love ever since.
I have 9 grandbabies, 6 girls and 3 boys. The youngest born in 07 and the oldest born in 95. So guess that officially makes me old.
Absolutely love to see people's reaction to her ... and Smarty is indeed a girl! I find it interesting that if my husband is with me, people ask him about her, and not me. Guess they assume he knows more.
I've got over 7000 miles on her already. We've taken her just about everywhere. And I wouldn't trade her for the world.