Ferrari Mailing List: Re: Not So "Smart" Car (was Tulsa Event)

[Tom Reynolds (kjtar]

What are the statistics?  Most (80 to 90% of all trips are within 25 miles
of home?  Something like that.) So, for most trips, the Smartfortwo or a
similar vehicle would make sense.  And, don't hold your breath, but there
will be  more "similar vehicles."  I don't have to tell you about supply and
demand (whether you believe the things the oil companies are telling you or
not) and gas prices and OPEC, the world situation, etc. Gas prices are going
to go up. Gas is a non renewable resource.  Gee, both big surprises, huh?
So, whether you're going to live long enough to see the change coming, it
will come.  We will have to adapt, whether we like it or not.  A small,
economical, eco friendly personal transportation device, is in your, or your
children's, or certainly in your grandchildren's future.
The Smartfortwo (for the U.S.) is only one of the first steps.  Yeah, it's
the smallest vehicle, but like Britt said (thank you for seeing the
dichotomy of the safety argument, Britt) it makes sense, and most of the
time people will be using such a vehicle to go to and from their work.  No
high speed, just maybe a bit less congestion, a lot easier to park, easier
on the billfold, the environment, the petrol supplies, etc. And there will
be hybrids coming (if the U.S. can open their minds instead of sticking like
dinosaurs to "this is the way we've done it, we like it, so leave us the
f*** alone..." mentality) which will be even easier on our personal economy,
the environment, etc. etc.
No one, least of all me, is proposing the Smartfortwo or the like should be
anyone's "fun" car or daily driver if you drive on highways or expressways
or Interstates where the traffic flow is going at a high(er) speed than
you'd be comfortable with in a "small" car.  Unless you drive a Fiat 850 or
TR3, TR4, TR6, TR7, MGB, Alfa, oh, do I really need to go on...and are
comfortable in those situations with that car, then you could feel
comfortable in the Smartfortwo. Hell, if a box truck is going to do me in,
well, we all have to go sometime.  Shit, I better not go out and ride my
bike 50 miles because some yahoo in a land yacht Queen Mary might be talking
on her cell phone or looking at the nav system and run over me like a
steamroller over a squirrel.  Such is life, and death.  And, I'm not
planning on buying a Smartfortwo or any such, at least not now, but I think
it would be interesting to drive and maybe "down the road" it would be a
viable alternative for the lifestyle Karen and I end up living.
Best regards to all, and let's all drive smart. Friendly. Aware. Whatever.
Tom Reynolds
Tulsa, OK
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "ken rentiers" <rentiers [at] mac.com>
To: "Tom Reynolds" <kjtar [at] cox.net>
Cc: <ferrari [at] ferrarilist.com>
Sent: Saturday, October 13, 2007 8:24 PM
Subject: Re: [Ferrari] Not So "Smart" Car (was Tulsa Event)


>
> On Oct 13, 2007, at 7:56 PM, Britt wrote:
>
> >> In many large cities over here the Smart works great, traffic
> >> speeds are
> >> low, the congestion charges are lower as are the road taxes and
> >> unlike
> >> motorcycles/mopeds/bicycles ect you have a roof over your head for
> >> all the
> >> crap
> >> weather. They turn on a dime and can park nose in to the crub legally
> >> (like a
> >> motorbike).
>
> All well. but why would you then advocate the same vehicle in an
> environment where traffic speeds are high ( like 70 - 80 mph on the
> freeways). there are no congestion charges or road taxes and no nose-
> in parking is permitted. Fwiw I think an F350  dualie would be a Dumb
> vehicle to drive in inner London or Paris but it makes perfect sense
> here for many folks.
>
> I can imagine the horror of the effete French if Ford pickups were
> introduced, don't be too hard on us for recoiling when we see a
> Smart. Our roads have already been infested with the mobile chicanes
> known as a "Prius".
>
> What the world needs now is a decently priced flux capacitor.
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