Smart cars are gas sippers, and some models don’t use gas at all. They are really good for the environment, comparatively speaking, and are all the rage among skinny folks. While the name may seem to be self-explanatory, there is actually a story behind it. Long story short, the car’s history is tied up with both Mercedes and Swatch, the wristwatch company. In fact, they wanted the car to be called a Swatch Car, which may explain a lot. Mercedes (Daimler-Benz), thankfully, balked at that idea.

“Smart”, instead, is an acronym. An acronym is an abbreviation or initialism that is pronounceable as a standalone word. Contrary to what telecommunications reps and IT workers try to tell you, abbreviations like HTML, URL, HDMI, and GPS are NOT acronyms. They are simple initialisms. They are not pronounceable as a standalone word. On the other hand, LASER, NATO, SCUBA, AIDS, and ROM are acronyms.

The acronym SMART is short for Swatch Mercedes Art.

And the trouble with the little wristwatch cars is that they are easy to tip. We’re not talking early Geo Tracker tipping. We’re talking about a group of punks — sometimes as few as two — rolling the vehicle over on its back, top or side. We even told you earlier about how some kids in Amsterdam pick them up and toss them into the canals along the streets.

But Smart car tipping, as it is called here in the United States — it may be called “car tossing” elsewhere — is not a new phenomenon. We have already discussed the Amsterdam sport. But the Canadians have seen it too.

In 2009, the Toronto Star reported that vandals were tipping Smart cars in their fair city. In one reported case, the car was tipped by a single individual. Bystanders were so amused that they posed with the tipped car for pictures.

In fact, the reactions of most people upon seeing the tiny tipped vehicles is to chuckle. Of course, it’s no laughing matter for the vehicle owner. Depending on how the vehicle is damaged, it could total the car. But if not, they may end up footing the bill for repairs themselves, into the thousands of dollars.

Tipping a Smart car, no matter how funny it looks, is no different than smashing the windows of any other vehicle. And that’s what happens when you find a stranger in the Alps.

Image via YouTube