Slog
News & ArtsThursday, August 20, 2009
City Your Daily Poll Dance: Seattle Gratitude Edition
Posted by David Schmader on Thu, Aug 20, 2009 at 11:55 AM
The other day on Seattle's Capitol Hill, this car was home to this note:
How do you classify this note?
(Thank you, Slog tipper Brian.)
3
There should have been a third option- it makes us special which is why we are mocked.
(Ever notice how weird mock, and all it delineations, sound?)
(Ever notice how weird mock, and all it delineations, sound?)
7
What about "all of the above?"
I'm a nominal environmentalist, at best and at worst, but there's something anthropocentric about environmentalism--we're protecting the state of nature as we apprehend(ed) it. It can be friendly and sociable while being inherently smug; indeed, I don't see how it can be otherwise.
I'm a nominal environmentalist, at best and at worst, but there's something anthropocentric about environmentalism--we're protecting the state of nature as we apprehend(ed) it. It can be friendly and sociable while being inherently smug; indeed, I don't see how it can be otherwise.
12
Prius? Seriously? It sounds like one person who is trying to reduce their carbon footprint giving props to another person who is trying to reduce their carbon footprint. I don't read smugness at all.
15
why oh why can't smart car drivers park their cars correctly? it's supposed to be perpendicular to the curb. smart car drivers sure aren't.
16
Looks to me like the Prius person is flirting with the Smart Car person. I with them an environmentally friendly relationship. Only in Seattle..
18
#15, Wikipedia says parking in that manner is illegal in most US jurisdictions, but there isn't a cite.
19
@15: Really? Says who? I have never, ever heard this, and never seen a Smart car parked that way. Even the extra-small Smart car parking spots are designed for parallel parking.
20
WAHT A FAUAKCING ASHOLE RIGHTINGA THANK U LETTER FUCKING SMARMSTER HIPSTER BITCH FUCK HIM PROBLY SMELLS HIS FARTS L0LZ FUCK NICE PPL DOING NICE THNGS CUZ DEY LOOK DUMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM
23
I think it's nice, you guys are way too standoffish to live in a real city like Vancouver BC where being friendly is a requirement, not an option.
25
"Smart" cars get about the same mileage as any non-hybrid sedan. There's nothing particularly environmentally special about them.
26
Haters. If we don't encourage one another, who will? That assy attitude about mocking anything positive is what's fucked up about Seattle.
28
I agree that the "Love, A Blue Prius" pretty much says it all. If it were really just a friendly note, that person wouldn't have to flash his/her status badge as well.
30
I think it's kind of cute. Since it's written as one car addressing another, I don't see anything particularly smarmy in the 'blue Prius' bit. Twee as fuck, yes, but not so smarmy.
32
@25, you're not even close to correct. They don't get as good of mileage as a Prius, but they're much better than any non-hybrid sedan. 33/41 versus 22/31 for an Accord, for instance.
33
#19 the Smart cars were intended to be parked perpendicularly, because it's they're generally only as long as normal cars are wide. Notably, though, the practice was banned in Munich, Germany and according to a citeless factoid on Wikipedia it's illegal in most of the US (this would seem to be an unintended consequence of writing laws with only normal-sized cars in mind).
I wouldn't do it, though. Inevitably some jerks are going to park right up against your doors and make it impossible to get into your car. At least when that happens with a parallel park job, you can get in your car and Austin Powers your way out.
I wouldn't do it, though. Inevitably some jerks are going to park right up against your doors and make it impossible to get into your car. At least when that happens with a parallel park job, you can get in your car and Austin Powers your way out.
35
Or a Ford Focus: 24/35. I'd say that's pretty comparable, considering it doesn't make you look like some soccer-watching Euro-jackass.
36
I drive a two-seat convertible that's only a teensy bit bigger than a Smart Car, but do I ever get notes thanking me for being tiny? Harrumph.
37
@25 American/newer smarts aren't as fuel efficient as the older, diesel, models. My '05 is getting 56 mpg and costs about $20 to fill up.
38
@ 25:
Some folks think about clogged highways, and think it can be solved with smaller cars. But... cars in motion... spacing... folowing distance... a few feet of car length are negligible.
What short cars like the Smart solve is parking. Which is a big deal in Europe. Here? Yawn. Other than in very few cities.
Those of us who remember the olden days of economy cars (small, light... slow...) aren't so wowed by the Smart car's mpg. I could dig deeper for other econo cars, now that Japan is bringing them back to this market (things smaller and lighter than today's large Civics) but... bah.
@37,
that's apples and orangutans. Smart car diesels, they really wouldn't sell in this country. Most Americans are afraid of diesels. And a 3,000 lb. VW Golf/Jetta TDI with a damned huge trunk can easily knock on 50 mpg hwy.
Just this armchair auto engineer's opinion, the Smart has some aerodynamic issues, mostly height and frontal area. I'm not agin' em, but I'd say the best reasons to buy one are:
you like it and it's fun.
Or you live downtown.
If economic trends of the 90's/early 00's continued, SUV's would have gotten a little big bigger, big box stores would have gotten a little bit bigger, and SUV's would have Smart cars dangling from davits so that their immobile owners could drive into and through Wal-Mart.
Some folks think about clogged highways, and think it can be solved with smaller cars. But... cars in motion... spacing... folowing distance... a few feet of car length are negligible.
What short cars like the Smart solve is parking. Which is a big deal in Europe. Here? Yawn. Other than in very few cities.
Those of us who remember the olden days of economy cars (small, light... slow...) aren't so wowed by the Smart car's mpg. I could dig deeper for other econo cars, now that Japan is bringing them back to this market (things smaller and lighter than today's large Civics) but... bah.
@37,
that's apples and orangutans. Smart car diesels, they really wouldn't sell in this country. Most Americans are afraid of diesels. And a 3,000 lb. VW Golf/Jetta TDI with a damned huge trunk can easily knock on 50 mpg hwy.
Just this armchair auto engineer's opinion, the Smart has some aerodynamic issues, mostly height and frontal area. I'm not agin' em, but I'd say the best reasons to buy one are:
you like it and it's fun.
Or you live downtown.
If economic trends of the 90's/early 00's continued, SUV's would have gotten a little big bigger, big box stores would have gotten a little bit bigger, and SUV's would have Smart cars dangling from davits so that their immobile owners could drive into and through Wal-Mart.
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