In Los Angeles, drivers have this habit of either not signaling when they want to switch lanes or signaling as they switch lanes, never mind if you back off and give them room or not. You just have to be on constant guard so that you don't get sideswiped.
I've gotten used to dealing with this in normal-size cars but when it's in our 2008 Smart Fortwo it's a terrifying experience. The front and rear ends are so close to where I'm sitting that I feel like these crazy drivers are going to take me out as they come across the front of me or come up behind me at fast speeds. I honk my horn to say "Please don't hit me" but it sounds so ridiculous that people just laugh.
However, I have found that this size is also handy for moving through slow-moving traffic. I just downshift and squirt in between cars as soon as I clear them, which takes no time at all. This morning I danced around a distracted G35 and shamefully slow Cayman. Ha! OH and I was able to make a three-point turn in my small one-car driveway so I could merge onto my street nose first.
Caroline Pardilla, Deputy Managing Editor @ 10,844 miles
wobbly_ears says:
11:24 AM, 11/11/08
Sigh, Houston drivers are also quite bad about turning on their signals. Most of the hicks on pickups here think they're on a Nascar track.
I moved from Midwest where driving was a lot more civilized. Here on Houston's streets it seems that no one taught them how to use the turn signals or the concept of 'safety zone' around their cars. No wonder Houston has the highest auto insurance rates.
I blame the drivers license test here. It is too easy to get, you're not tested thoroughly. Out there in Europe, the tests are really hard & you have to prove every couple of years that you're a competent driver.
Make the driver's license test be a real test of competence.
pengwin says:
12:24 PM, 11/11/08
the neighbors probably thought you were going crazy. Doing a 3 point turn in your driveway.
pat1usmc says:
12:43 PM, 11/11/08
We still haven't found out what the $200 "oil change" covered.
fadetoblackii says:
01:10 PM, 11/11/08
Reminds me of the time I parked my dad's 1990 Geo Metro sideways in the driveway when I was in highschool just for the fun of it. Of course, the tradeoff was having to watch people carry it around during lunch break if I forgot to set the parking brake and leave it in gear. Come to think of it, that'd probably be pretty easy in the Smart....
Any chance of getting a picture of the entire Edmunds editorial staff holding the Smart about 4 or 2 inches off the ground?
joefrompa says:
01:39 PM, 11/11/08
Time to install a serious aftermarket horn? Might be fun :)
Joe
brn says:
03:53 PM, 11/11/08
fadetoblackii, that was your car that we used to haul around?
We did have fun moving little cars across the street. It'd completely confuse the owner.
You kids today should do that! ;)
carfreak8394 says:
06:42 PM, 11/11/08
All the kids at my school have cars that aren't worth moving. :P
lvmanbag says:
07:53 PM, 11/11/08
I drove one of these cars for a few days and I never felt less safe because of its size. What worried me was turning fast around a corner. You can't feel the tail coming out because you're sitting right on it.
On the other hand Parking one of these is a dream.