A reader sent us some cameraphone photos and wrote:
I was in my apartment when I heard something that sounded like a 13-car pile up. After going outside I saw a crazy scene.more ›
A reader sent us some cameraphone photos and wrote:
I was in my apartment when I heard something that sounded like a 13-car pile up. After going outside I saw a crazy scene.more ›
We've been following the progress of the Smart Car's U.S. introduction for a while and last month it was reported that they would be making their way to NYC this month. Jalopnik took a ride in the first Smart Car and has photographs of the 8.8' by 5.1' car in some super scenic NYC spots.
In November, we wrote about famed realtor Barbara Corcoran advising home owners to ditch their lawns and gardens in favor of a concrete parking spot. Some homeowners really take this advice to heart and insist on wedging an extra parking space onto their property even when it's not very practical, or possible. Above is a cropped portion of a picture posted at Queens Crap. While this sidewalk-blocking parking job at 68th St. and Hull Ave. looks ridiculous at first glance, Queens Crapper points out that the owner also had to build a makeshift plank system under the front of the car to prevent the sedan from bottoming out on the steep grade. Perhaps a Smart Car would have been a better vehicle choice for this driveway.
Perhaps it's the high cost of fuel or the difficulty to find parking, but the arrival of the Smart car has some New Yorkers very excited. The compact car first made its debut in New York at the MoMA, but should be in showrooms in late January. Mercedes Benz parent company Daimler says that over 30,000 people have paid the $99 to reserve one of the $15,000 cars and The Post says many of the Smart cars are coming to NYC. One city resident even put the deposit down without driving the car, "I haven't even driven one, yet I am putting in a reservation. It's all somewhat irrational, but I had to have it."
The NY Times wonders why there are such big cars in the city, as many auto manufacturers are bring teeny tiny "city cars" to the International Auto Show, like the Renault Zoe. Apparently, the Times didn't get the memo that NYers will try to find ways to maximize their space, from getting mini-storage at a warehouse to mini-store on wheels in the form of an SUV. Plus, bigger is always better, ain't it? Anyway, Gothamist was amused by the failed introductions of smaller cars (like the Smart car) to the U.S.; again, when New Yorkers see their American brethren driving across country in their souped up SUVs, clearly there's a envy factor. So that's the illogical explanation as to why there are not only Hummers in the city, but also those ridiculous SUV limos carting the prom kids in town.