Get Smart

I have a story in today's Style & Arts section about the Smart, the tiny two-seater that is finally coming to the United States next year. You can test drive them this weekend in Harvard Square in front of the Border Cafe as part of the Smart USA roadshow. The event runs from noon to 8 p.m. both days.

I had an opportunity to drive a Smart yesterday, which for me was more exciting than Christmas, my birthday, or the day Martha Stewart was released from jail.

First, the answer to the question you're dying to ask: Yes, I felt perfectly safe. I drove on the Mass Pike, Storrow Drive, and the Expressway. I had the top down, the wind in my hair, and the admiration of my fellow motorists.

The best part about driving the Smart is the looks from bystanders. I lost count of the number of thumbs up I received from people on the sidewalks of the Back Bay. I might as well have been a shirtless Matthew McConaughey given all the looks and smiles I was getting in the South End.

Shamelessly, I kept driving around the city because I loved seeing people's reactions to the 106-inch Smart's German design. In Harvard Square, a pair of cute young ladies gave an approving wink, and a cab driver asked how many cylinders (the answer is three), and when he can get one (winter, 2008). My favorite reaction was a pair of greasy (and, let's face it, scary) dudes who were giggling at the Smart like a couple of school girls at a Hillary Duff movie.

Sadly, I had to return the car. With it went my new-found popularity.

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