Is Alabama really that "bad"?
 

Hi

Last night I was watching the British TV show called TopGear where they focus on cars etc. It can be pretty funny and it is not just another program where they test new cars. Last nights episode was from the US where the guys had a task of picking up cars for less than 1000$ each and they went on a road trip to New Orleans. When they came into Alabama they each got a task of decorating the others car with...well, provocative text. You can see the whole thing on this YouTube video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bHj25zd1K_A

As you can see this was not tolerated in a very civil manner when they stopped at the local gas station. I'm just wondering...is it really that "bad" or was it just exaggerated for TV?

Regards
Gard
http://gardkarlsen.com - trip reports and pictures

I'm afraid so.

What you don't understand is that not only is it that bad, they're proud that it is.

I lived in Alabama for 6 years - 10th grade of high school through college.

Watching that video made my heart race. I was part of an "alternative" crowd and was not a very welcome site at many of the places that I went. One afternoon I went to a local swimming hole with 3 guy friends, and we saw other teenagers there and figured we were okay to also swim and swing from the rope hanging above the water. Boy were we wrong. The other teenagers began shouting at us ("freaks!"), and we realized it was about to get ugly. We all piled back into my car, and the other teens grabbed baseball bats and surrounded my car. One guy stood in front of my car as to block us from leaving...but I honestly was afraid for our safety and hit the accelerator and he wisely jumped out of the way. I would have run over him rather than stay there and take a beating from some angry rednecks.

That's only one story...the others I have are more upsetting and racially charged. From my personal experience, I have no problem saying that Alabama is at least 50 years behind the rest of the country culturally. The guys on the video were lucky.

Of course, that could have happened on Long Island, in Orange County, in suburban Chicago. It's called editing people. How many kind people or people who just ignored them did they not film because they wanted to make a point.

Respectfully disagree that it could have happened those other places. For one thing, NASCAR and Hillary just don't have the same power to create a blind response there.

As soon as I saw the writing on the cars in the video, I was thinking "uh oh". That was playing with fire.

It is the only state capital in the US (that I am aware of) that is essentially 'boarded up'. Even stereotypes may be kinder than the truth.

Must be the reason Mercedes-Benz decided to build cars there. :D

May be the reason that BM has six cars on Consumer Reports least reliable list. :D

Things still haven't changed in the Deep South, I'm afraid.

Thank God that New Orleans, Austin, Cajun Country, and South Florida is there to keep the rest of the South in check, otherwise we might have another Civil War.

The bad thing is that those people that spew forth such hatred and anger like they did to those Brits actually call themselves "Christians".

I hope this serves to educate any "Yankees" or Californians thinking about moving South.

My advice is to stick to Austin and South Florida where you're safe.

Really, people, you'd get as bad or worse if a Philadelphia Flyer fan drives his car with his team flags flying into some areas of downtown Buffalo or to the hockey arena there! Stop picking on the South ... every area has it's "rednecks" and idiots! I'm sure there was some editing there to show the worst reactions; just like on Jay Leno, do you really think most Americans are as dumb as those he talks to on the street? Not where I live ... :)

<i>I hope this serves to educate any &quot;Yankees&quot; or Californians thinking about moving South.</i>

Yes, please tell them to STOP moving to Atlanta!! We're tired of them all moving here en masse, but they keep coming. :p

And someone above really thinks &quot;Cajun country&quot; is more enlightened than the rest of the South? Heh, that's a good one.

i Thank God that New Orleans, Austin, Cajun Country, and South Florida is there to keep the rest of the South in check, otherwise we might have another Civil War.

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA. With the exception of Austin, you mention some of the most backward, dysfunctional places in America. New Orleans rivals the Third World in its dyfunction and crime. Cajun Country makes Deliverance look like a Costume Drama. And South Florida makes Louisiana corruption look like child's play.

I was talking about tolerance of the people, not corruption. La is corrupt, but generally the reaction in Cajun Country would be civil. In general, Cajuns are a fun loving people and would invite those Brits to a fais-do-dos and they would all dance the night away.

New Orleans is one of the most tolerant places in America. If that car went through New Orleans, people would want to joy ride on it (or carjack it, but they would want to do that to a car that said NASCAR rules as well!) New Orleanians generally aren't bothered by that type of thing - 300 years of being a port town kinda does that.

If you don't believe New Orleans is tolerant, then visit during Southern Decadence. I rest my case.

South Florida gets visitors from around the world and is very Democratic - most people there would actually agree with voting for Hillary! Also, NASCAR is not as big.

&quot;New Orleans is one of the most tolerant places in America.&quot;

It may be the most libertine, but I doubt most people in the Ninth Ward would agree with how tolerant it is. New Orleans is one of the most racist cities I've ever been to. The level of racism is palatable.

&quot;South Florida gets visitors from around the world and is very Democratic - most people there would actually agree with voting for Hillary!&quot;

I'm a Democrat, but I can tell you being a Democratic place has little to do with how tolerant the area is. Again, I've heard more racist and bigoted comments in South Florida than most places I've been.

We spent several days in cajun country this past summer and had a great reception from people. We definitely found the people as bk describes.

MikeT,

So, would Fats Domino or Leah/Dooky Chase have gotten the same chances they got in New Orleans if they lived in Mobile or Montgomery? They both are from the 9th Ward and did fine for themselves.