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I can't picture Tom Menino
I can't picture Tom Menino getting out of high school.
Nice symbolism but a waste
Nice symbolism but a waste of taxpayer money. 11k is a lot of money for such a small car which will probably be expensive to maintain. After the novelty wore off, city employees would probably shun a Smart car for something that will carry more equipment or people. A Chevrolet Aveo cost less to buy, own, and maintain, especially with the discounts and various grants that cities get, carries four passengers plus room for cargo and gets almost as good fuel economy.
"probably be expensive to
"probably be expensive to maintain"-- based on what? Nearly a decade later, urban europeans haven't shunned the smart car, and they have even more options than us in the small car department. I've gotten Aveos as rental cars-they feel blocky, have horrible steering and response, and are just another bloated american piece of plastic. And please don't try to sell Chevys on reliability and quality construction--how long has it been since you've seen a corsica or a beretta on the road? Count how many 1990s nissans, hondas, bmws, subarus, saabs, volvos, etc., you see and then see how many ford and chevys you see from the same era.
Also, I'd say the typical city worker's "cargo" (of those that get cars and not trucks) is a clipboard and a laptop computer.
I don't like Chevrolets any
I don't like Chevrolets any more than the next person, but it does have the home-town advantage: big dealer support, lots of parts in the pipeline, and widespread familiarity with it's weaknesses, all of which add up to low cost of operation. And cities often have existing purchasing agreements with suppliers that are astonishing. For example, some of those Harley police motorcycles were leased for about $1000.00 a year and some of those Ford Crown Victoria Police Interceptors were bought for about $14,000 fully equipped with lights, radios, computers, internet connection, prisoner cage, and a trunk full of emergency equipment.
City vehicles often get called on for a variety of duties, and even a city inspector would occasionally have to bring along help, or additional equipment. If I were a city inspector, I'd bring everything needed to avoid a second trip, including a complete set of codes and regulations on paper, phones, radios, laptop and cameras to record the inspection, portable lights, tools, coveralls and boots for those dirty sites, and duplicates of everything so I don't have to make a second trip.
Disclaimer: I don't have any interest other than my taxes being wasted on the latest fad, in this case, Smart cars. Prius cars are another waste of taxpayer money. The cities could have bought two economy cars for the price of one of them.
Not New, Just New Here
Dealer support? Tell me oh ever-wise anon, where the hell do you think they are selling Smarts from? Who do you think makes these cars?
Answers: Mercedes Dealership on McGrath/O'Brien about 1 km from City Hall; Mercedes.
I don't think this has to do with Chevy or with fads - I think it has to do with your intrenched reactive behavior toward "imported" vehicles and anything new in the area.(many Toyotas are more American than the Aveo, btw)
And Aveos ...
Are made in Korea.
A harley for $1,000 a year?
Sounds like a dealer that wants something. Oh, and I sincerly doubt that a Crown Vic (or equivalent) can be had fully loaded in a police edition for $14,000 in 2008.
1984 maybe.
After 9-11, when Homeland
After 9-11, when Homeland Security was formed and started handing out grants left and right, many cities and towns got fully equipped FCVPIs for about $14,000. I won't quote a source for that.
never happened.
never happened.
how many years, or how many
how many years, or how many thousands was I off by?
about
5 or 6.
Harley police motorcycles
Harley police motorcycles have been leased to police department for low costs for a long time. At end of lease, they're sold to the public for almost as much as a brand new Road King. An Harley dealer will verify this. I think.
Long ago, Mercedes was a
Long ago, Mercedes was a good quality car, but for many years now, they've had poor reliability and quality. And their parts are expensive. All of which makes me think the Smart car will be an expensive one to own and maintain.
Pros and Cons
I agree that the cities should not buy these solely for the "green" element if they are paying full price for them, as you are right that municipalities tend to get an incredible deal on their cars through government purchasing programs and the smaller cars (provided they are part of the purchasing program) get just about as good gas mileage as the smart car. Basically, money shouldn't be wasted just for the look. However, the size of these cars may be of special value to a city, which can't be duplicated by even the smallest American car. For example, the City may see some utility in providing these to meter-maids who can fit one of these into any nook while they stop to give a ticket rather than double parking or driving around looking for a full size space. Certain police patrols might also benefit from them for the same reason. Just saying.
Here's my final attempt to
Here's my final attempt to show the Smart car is a poor choice for cities: it's, you guessed it, safety.
After the adventures of Boston and their firefighters and their disability claims, why would any city official put an employee into something like a Smart car.
I've seen the YouTube crash videos, and read the Smart car crash survivability reports, but after an accident with a Ford Excursion, it's be up to the lawyers and I'd bet on the lawyers.
Do you have any particular
Do you have any particular links to verify this? I have heard they actually handle pretty well for a small vehicle in collisons. Although I myself drive a medium sized sedan that can hold its own against an SUV due to side airbags and the like, but I cant imagine the Smart Cars being any more dangerous than a Civic.
Sorry, no source for my
Sorry, no source for my claim other than physics and the law of gross tonnage. I would expect an 8000+ pound Ford Excursion to do a lot of damage to a 1600 pound Smart car.
I know SUVs are exempted from many passenger car requirements and in collisions, SUVs and trucks suffer tremendous damage, but once the bumpers and sheet metal collapse to the engine block and frame, it's physics.
Upgrade your knowledge
The cross-bracing and structural shape of the tridium cell within every Smart car (along with additional safety features added to US models) lets physics do the work of spreading any impact throughout the entire frame. That's how the YouTube video works to show the high-speed impact with a cement wall...and then the doors still open and close. The cell doesn't distort, it just shares the energy of the collision with the entire frame.
Also, as I wrote below, the Excursion (your named SUV of choice, not mine) was even created with additional safety features for SUV-vs-small car collisions to help take away some of the energy and prevent the small vehicle from getting under the SUV. It was such a success that others like Volvo and Land Rover included similar features in their larger models.
Physics is actually on the side of the Smart Car, so your assumptions about pure weight and physics are incorrect.
No link from them
The "Tridium Cell" technology that they used to surround the passenger cage just got the 2008 IISB's highest ratings for front and side collisions (rear collision rating was one-step below highest).
In the meantime, the Ford Excursion hasn't been made for a few years, but this year's Explorer didn't receive the highest safety rating for side impact collisions. Also, in the case of the Excursion, Ford introduced the BlockerBeam in the undercarriage to help absorb the impact with a smaller vehicle and keep that vehicle from sliding underneath of the higher carriage of the Excursion. This was shown in independent testing to help save lives of smaller car occupants as part of a set of measures taken by makers of larger vehicles. So, between the Smart Fourtwo's own safety features (which are the best possible) and the measures taken by Ford to protect smaller cars in an impact, you're instinct about a collision with an Excursion is just wrong.
Some Links Would Help You Out
Smarts have been in use in Europe and Canada for some time - do you have special knowledge of the accident statistics? Or are you just assuming that your special powers of assumption outweigh actual test data and road data?
Don't know if you are the same Anon of the Cheap Harley and Crown Vic ... but same request. Put up.
ummm .... , too much work.
ummm .... , too much work. I'll shut up.
Symbolism
Symbolism goes further than this one car though. Right now, we're told to conserve energy and materials, but our leaders aren't setting much of an example in that area. Some of us have always done so regardless, because we respect the planet, but others figure that, "if the people in charge don't care about the planet, why would I?"
For each municipality that consumes responsibly, you're going to have other people who follow the example in some way or another.
Mayor of Cambridge in 2007
Ken Reeves Mayor of Cambridge in 2007 sitting in a Smart Car. I think its more realistic than seeing Menino on a bike, which we have seen already.
picasaweb.google.com...photo#5118826036358423938
I couldnt link it to the text, sorry about that.
Got that right
I never pictured Menino on a road bike, but then there it was..and it turned out he's a huge fan of biking! Crazy. I really never would have pictured it myself, so having seen that, I can't say it's so unbelievable to picture him getting out of a Smaht Cah (if Daimler didn't trademark this name for regional sales, I think they're totally missing out) either.
If he rolled up on a solar-powered racing bike, I could believe it at this point. The guy totally threw me for a big loop when I saw him on a bicycle.
I never pictured Menino on a
I never pictured Menino on a road bike, but then there it was..and it turned out he's a huge fan of biking! Crazy. I really never would have pictured it myself, so having seen that,
I know, it's like ... so amazing and shit that a fat, middle-aged guy can ride a bicycle. Right? I mean that is what you all are implying with these "I can't picture him in a small car" and "I can't picture him cycling" comments. Fat people can do a lot of things that would surprise most people.
Wrong guy
You picked the wrong guy to make an example of for "not picturing a fat middle-aged guy on a bike". I'm a fat, almost-middle-aged guy who putts around town on a Piaggio scooter. I also own a bike and use it sometimes. That still doesn't mean that I expected Mumbles the Mayor to actually want or enjoy biking around Boston. "Mayor" just doesn't scream "biker" to me. It's not even about his weight or age (as I said, I'm only a bit younger and equally as heavy if not heavier).
You also cut off the part where I said "having seen that, I don't think I can not picture him doing anything now". If you told me he hang-glided to work from Blue Hill, I'd believe it. The guy broke the stereotypical detached politician mold for me, regardless of his age or weight.
The blue suit
I think it's the blue suit. I could have imagined Menino on a bike, and I was fine with imagining it. But I hadn't imagined he would look so much like a Care Bear in that blue suit.
Perhaps it would help to imagine Menino in his blue suit getting out of the Smart.
Full racing leathers
Nah, if Menino gets out of a Smart Car, it's going to be in full racing leathers and a full face helmet (with mirrored visor of course). Now that I can picture. :)
Protective gear... a helmet...
It's Dukakis in a tank!
Well the thing is we see
Well the thing is we see these politicians so often that they become caricatures of themselves. Keeping in mind we only see them in suits most of the time, its not uncommon for people to do a double take when one of these guys wears khakis and a polo shirt because its so uncommon from the standard suit and tie thing.
Especially with people in Meninos age group who have been around for so long in the public eye, its almost like thinking about your father or grand father stepping out of a smart car, or just picking up a bicycle one day. My grandfather wouldnt do either, and I would be more shocked to see him fly by in a smart car than menino.
ad
there's a great ad for smart cars here:
http://www.ibelieveinadv.com/2008/07/smart-slim-poster/
those cars are coffins on
those cars are coffins on wheels
No car is safe so if you're
No car is safe so if you're gonna insist on driving around in a deathtrap, might as well do it in a car that would kill fewer people with its emissions and whatnot.
(bring up a stupid argument, get a stupid rebuttal.)