How Not to Park a Smart ForTwo

When the Smart ForTwo was introduced to us, we saw a few photos like the one above. The difference was that the photos we were shown were mocking in tone and were supposed to illustrate the size of the tiny city car. You actually weren’t supposed to park like this.

But wouldn’t you know it, some poor Chicagoan was so fed up with circling the block that he or she just backed right in perpendicular to the curb. Check out another shot of the parking job — which is right outside our offices in downtown Chicago — below.

Comments

Rabbi Dave, I think this is EXACTLY how you should park a Smart car. Actually, there is one better way -- but that's on a trash barge going to Canada. Amiright?

Perhaps...
I also think that Edge driver could pop out the passenger side glass if he taps him on his way out.

..why the dig at Canada?..jealous as we've embraced the concept of small "city" cars and many (I won't say all) Americans are still hung up on massive sport utes and pick up trucks!..

Someone is just jealous they couldn't fit their car in the spot. But your right, that's not how you are suppose to park it, you suppose to have it completely perpendicular and centered between the two, not slightly angled

@arni: Uhm, last I checked, Ford sold 97,913 F-Series pickups in Canada in 2010, making it the best-selling vehicle ever in a single year in Canadian history.

David: I think you're missing the point, and I agree with Ray Wert. This is one of the great benefits of the smart car--you can park it easily in congested urban areas. Of course, we recommend that all of our owners follow local parking ordinances and many big cities do not allow this. I cannot speak for the laws in Chicago, but this is very clever and shows the functionality of the smart car. Thanks for the post!

Rick Bourgoise
Director, Communications
smart USA

@mike...I think you missed the point.."city" cars!..you rarely see Ford Pick-ups in downtown Toronto or Vancouver, every vehicle is built for a purpose!..the smartcar isn't going to go to work on the farm and the F-150 isn't going to pick up something for dinner on Granville Island!

@arni: So we should buy a purpose-built vehicle for every application. Let see...I guess I'll have to buy about 10 cars. How green is that? And don't be so dang sensitive, nobody was digging Canada...sheesh.

@PEL, no I'm just saying buy a vechicle for what it will be used for MOST!..and I still think the first comment was a dig at Canada..maybe you didn't read it!

my girlfriend and i have three cars: my prius, her smart fortwo, and a honda pilot. you don't need 10 cars...3 covers the bases.

Seems like a dumb driver made a dumb decision to me.

The space is enough to park that golf cart in there.

Do you have an angle that shows how much of the front end is sticking out?

This is actually totally legal and absolutely a way that car can be parked.

There's so much negativity, and downright "hate" for the Smart ForTwo...What a waste of energy...
If you don't dig it just ignore it and allow those who own the ForTwo their freedom to drive and enjoy it.
Peace!<-AladdinSane-

The way the ForTwo is parked is great, except when the driver of the Ford Edge does the Chicago shuffle to get out of the spot. Meaning, bumping into the car in front and behind to get out. The ForTwo won't be able to open the passenger door after that.

Not a bad idea but my thing with the picture is that if the car is so small they could have gotten it in anywhere right. And its hard to tell but he or she might have gotten in the park the right way.

David Thomas, not sure what your point is in those two brief paragraphs. "How not to park a smart Fortwo" - really? Is it illegal in Chicago? If it is, fair enough; if it isn't, as suggested by JewishGuy, then what's your point? As for the rest of the anti-smart comments, dare I suggest they are just....dumb.

I have to Thumbs-Up Rick Bourgoise's comment; I own a smart and this is one of the greatest advantages of parking a smart. We call it smart-parking (when legally done).

Sounds like someone might be a little jealous of having to circle the block a dozen times waiting for a space in front of their building.

http://www.smartcarofamerica.com/gallery/files/2/3/6/1/7/otd_2010_017_original.jpg

http://www.smartcarofamerica.com/gallery/files/1/8/1/9/2/150_original.jpg

@arni OK Good. I'll buy a smart car for my daily drive. Then on the weekend to haul four bicycles I will do what? Please.

@cody -- You would be "greener" if you dumped the prius and the FourTwo and kept only the Pilot.

@PEL..obviously if you need to haul 4 bikes you have no use for a smartcar!..though I have seen a bike rack on the back of one carrying a single bike..

In downtown Oslo this is how Smart cars park. You see lots parked like this.

This is EXACTLY how you should park a smart. If more people drove small cars like this, and parks like this, we would have more room. Its not MY fault the rest of you cant park worth a f***!

I happen to own a smart AND live in Chicago. We held a meet for last years autoshow and parked all of our cars like the one pictured. A few of Chicago's finest came along to talk about the cars and I asked if we could legally park like this and the answer is yes as long as we don't stick out into traffic and have 2 wheels along the curb.

This is great example of the smart fortwo's flexibility and one of the reasons I love the car. By backing into this spot he left room for the other two cars to get out of their spots. Thumbs up to this driver.

Why do some people feel so threatened with the little smart?
I think deep inside they are not true to themselves when they drive their big gas guzzlers and this makes them just a bit uncomfortable. By the way I feel about their trucks just like the way they do about small cars...and oh yes, I spend my hard earned money on other things than filling a gas tank. I also don't have inadequacy issues owning a smart- which must be important when a large truck is chosen.

On the street, I park parallel because of the laws being written for standard size cars - but would sideways if allowed. In parking lots, I park mine in spots where some other driver hangs over, like a large pickup(full size king cab, etc) that's a few feet longer than average, or hangs over the line a foot - I'll park behind them or in the spot nobody else can reach. Why take up a full space when all I need is half?

It also helps those big trucks back out of a parking lot spot because with an extra 5 feet of empty space behind my car, they can swing out earlier and not have to do a 6-point turn.