94 Replies to “Y2Kyoto: This Is Not Your Father’s Holstein Cow”

  2. On the other hand, if you get all drunk and flip your smart car while driving –you now have a handy excuse: somebody must’ve flipped my car man!
    Better watch out for gophers too, hitting one a 60 might just be enough to flip a smart car as well.

  3. You just had to know this was going to happen.
    I’m waiting for one to turn up in a hotel room or sitting on top of a beer joint.
    Halloween will be the kicker for these cars as I see them being targeted by the mob.
    Baw Wah

  5. It’s all for the best. You can shoulder check all you want and those things still get lost in your blind spot.

  6. back in the sixties and seventies hooligans did the same (or worse) to Minis. And in europe to the likes of 2CVs, topolinos and 500s.
    But the owners of Smart Cars want to be known as first adopters of everything.

  7. they should rename it the iCar ,to get some respect from the younger generation.
    I remember in highschool, some 40 years ago,helping to put minis between trees but never being destructive.

  8. I noticed while watching this (in person),that besides taking pics,there was quite a few comments directed towards the cops about why waste a tow truck when 2 or 3 bystanders could have righted the dinky toy? But then we figured if the putz could afford 40 grand to “look” green for a pile of batteries,he could afford that bill. Or his increase in insurance. (O/T…but speaking of insurance,anybody know how it compares on these dinky toys to everyday cars?)

  9. I remember a mini getting turned sideways in a parking spot so he couldn’t get out until one of the cars beside him pulled out. Funny prank, and not nearly as costly to the owner as tipping.

  10. it’s too bad for the owner of the self rghteous-mobile that our justice system doesn’t discourage crimes.

  12. So… ummm… are we encouraging vandalism here because we disagree with what we assume to be the owner’s reasons for driving a small car?
    Me and my Toyota Echo are just wondering.

  13. no, lickmuffin, nobody is encouraging vandalism. We are merely laughing at those unfortunate rubes who gut suckered in to buying a “smart car”. Funny how the rest of us “stupid car” drivers don’t have these problems, eh?

  14. Lickmuffin
    No one encourages vandalism. We just like mocking sanctimonious, holier-than-thou greentards with chips on their shoulders. These smartcar drivers are just the worst offenders.
    You don’t have to condone the idiot kids who tip cars to laugh at their victims.
    It may be mean. It may be wrong. It may feed into our more base instincts, but hell, it’s those kind of people so its funny 😉

  16. Hmmmm I’m thinking with enough velcro we could probably stick one on the second floor of the green party offices.
    My mistake, they don’t have offices, Lizzy will only speak on the mountains, and by the sea.

  17. Reminds me of high school when four stout lads picked up a teacher’s Civic (the CVCC model, it was the 70s) and placed it perpendicularly between two portables. It was lots of fun until the principal (a gnarly old Irish priest) press-ganged a group of volunteers to right the wrong.

  19. Fred, the “dumb-ass” Smart car does not have a brain nor an ass. I may be going out on a limb here but I think that accident reflects driver(s) error.
    Just like a motorcycle/semi encounter, the laws of physics don’t change with the make of the bike.

  21. I’ve noticed an attitude in smart car owners. I suppose it’s to be expected, considering the name. I’ve seen a couple of them challenging oilfield trucks for space, on the highway. They always seem to be doing at least 120, no matter what the traffic condititions.
    Lickmuffing- I tend to be less courteous to anyone driving a foreign car. Not in a dangerous way, but less courteous. The way I see it, you’re contributing to the demise of North America’s manufacturing capability, and that will result in the end of western culture. Why should I make a space for someone with no regard for my way of life?

  22. Did France have a car-bq season this year? I got a giggle from that one! I expected some sort of backlash from the general population after the treatment that the greenies have given SUV owners- (everything from vanadalism to personal attacks).

  23. Yeah human nature is to retaliate….
    Having one of these things to make a statement incites a counter statement….
    Smart car tipping…..logical….
    Hybrids—-too heavy???

  24. This is nothing new! I was raised in the 60’s when the VW beetle became popular. We had a guy in our town whom everyone thought was retarted, however we found out later that the poor guy was deaf.
    His name was Robert. . He would grab the front bumper of the Veedub, and lift it. After that, he’s flex his biceps and say:: “Bobbert trong–Bobbert trong.” We used to turn the Veedubs around in the parking space, however we would never have damged the car!!
    Suggestion: Go to Peavy Mart–look into the new electric fencing transformers that work on the same principle as a Tazer. With remote controls, you could zap those little bastards pretty good!! Once the word is out ont he street that Smart Cars can cause cardiac arrest, the crime may cease.

  25. I used to milk Holstein cows, to make a proper comparison the smart car should be moving at a brisk pace! There’s nothing like trying to work with a stubborn Holstein cow – I still maintain that if I don’t make it into heaven it’ll be because of those *$#*! cows!

  26. These incidents are going to cause insurance premiums for Smart cars to rise significantly, thus driving up the already relatively ridiculous cost of ownership even further, further negating the unspectacular fuel-efficiency benefit of the de-facto New Urkelmobile.
    Do understand that repair costs for body damage to small cars is significantly higher than the cost of fixing body damage on big cars and on trucks, as, given the exact same collision or other kind of impact, you’ve frequently got a greater number of different body panels being damaged on a smaller car, thus raising the overall cost of the job.
    Example: Rear-end collision. A Ford Ranger will probably just need a new rear bumper, whereas a Smart will need a new bumper and a new hatchback as well. Imagine the cost difference!

  27. Sentinel, aren’t collision Smarts an automatic write off anyway? Looks like a method of getting a new vehicle every 1 1/2 year.

  28. It’s really too bad that the people who vandalized that gentleman’s
    property aren’t now dieing a slow and agonizing death because of it.

  29. Poor babies.
    Given that the Smart Car is really a raised middle finger to the rest of us, it should come as NO SURPRISE to them that people give them the finger back.
    That’s right, Smartcar owners. We don’t like you. You’re a bunch of stuck up greenie pencil necks, and you should get used to having your watermellon mobiles tipped over, scratched, tailgated and cut off. That’s what you get for being communists bent on destroying Canada.

  30. Automatic writeoff, Aaron? In many cases, I’d say yes. Still, if they’re relatively new, that’s a lot more expensive than simply replacing a pickup truck’s rear bumper, maybe the tailgate too, for example.
    Wouldn’t want to buy one and find out that the annual insurance prem. is, say, five grand…

  31. I would be happy to drive one of those cars, if every other vehicle on the road was the same size. As long as that is not the case, they are NOT-SO-SMART cars.

  32. Hybrids probably are too heavy- all those batteries. That’ll be the next complaint- too much wear and tear on the roads.

  33. I make one exception to the dork rule of Smartcar ownership: Engine swap.
    Anybody who chucks out the mickey mouse watch motor and shoehorns in anything with 200+ horsepower is a hero and automatically cool. Suzuki Hayabusa engined Diablo is definitely cool.
    Anyone who manages to swap in a V8 is a god of automotive fabrication, a veritable Hephaestus among gear heads. I have yet to see this done, its a Mt Everest waiting to be summited.
    Gentlemen, start your welders.

  34. I don’t buy the “social commentary” as a reason for this. It’s more likely stupid drunk people just wanting to try it because it’s lighter in weight than most cars.
    I have one, it’s a pet. If I caught someone trying to tip it, they’d need medical attention, right away.

  35. “I have one, it’s a pet.
    Posted by: Kyla at August 17, 2009 1:36 PM ”
    A PET????????? Oh wait. Pismire Eglitarian Turdeau. Now I get it!

  36. If I caught someone trying to tip it, they’d need medical attention, right away.
    I doubt, Kyla. If that was really ‘someone‘ then you will probably be the one, needing medical attention.

  37. Can you make a Smart Car into a dune buggy like a VW?
    Perhaps every prairie farmer should be issued one… perfect for going down to the mailbox and picking up the CWB cheque (if the wind isn’t blowing).

  38. Vit- No car is worth a person’s life. Do yourself a big favour, and don’t raise it to that level.

  39. Funny how all you assholes want property rights enshined in the constitution but are willing to laugh at someone’s property being vandalized. Ever wonder why we Conservatives never get a majority? Look no futher than the dimwits on this blog!

  40. The moniker for these cars as well as prius’ et al., is “smugmobile.” LOL. Like others commenting here, I strongly disapprove of vandalism yet find the unsmarts in disarray quite funny.
    My Dad and uncles used to place an in-law uncle’s VW in varying compromised positions back in the ’60s. They would never damage it. I also remember the early Hondas in San Francisco that were about the size of a shopping cart except much closer to the ground. I recall driving into my parking garage in a gorgeous DeVille next to a little, yellow car so small it didn’t seem real. I bent over at the waist to look inside only to realize a full-size man was shoe-horned inside. His pride was wounded as I remained to watch the contortionist moves it took for him to get out. It was quite undignified, and he should have been ashamed.
    If either of my cars are involved in an accident, there’s no doubt I’ll walk away unscathed, even the sports car. And, any attempted resiting will result in nothing more than a hernia. The cars will remain where I parked them.

  41. I’ve driven a Smart and enjoyed one. I’m thinking of grabbing one as a small commuter car. They’re peppy enough, handle well, ride well, and work for one person who doesn’t need to carry much to and from work.
    It’s not about making a statement, it’s about owning a vehicle that is practical enough for my needs yet still fun to use. (Think of the Smart as a sort of enclosed scooter.) I have no plans to give up my 1 tonne truck and camper to start worshipping Gaia just yet, thanks, even if I do find the Smart appealing.
    All this being said, I’m a bit surprised that people here find this funny. I thought we all valued property rights and respect for other people’s property?
    Kate’s Yammerhammer is easier to tip than a Smart — should we be cheering that, too?

  42. You’re allowed, Kyla. Your neck is larger than a pencil.
    But get a Yaris, eh? Smart Cars have negative coolosity quotient. They can suck the cool out of anything they park next to, just like a frickin’ minivan. In fact, I’ve heard that if you park a Smart Car next to a minivan it creates a coolosity vortex, kind of a black hole of cool. People nearby start wearing Birkenstocks with wool socks! [shudder]
    Or like I said, fire up the welder and stick a decent motor in there. Swap in a Subaru, you could probably get a wheelie out of it.
    Because that’s what’s most important in life, Kyla. Wheelies. ~:D

  43. Motorcycles require support or momentum to remain upright. Cars typically have four wheels on the ground so do not. That’s the joke, Sean. Suspect your pickup is a Tundra.

  44. It’s just funny that one can flip a car.
    We laugh at funny things. It’s better than pretending we are tolerant and PC. Amen.
    Sean, the smaller the vehicle the higher is probability of fatal accident, specially considering that, like dp rightly noticed, that they seem to be going above speed of the flow. I noticed that too.

  46. A bunch of us turned a Smart car sideways between two minivans but we knew the owners. When I was in public school we lifted a teacher’s VW over a residential fence onto the lawn. The homeowner noticed but thought it was funny. We hid until we saw the expression on the teacher’s face then we lifted it back over the fence. You can have fun without being malicious. By the way Smart cars are heavy and they are hard to lift without ripping something off.

  47. speedy said: “A bunch of us turned a Smart car sideways between two minivans…”
    That’s a public service, speedy. You had to break up the anti-cool black hole before it wiped out the whole city.

  48. > Sean, the smaller the vehicle the
    > higher is probability of fatal accident
    No, really? That would be why I no longer drive a motorcycle here in “deer country”. Damned oversized rats are everywhere.
    The Smarts (besides being badly named) are really more of an enclosed quad than a full vehicle. Extra safety precautions apply when operating one. Anyone who can’t get that through their noggin shouldn’t be driving.
    > specially considering that, like dp
    > rightly noticed, that they seem to be
    > going above speed of the flow. I
    > noticed that too.
    I notice that most of the oversized-pickup truck driving oilpatch workers in my area are incapable of driving under 140 kph no matter what the road conditions or visibility are. Does this mean I can start taking an icepick to their $1000+ apiece oversized tires to express my displeasure?

  49. One can never condone vandalism. And I would not presume to do so now.
    But who among us has not had the urge to invert one of these ridiculous “cars”, and is not strong enough to?
    I tell you, the temptation to abuse these things is just about irresistible, particularly as one imagines the smug, I’m-saving-the-world attitude held by their owners — and the shock on their faces when they see the thing being pushed over by weaklings, and realize how stupid their Smart Car actually is.

  50. Sean, you seem to be filled with righteous indignation on behalf of someone who has more than enough of it themselves. Read the article, the owner of the car was whinging enough without your help.
    Just because a couple of drunken idiots (and believe me, they’re EVERYWHERE on Whyte after dark) decided to do some urban cow-tipping doesnt mean you need to be up in arms over it. Laugh at little, be glad it wasnt you, and accept that if someone is going to drive a car small enough that a group of people can pick it up and is silly enough to park it near a bar, eventually something is going to happen to it.
    Fun car-placement story: I have no idea what kind of car my professor in Italy drove, but whenever she parked within the gates of the residence, she was guaranteed to have to add a new rule to the list of car placement rules. The year that I was there we added “No setting cars on top of tables” (took 6 people to do this one, took 8 or so of us to photograph it, it was a miracle we didnt destroy the picnic table) and “No parking the car in the kitchen” (we protested this rule cause technically, the car remained in park the entire distance it travelled in the dorms, again 6 people to move it, 8 to photograph it).
    Good times, good times.

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