If they're talking about the kind of dealerships I've seen in Amsterdam, then they're not really vending machines. They're just car dealerships that spread their real estate vertically, in a small office tower with a car elevator in the middle, instead of horizontally across an acre or two of suburban tarmac. Metaphorically, it's a vending machine to an American dealership's buffet.

Oh, the the Smart cars are terrible automobiles if you care at all about performance, comfort, handling, or price. I'm all for small cars - I drive a Miata, and I'm usually the smallest vehicle on the Beltway - but a crap car is a crap car no matter its size. Turns out that hiring Swatch to design a car isn't such a great idea.

If only Ford would import the Ka it sells in Britain; it's not much larger than a Smart and it's an actual good car. As are many of the small cars sold in Europe that lack the flashy styling of the Smart.

As the snowstorm that nailed us last night hits the East Coast, I think you'll see the limitations of the Smart Car.

There is no good reason for the number of big cars and SUVs on American roads, but the SmartCar seems a little extreme. But I will say this, Andy Rooney did a bit about the SmartCar on 60 Minutes awhile back. I never thought that man could make me laugh outloud, but it was damn funny watching him drive and park the SmartCar in Manhattan.