Friday, November 18, 2011
How to Park Half a Car
It was a busy Friday night in Sevilla. Lots of people. Lots of cars competing for very few spaces. Smart Cars are ideally designed for these streets. They look to me like half a car and, since many of our streets are the width of half a normal street, and the parking spaces that result are about the same, Smart Car owners have a distinct advantage. As we passed the Plaza de San Lorenzo tonight on our way to dinner at the Alameda de Hercules, we got a new lesson in parking Sevillano style. The spot was too small even for a Smart Car, so the driver was creative.
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Love this - that is one tiny little car!
ReplyDeleteCarole:
ReplyDeleteThey're common here. A rare sighting in NY. (And they fit perfectly in your shoulder bag.)
It won't be long before you'll be thinking of Sevilla streets as "normal" streets, and those California monstrosities within whose intersections you could build an apartment block as abnormal.
ReplyDeleteThese demi-cars are becoming quite popular here too. One is owned by people just a couple of doors down the road. As a non-driver I can't speak for their efficiency or otherwise, but after getting used to their sight they look aesthetically quite pleasing and even environmentally friendlier, though the latter is only based on the crude assessment 'the smaller the better' and may be not true. But it does look like it could be pointing to the future.
ReplyDeleteThis one is a 'Smart' parker! We see them all over the place in Amsterdam. We even have them as electric taxi's, so when you're taller then most people you have to warn the taxi-company to send a larger car.
ReplyDeleteHello Mitch:
ReplyDeleteWe have seen this on occasion in Budapest where the parking always presents a difficulty. It is a somewhat ingenious solution to an immediate problem.
We do hope that the dinner was good.
Walt:
ReplyDeleteHonestly, it's already happening. We head back to NY soon for a week. It will be interesting to see how it feels.
Raybeard:
ReplyDeleteI do love the look of the Smart cars. There's even one in my mother's neighborhood in NY, which could be picked up and stowed in the trunk of just about any other car on the street.
Peter:
ReplyDeleteI've never been in one and don't know if I'd fit!
J&L:
ReplyDeleteDinner was, as usual, very good. And we were greeted by "our waiter" with Spanish kisses as he said "Welcome home."
That is brilliant!!!
ReplyDeleteAnd it's so something I would do.
Bob:
ReplyDeleteJerry has been described as someone who "likes curbs" when he parks, but he's never taken it this far.
Certainly advantages to having one! I always think that they would be useless in an accident.....no protection at all....unless they are made of forged steel! lol
ReplyDeleteJim:
ReplyDeleteI've read that they're rated really well for safety. But, it beats me how!
@Jim AWOOGAH - NERD MOMENT: you can crash a Smart car into solid concrete at 70mph and the passenger cell will remain intact. Unfortunately, both passengers will have died from deceleration injuries because while it is as strong as a Mrs Beeton's baked suet crust, there just ain't no crumple zones. When a Smart stops, it stops (and your heart, lungs, liver and kidneys carry on with inertia). End of nerd moment (I was a car freak as a kid - stuff sticks)! That said, if they carried just a twitch more luggage and leg room, I'd love one...
ReplyDeleteThe Owl Wood:
ReplyDeleteI love your comment and your nerd moment. I did wonder at the thought that there's no place in a Smart Car for a crumple zone.
My Mom has a little Noddy car. Really zippy and easy to park.
ReplyDeleteNubian:
ReplyDeleteI had to google to see what a noddy car was. Now I'm picturing your mother driving around in a bright yellow and red plastic car!