Absent with leave

If anyone has been taking attendance here in the Village Green , the blogger has been absent and will be out for a couple more weeks. We're in production mode at the moment, and the spring musical is all-consuming in its demands. Deadlines loom, etc.

Still love my smart car. The night manager at the Kenmore Akron came out to chat in the parking lot with me about, peppering me with questions. Then he came up as the cashier was toting up my bag of groceries and told the cashier all about the smart car in the lot. So she had to close up her register and follow me out to see it.

Everybody wants to know if it is safe. Yes very. And no, I am not afraid. I am a safe driver. No crashes since the age of 16 when I totaled my mom's Falcon. It wasn't some big smash up either. Somehow the brakes locked up as I went over a small hill and had to stop at a light. The car slid into one in front of me stopped at the light. That car didn't get a scratch but my mom's car crumpled right up. I had my brother and a group of inner city school children we'd taken to a picnic in a park. We'd been volunteering in the big city that summer. This was a culminating activity and I got us all in a wreck. Nobody was hurt except for me -- and only just a scratch on my cheek where it hit the steering wheel. It was a slo-mo kind of event, fortunately for all of us. It was a huge lesson and I've done my best to never crash again.

See you when the show is in shape and there's time to write again.

If someone smashes into you at high speed, it doesn't matter what you are driving -- the forces of physics will have their way with you and the hurtling metal.

Stimulating the economy with a smart purchase

Today I did my part by stimulating the economy with a purchase of a new smart car. The rep at the Smart Center in Bedford, OH said I would love driving the car and he was so right. I didn't want to stop driving it around today. I tested it in the city and the country, taking it out to Hinckley Park and Granger township to test the curves and hills on the narrow country roads.

The automated clutch takes a little bit of getting used to. I found that the lighter I was on the throttle in first to second, the better the shift. Yet out on the highway, I managed to zip up the entrance ramp and merge into traffic with no problem. Then I was going 65 before I knew it -- whoa! I could have easily gone faster if so inclined.

I took it to a few places in Montrose, checking out its parking capabilities. One should never pull a smart car all the way in to a parking place. Other drivers will attempt to pull in, because they don't see the rear of a car sticking out as they approach. A man and a woman came up to my window in the parking lot outside of Mustard Seed. Thought it might be an electric car. Nope, not yet -- a fleet of electric smarts are being tested in London this year. Maybe two or more years til they can be had here. The couple were totally struck by the car's uniqueness, and of course, cute-factor. The woman could not stop saying, "Oh how cute!" Like it's a pet or something.

Inside the showroom, the smart cars feel large and inviting. Outside, on the lot they almost look like toys compared to the rows of Mercedes in the lot next door. (in the beginning, Mercedes co-developed the smart with Swatch (watches) Group. The design elements are the result of forward thinking (ecologically and aesthetically) in approaching automotive design. Indeed the logo, a capital "C" (Compact) linked with an arrow (Forward Thinking) provides a visual manifesto, probably the shortest one ever written! The designation of an uncapitalized "smart" as brand name is playful and at the same time encourages us to be smart about everything that we make and use in our daily lives.

A smart car is exhibited in the Metropolitan museum of art. Smart enthusiasts wrap their plastic panels in skins and spray or hand-paint designs and images over the solid color plastic panels. The panels can be recycled into new panels for the smart cars of the future.

While some people view smart cars as design objects or fashion icons, I do think some smart owners have turned their cars into pets. They give them names such as "Bluebelle", "Mustard Seed" or "Bruiser" and assign them a gender. (Check out variously named vehicles at the Smart Car of America Forums, a place where the collective wisdom of smart enthusiasts is gathered and available for all.)

Today was a perfect Ohio all-kinds-of-weather-all-day-long day. I drove it off the lot into bone-chilling temps. So I reached for the seat heater button and felt immediate warming relief. Later, winds buffeted traffic on the expressway, but the smart stayed on course easily. After spending the evening with friends, I went out to depart to find snow and slush all over everything, including my new smart. I got in and headed up a slippery hill on one of Akron's delightful old red brick-paved streets. Not a slip or slide. "Grippy," I thought.

Naturally, by the end of day one, I was calling the car "Grippy" out loud, practicing my best Stephen Colbert imitation. I tried to avoid the issue of gender. Grippy is all black on the exterior, with a hot red with black interior design. I know when the panels are switched out to red against the black tridion, the car's name will change. And once the Kinks Preservation Society bumper sticker goes on, the car will gain a gender as well. Red and black and Preservation -- Here Comes Mr Flash!

And I swore I'd never name a car! Well, I'll never fork over the money for vanity plates. Because I have to save up for a navigating system. Gotta keep stimulating that economy, you know.

Pix to come soon. What you see above is a stock photo of a black Passion with black interior.

smart cars -- ecological from start to finish

Smart fortwo continues to exceed expectations in the US. From the Oakland Press:

In tough economy, smart USA exceeds sales goals

In a very tough year for carmakers, Bloomfield Hills-based smart USA exceeded its sales targets. For December, smart USA, which is a partnership between Daimler AG and Penske Automotive Group of Bloomfield Hills, recorded 2,341 sales. With year-to-date sales for 2008 at 24,622 units, smart USA surged past its sales objectives in its first year of business in the U.S. market. The total sales exceeded smart USA’s original projection of 20,000 units during what proved to be the auto industry’s worst year since 1992.

Daimler officials also said the smart for-two offers a combination of outstanding fuel efficiency, innovative safety features, environmental friendliness and excellent value.... There are currently 74 smart centers open in 35 states. Daimler also plans to show off an all-electric version of the smart car during the North American International Auto Show next week in Detroit.

For me, one of the main attractions of the smart fortwo is that from start to finish, the designers of this car made decisions in a thoughtful ecologically responsible way. The factory (nicknamed "Smartville" is in Hambach, France. In the book Smart -- small car, big deal (by Jurgen Zollter and Willi Diez, Motorbooks 2008), I found a description of the environmental planning that went into the development of the smart car facility:

All phases of the product life cycle, beginning with development of indivdiual smart comonents, through building the factory park in Hambach, to the product utilization and recycling phases, were and remian intergrated within a strict ecological concpet. The factory park in Hambah realized an unmatched moddel of ecological responsibility. All building are free of formaldehyde and hydrocarbons. The facades are clad in Trespa, a raw material derived largely from easily replensished European wood. Distinction is even made between drainage from gutterrs, and that from roads and parking lots, roof drainage is used in storage ponds for firegighting use. All other surface wateris directed through oil separators, treated in storage basins, and then re-utilized.

There's more!

A central biological water treatment plant, reflecting the highest state of the art, treats all sanitation and industrial waste water. The plant uses biological membranes and the Biosep process, a highly flexible recycling system first employed in France. The cleaned, treated waste water is used to irrigate the landscaped grounds, and for colling purposes in the production process.

Additionally, the factory's paint shop uses powder painting which means that no solvents are emitted, and no hazardous waste. The quality of the coating is very high and at the same time the process is entirely free of lead and and cadmium. Excess powder is captured and re-used.

More on Smartville's ecological manufacturing process tomorrow. Meanwhile, here's a video of smart cars on the assembly line.

Fragments from the past week

Another senseless murder happened in Akron this week on a corner I pass at least four times a day as I go to and from work. The corner of Manchester and Thornton is a sad gang-infested nucleus in a cell filled with poverty and decay. A used appliance shop and a check cashing business are the only attractions. I've purchased washers and driers from Hairston's and I once went into the check cashing "store" to buy a bag of ice for a class party. Inside were a few shelves scattered with dusty cans and boxes. The main focus of the business was on supplying booze and cash loans to the locals.



















There are some wonderful old homes along that stretch of Manchester, but many are boarded up and the rest have the air of rot about them. Who has the money to fix up a house when you are living on a paycheck that hasn't even arrived. Anything you could put aside for home repairs is going into the interest charged on your payday loan.

Lots of young men hang out on the corners of this intersection, no matter the season or weather. There seems to be no place else to go. Now on the chain link fence bordering Thornton, balloons and a teddy bear mark the spot of another life wasted in one of Akron's grimmest wastelands. The traffic light was recently replaced by four stop signs. I wondered why at first, but now I'm thinking it is probably safer to not be sitting at a red light for any length of time at this unhappy corner.

Speaking of the weather (and who doesn't in NE Ohio?), we've been enduring January-like temps and snow for weeks now. Saturday was one of those days I'd rather not be out driving, but since we had a show, there was nothing to do but bundle up and load the truck and head on out onto slick roads and incessant snow. Heading toward Montrose on 77, I was thrilled to see a red Smart forTwo car zooming past us all in the fast lane! March (my EDD - estimated delivery date) can't get here soon enough for me. This is not the car I saw on the highway -- it may have had winter tires, but not like these:






















Obie, the ever faithful Huskador retriever, has found a new lease on life or at least -- he is enjoying the new living arrangements I made for him to help ease his day to day life as a most senior canine. According to this source, a 15 year old canine is equivalent to a 90 year old human. So in order to help Obie get around, I've put non-skid throw rugs everywhere and moved down to the ground floor so he doesn't feel obligated to go up and down the steep stairs. I also got him a very thick foam cushion for sleeping and he likes to sink his elderly joints into it at night and for long naps. He is also on pain medication for his arthritis and still enjoys his meals and short trips outside.

Obie in his element:

An open letter to Ford Motor Company

Dear Ford Company,

I grew up in a Ford family. No, none of the adults worked for Ford, but they faithfully purchased Ford vehicles decade after decade. We grew up riding around in Ford trucks, station wagons and sedans, in Falcons, Fairlanes and Festivas. In the late 60s, we gave in to peer pressure for a time and got a VW microbus, which was really fun to ride around in. After the bus, my folks moved into the reliable and very economical VW Rabbit mode for many years, driving his and her models to work day in and day out. But eventually they went back to buying Fords. They always went for the modest models (Fiesta, Focus) -- no fancy stuff, just a good solid car that would last a good long time.

When it came time for me to buy my first vehicle, my folks recommended going to their dealership, Wadsworth Ford. There I found a barely used Ford Ranger, which seemed at the time to be the perfect vehicle for my life as a theatre teacher. I have not driven it to death, and it just made it over the 100K mark over a year ago. It has had all needed repairs and regular attention to all lubricating and other essential maintenance. The factory-installed battery lasted for 12 years! So Ford, your 1994 Ford Ranger was a good choice and a solid, relatively hassle-free choice.

Times change, though, and now you couldn't pay me to take on another Ford truck, or any kind of truck for that matter (for a look at 2009 truck & SUV fuel efficiency look here). My major hauling days are in the past. I'm looking to downsize my life and my global footprint.

What does Ford have to offer me now? The Ford Focus is the current economy class car, and it has the highest MPG of any current Ford. Yet it seats five and is too much car for my needs. And it is a low seating vehicle. The best thing about driving the Ranger has been being up with a good aerial view of the road ahead and behind me. There is nothing on the Ford Focus page that indicates any concerns with environmental issues, such as the recyclability of components and the choice of materials and processes used in manufacturing the vehicle.

And that is why, Ford Company, I am breaking with the family tradition and purchasing a Smart ForTwo car. Yesterday, I visited the Bedford Smart dealership and test drove a new 2009 Smartie. Like everybody else who's actually entered a Smart car, I was amazed at how roomy it feels inside, even with a car salesperson riding along with me in the passenger car. And although short, the Smart forTwo has a relatively high seating arrangement. I didn't feel like I was driving a toy or a golf cart. I quickly got the hang of the automatic clutch versus paddle clutch options. The salesperson, when asked, said that keeping it in the automatic mode would be the most fuel efficient way to drive.

With the Smart car, it was love at first sight on a computer screen. That was the size and shape most suited for me. Mostly, it is me and my duffel bag traveling to and from work, and any shopping I do seldom fills the passenger side seat in my truck. When I drove the Smart car yesterday, I knew it was true love! I wanted to be driving that car home yesterday, but alas, I'm waiting for it to be built in France and shipped to NJ and finally to Bedford, Ohio sometime between April and June of 2009.

Sorry, Ford -- you forgot to think about my g-g-generation, a group that has a growing segment of singular people driving to and from work every day in cars that are way too big for our needs. Other segments of society are also attracted to the Smart cars -- they are very affordable classy looking and safe riding vehicles suitable for the young single people and as well as for the married folks with separate jobs in different direction. Great for retired people driving around town. And a lot safer than driving a golf cart. Check out the tridion safety cell construction below.

Success promotes competition, but alas -- the only competition for the Smart car is coming from overseas, not from Detroit. We are talking about Toyoyta's IQ, which may be available in the US by 2010.

I'm not comfortable with bailing out the US auto industry. Certainly not with the same old mindset of continuing to design big powerful expensive road hogs. Upper management needs to be replaced. And I'm getting pretty tired of hearing about so-called $70 per hour union auto workers being the ones to blame.

Like "left" versus "right", perhaps it is time to retire "workers" vs "management." I'd like to see a movement toward worker-owned corporations, with all employees having a say in what is being produced and how it is being made. No more blaming the other side -- if everybody doesn't agree on what is to be made, then the company deserves to fall apart.

Saving auto jobs should only be considered essential IF we make sure that the jobs are centered on creating affordable, safe, and green vehicles. And along with that, how about planning things so that all US citizens have the right to complete health care, preferably single-payer? There has to be a better way of dealing with pensions and funds that get depleted due to the deadly dance of capitalist market deep falls and other global perils. We need to find new ways to provide for our senior citizens so that we don't end up warehousing them in giant abandoned shopping malls. (Some locals suggest that Rolling Acres be turned into a retirement center!)

The Smart's tridion safety cell construction:

Bailing on the US Auto Industry

I hear that Obama wants to bail out the US auto industry. I hope he's talking about the workers and not the corporate wrong decision makers. You know who I'm talking about -- the folks who brought us the gas-hog Hummers and the unsustainable SUVs. I call 'em wrong decision makers, but I'm sure that their corporate boards loved them for selling so many expensive cars for so long.

I've decided to bail on US cars. My Ford Ranger is 14 going on 15, and still runs well enough to get me through another winter. However, I knew I'd be facing another car purchase soon, so I began looking last spring. I wanted something green that I could afford. That led me to the Smart ForTwo car. I put down a $99 deposit on one last March, but the demand was so high for these nifty two-seaters that all the 2008 year models sold out long before my turn in line arrived.

Last Friday, I got my Configuration email from SmartUSA. This means that I got to go over my initial order, change any details and return it so that my car goes into production -- in Europe. Sometime between April and June, my little red Smart Car will arrive in Ohio! Wanna see what it will look like?

















I ordered the basic Pure version (basic price: $ 11,990.00) rather than the upscale models. After all, these are tough economic times and I really don't have any desire for a convertible. I like the idea of having a hard roof over my head and I certainly don't need a sun roof in order to tan while driving. I did configure in some additional features:

Heated seats		$ 220.00

smart radio (AM/FM, single CD; incl. 2 speakers, Aux input jack)		$ 350.00

Anti-theft alarm system		$ 160.00

Air conditioning with automatic temperature control (incl. dust, pollen filter)		$ 600.00

Destination charge:	$ 645.00
Total price[*]:	$ 13,965.00

It has a Mitsubishi engine and a Mercedes-designed super safe body, receiving top safety rankings for its pod-like design. And the gas useage? 33 city and 41 highway. It is the fourth most fuel efficient car in the US, but at half the price of a Prius.

Having driven a small truck for years, I am quite used to the small size of a truck cab. In fact, the Smart car will feel larger as I don't have any room behind the seats of my truck, just the flatbed of the truck that has been empty space I've been hauling around for over a decade. Every now and then, I might haul something in the back of the truck, but with the Smart Car, if I need to haul something big, I'll either have it delivered or rent a trailer. But mostly, I'm thinking that driving the Smart Car is yet another step toward downsizing my life. The less space available, the less I will be tempted to fill it with yet more unnecessary stuff.

Smart is planning on introducing an all electric model in 2010. I won't wait for that one, because at 35K only rich folks will be buying it. The Smart car remains the least expensive of the green cars available. It was designed with "green" in mind:

"The smart fortwo is produced at "smartville" in Hambach, France. System partners on site deliver the prefabricated modules directly to the production line. Protecting the environment, energy efficiency and preservation of natural resources are hallmarks of smart brand. It starts with smart development through to the production of the cars in smartville. For example, only water-soluble paints are used for the smart's three basic colors – black, white and red. Painting the tridion safety cell is done by the powder-coating process. This removes the need for solvents. The body panels with molded-in color are fully recyclable. Environmental Management is a high priority in Hambach. smart is dedicated to protecting the environment with future focused recycling and an environmental policy that makes a strong statement.

The smart fortwo is also classified as an Ultra-Low Emission Vehicle (ULEV) due to its extremely low exhaust emissions. The catalytic converter is positioned close to the engine for a quick response. An electric pump blows fresh air into the exhaust port when the engine is cold to almost completely oxidize the carbon monoxide (CO) and hydrocarbons (HC) and render them harmless."

It's just too bad that US automakers chose to ignore such things as the end of cheap petroleum and the effects of carbon burning gas guzzling SUVs on the environment. Instead, they trashed their electric models and chose to build bigger and flashier instead of smaller and greener. So bail out the workers, if you must bail out anybody. Give them the empty factories and a mandate to come up with an American smart car. But until that happens, I've committed to the made in France Smart ForTwo.

One guy started a blog about his Smart car. You can check it out here.

Fill-er up at 3.99 per gal

Most gas stations I drove past yesterday were at 3.86 and I was down to less than a quarter tank. I was going to stop and fill it before the Memorial Day weekend, but somehow found myself back at home before doing so.

So this morning on the way to school, the radio told me that gas prices in Akron would be jumping up up up this morning due to something I didn't quite catch. Sure enough, by the end of the work day, gas prices were at 3.99 in and around Kenmore. I did a double take at the Marathon right across from the X-way entrance at Wooster-Hawkins - 3.88.9 -- a bargain! I pulled in and filled the tank. Total cost -- $43.65.

A couple months ago, I put down a $99 deposit on a Smart ForTwo car, finally making their way to the USA. They've been all over Europe, developed by Daimler AG in 1998. I'm on a waiting list with some 40,000 ahead of me! They are well made, and affordable and will make a good transition vehicle until the next generation of environmentally conscious cars become available. The Smart ForTwo has put a micro-hybrid into production, but it isn't available here yet. Maybe by the time they get to my name on that list, the micro will be available.

Check out this video of a Smart ForTwo crash test: