IAMSMART

Photo by Helen

I was smart for a year and half. My footprint was friendly to the environment. People used to smile at me, giggle, and coo.

I owned a smart car. At the risk of being politically incorrect, I admit to liking cars. From the first time I saw a smart in Lisbon in 2004 I wanted one. I put my name on the waiting list for a Canadian smart, and received it in December 2005. It was a joy to drive. It handled better in the Canadian winter than my four-wheel drive SUV. In the summer with the big windows and the sunroof open, it was like driving in a convertible.

It got great gas mileage; I could fill up on pocket change and drive for the entire week in the city. I think I ended up with more gas in the tank after a highway drive than when I started. We took it to Sault Ste Marie at Thanksgiving. It was a lot of fun, especially drafting behind the big rigs.

I bought a lot of aftermarket accessories. A vanity plate, an armrest, fancy pedals, cruise control, an onboard trip odometer/computer that kept better track of mileage, even a way to boost the engine to make go a little bit faster. And my most favourite accessory – a vehicle wrap.

I joined a couple of websites run by smart aficioniados. I attended smart car rallies. I took pictures of my car. Strangers took pictures of my car. The side windows were continually smudged with handprints from people trying to get a look inside.

I loved my little car.

Then I stopped loving it with all my heart. I still loved driving it. I still loved being able to find parking easily. I still loved pulling up at the pumps.

But it wasn't practical. If I had a travelling companion I had to be aware of how much space our shopping would need as there was only so much room in the trunk. If I had more than one person, I had to use the other car. Servicing cost more than I thought it would – it was a Mercedes brand after all.

And the gas mileage was good, but it wasn't that great. Studies showed that a Honda Fit or a Toyota Tercel would get about the same mileage in a much more practical form.

I also had another car, and I had to make the hard decision. My garage had enough space for two cars, but in order to get the smart out, I had to move the other car first. I was moving small furniture pieces, artwork and other household items around for my job, and used the big car more often.

My smart now lives in Ottawa with a new family - Ottawa needs more smarts. I loved my time with my smart. I think about it when I look for parking downtown, and I coo at other smarts.

I'm glad I was smart. I kept the plate.