Your blog reminds me of the different German exchange students I have had.  They are always amazed at how big my car is and it is consider a 'mid-size' car.  This past fall I took Peter, this year's exchange student, to Louisville. While there, we saw the new 'mini' Mercedes Benz's(don't know if you have seen it but they are very small) and made the comment 'how would you like to ride in that?'  Peter politely told me that that size car is what most Germans drive.  He also told me that they paid $4.00 per liter for gas!  Now I see that these smaller cars are the new thing to get, even Paul McCarthy is having on sent to his home in England.  I don't know if I would like driving anything that small, just seems unsafe with all the bigger vehicles on the road, like knowing I have a little something more to protect me in case of a crash.

Growing up my aunt bought one of the first VW bettles during the gas shortage.  At one time she had 5 teen age kids riding in the back seat of it (of course back then we didn't worry about seat belts).  I can remember hanging onto the hook meant for clothes to try to make roon for all of us to fit. Whenever my sons complain about three having to ride in the back seat, I tell them this story, which of course gets rolling eyes,  snickers about my trip down memory lane and other things that young men like to point out to you......