[epbrown]

Funny story. There's a diner near me called Windy City Grill that I went to at least once a week for 15 years, great burgers and gyros, actual milkshakes, huge portions for the price. One of the staff there took a liking to my Smart and asked me to tell him if I ever sold it. About a year later I traded it in on a Solstice and the trade-in value they gave me was $700 less than I paid for it new, so I took the deal.

When the short order cook noticed I didn't drive the Smart anymore I explained what a deal I got, which he would have been nuts to try and beat rather than get a new one, but he was still ticked at me and the environment got chilly. He might have gotten over it with time, but one of the bus boys loved rubbing it in, and every time I stopped in he'd yell "Hey, the Smart car guy!" and the cook's face would cloud up. Finally, I got a burger that was charred to a cinder and rather than make a fuss with the owner/manager, I took the hint and stopped going. Really miss the food at that place.