Conscious Choice Seattle: Smart and Safe?

September 2006 | Letters to the Editor

Smart and Safe?

Thanks for printing Ritzy Ryciak’s article about Smart Cars (August). They sound promising, and the author’s enthusiasm for them is enjoyable.

I’m curious though, about their safety compared to other cars. I’ve been rear-ended twice in the last five years by drunk drivers. The most recent time, I stopped for a stoplight; the driver behind me, who was drunk out of his mind, didn’t. He smashed into me at over 50 miles an hour.

His car, which was not built for safety, was a wreck. Mine was badly damaged, but I was more or less intact. I just had some whiplash and a mild concussion, because the rear end of my car (a Ford Taurus), absorbed much of the impact of the collision.

When I look at Smart Cars, I like much of what I see and read. But I wonder if I would survive a collision under similar circumstances if I were driving one? There appears to be little in the back (or front) to absorb the impact of such a collision.

With good wishes,
Nils Osmar, Seattle

The Grind of 100 Miles

I enjoyed the story in your food section about the 100-mile diet (August). But, oh, please tell me there has to be some way to grow coffee beans in the Northwest. The concept of eating foods only grown within a hundred miles of Seattle is appealing.

But I started bailing as soon as I read that coffee doesn’t fit.

Tracy Winston, Internet

Helping Hand for Shooting Victims

To all readers:
The Jewish Federation of Greater Seattle recently announced it has established a special fund to help the victims and the organization recover from the July 28 shooting at the Federation’s Seattle headquarters.

Donations to the fund can be made by mail through the Jewish Federation Victim’s Assistance Fund administered by the Jewish Community Federation of San Francisco. Checks should be made to:

Seattle Victims’ Fund
Jewish Community Federation of San Francisco
121 Steuart St.
San Francisco, CA 94105

The funds will be used to benefit victims, their family members and the Federation. Donations will be allocated to a variety of services and reimbursements including travel expenses, medical assistance, psychological counseling and security enhancements to the Federation’s Seattle facility.

"There has been an enormous outpouring of sympathy and support from the local community and from across the nation and the world,” said Robin Boehler, chairperson of the federation. “Our friends of all religious faiths and beliefs have been actively seeking a way to help—and we believe a victims fund is the way people can do so most directly."

The Federation was established in 1926 and works to enhance the quality of Jewish life. It distributes nearly $6 million a year to more than 40 organizations locally and abroad. For more information visit www.jewishinseattle.org.

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