Where's the beef?

I've been all over, and so far I've found cultural stereotypes' accuracy levels to be pretty disappointing. I've known polite, friendly French people (who like Americans!), Germans with senses of humor, laid-back Brits, Italians who aren't in the Mafia (as far as I know -- wink, wink) -- the list goes on. And when it comes to regions within the United States, the stereotypes do even more poorly. Thanks to free movement, mass media and the fact that we didn't spend 1,000 years as tiny, antagonistic kingdoms -- the cultural differences just aren't strong enough (with a few exceptions: Texas, Louisiana, New York City, etc.). Even the red state/blue state distinction is vastly exaggerated. Opinion polls show that the real splits are generally between urban, rural and suburban voters -- not the middle of the country vs. the coasts. \nAll that said, I'll indulge in one stereotype. Coming from Ohio -- the last state in the Union that actually enforces speed limits and highway safety laws -- all y'all are lousy drivers: East Coasters, Hoosiers and, worst of all, Michiganders. How do you know an SUV's from Michigan without checking the plates? Look for twigs, leaves or a deer embedded in the grill.