Rae Osenbaugh has a Smart Car that is so smart … It writes its own blog. The Smart Car is the newest member of the Osenbaugh family in Grand Island, living on East 14th Street. It was bought in March, after Osenbaugh’s husband, John, convinced her to buy it as the next family vehicle.
Little Smart, as the car has been named by Osenbaugh, began blogging in May about its adventures, trips and everyday happenings. It has a personalized license plate, “MY SMART,” and has just as much room as a Volkswagen Bug, Osenbaugh said. Often, it can also fit in the same parking spot as the car in front of it.
“There just isn’t much of anything behind you,” Osenbaugh said.
The two-passenger car is shorter than the average car, stopping shortly after the front seat, after a modest trunk.
Little Smart is a 2009 For Two Passion Coupe Smart Car, manufactured in Europe.
“They call cars like Little Smart orphans,” Osenbaugh said. “They take nine months to order, so sometimes people decide they don’t want it anymore or they found something else.”
But Osenbaugh was more than happy to “adopt” this Little Smart orphan.
On its blog, the car even has a favorite cookie: snickerdoodle.
Surely, it is a wonder that a car so young (Little Smart is only 2 years old) can already read and write, let alone blog.
So here’s a confession:
Little Smart isn’t the actual author of the blog.
Mommy Osenbaugh is.
Osenbaugh teaches night classes at Central Community College. She teaches beginning computers for older adults, an entire eBay series, a “How to Write Your Life Story” class and a blogging class.
Besides the “Little Smart Car” blog, she writes the “Granny Green” blog and does “ghost blogging” for a local business.
Osenbaugh spent hours researching Smart Cars online before she decided to purchase one. She was convinced the Smart Car was the perfect new car for her before she ever sat in or drove one.
There are three Smart Cars that Osenbaugh knows of in Grand Island, with their popularity catching on. The only place in Nebraska to purchase a Smart Car is Omaha, so “you have to know that’s what you want” to buy one in Nebraska.
Osenbaugh’s “middle-of-the-line” Smart Car cost about $13,000.
One of the most common misconceptions, Osenbaugh said, is that her car is electric.
“When I go get gas, I can only use 91 or higher octane. It doesn’t take the lower stuff,” Osenbaugh said. “There will always be at least two or three people every time I go get gas. Half of people think that it runs on electricity; the other half think it’s a hybrid.”
Even as she pumps gas into her car, concerned citizens ask her whether she ought to be putting gas in an “electric” or “hybrid” car.
No matter where Osenbaugh is, if she’s driving Little Smart, she’s bound to make a few new, curious friends.
“We (Osenbaugh and Little Smart) were over at the cemetery one day visiting a grave site there, when a couple of young workers apologized and asked if they could look at my car.”
Osenbaugh said she has no problem showing people Little Smart, no matter where she is.
“Come on over and say hi,” Osenbaugh said. “We’re both friendly.”
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