Laura's Smart Car

Well it began with a Honda Big Ruckus 250 cc scooter. Laura loved my little 50 cc Ruckus and we thought if she had the 250 she could ride along beside me and Gilbert on my Harley.  She’d previously ridden on the back of my Harley roadster but Gilbert came along when I graduated to the Harley Electroglyde.  We tried the Russian side car Motorcycle for a while but it really wasn’t a comfortable ride.  Gilbert liked the cadillac comfort of the Electroglyde but really didn’t like to share his seat with Laura.  So for the sake of peace in the biker gang I got Laura the Big Ruckus.  Great city bike.  However the first time Laura and  I took it on a trip to Harrison she dropped it and banged her elbow something fierce.  Painful ride and not particularly fond of the bike after it bit her.  It was a heavy beast too so not easy to load onto the truck. We tried it out on logging roads hunting but it really didn’t like to climb and off road it was so heavy that it really wasn’t at all like my much loved Honda CRF 250.
That lead to the Yamaha 250 cc V Star.  A lovely bike. We traded up with the Honda and Laura was sure it was fine.  But then she got scared.  Riding it around parking lots was fine but Vancouver traffic spooked her. Out on the open road she’d have been fine but getting there was not going to happen.  So this beautiful new motorcycle lived in her car park for most of the year then came over to me where I kept into under tarp intending to sell it.  Laura’s Honda Civic had died and it just seemed like the Smart Car was going to be the solution.
Gilbert hurt his back jumping out of the truck so it was even questionable whether or not it would be good for him to go on long treks on the motorcycle.  Laura and I looked at several small cars over the year. I love my Mazda Miata sports car but other than that the Ford Fiesta, Cooper Mini, Fiat and Smart cars were the best bet. Laura with glasses and Vancouver traffic liked the Smart Car best for visibility.  So sure enough with a couple of extra thousand and the sale of the motorcycle she’d be able to get a Smart Car.  They live forever, are best in the city, but can go on trips.
So now the plan is that Gilbert can ride with me and the camping gear or he can ride with Laura in comfort. Knowing Gilbert he’s going to mutiny and choose to ride in comfort with Laura.   I’m going to ride the Harley Davidson no matter what. .  We’re planning more camping motorcycling trips.  That means either she’s back on the bike and Gilbert stays home, we manage with the three of us  or she  and he comes along behind in the Smart Car.  She loves Smart car. She says its like an enclosed and comfortable motorcycle.    The guys HIM motors  who sold it to her were terrific.  Diesel.  Red. Sun roof. Automatic.  As my friend Tom says it has it’s own cachet.