I say this often, but maybe it's just Vegas.
People are really stupid here. I lived in San Francisco 18 years and I don't remember the same level of stupidity. Perhaps I'm romanticizing the city.
People's stupidity is manifested most visibly in the way they drive and in the way they handle their kids publicly. In this blog site, I've talked much about children behaving badly while the parents watch on adoringly. I've complained about the red light runners in this town, the people who leap frog in traffic only to hit the same red light as everyone else.
I had a conversation with my husband this morning, as we made our way through the Friday morning traffic, that he doesn't remember people always being so stupid. He has a service-oriented business and he gets phone calls from prospects asking really dumb questions, like, can I get this service for free, I don't have any money.
Mainly though, like me, he's sees the stupidity reveal its true depth in people's driving habits. People rush around, not caring that they are reckless, in fact, I've heard reckless drivers BRAG about their poor ability. "Watch out for me, I'm a speed demon." "Red lights are a suggestion." "The only rule at a stop signs is who hits the pedal first." "If you're going slow I'll ride your ass."
How about, "Sorry I ran that red light and totaled your car and severed your spine."
More to Roger's point that people are more stupid: I haven't seen any research that validates this. If anything, we should be getting smarter. And I don't think I can say it's a Vegas phenomenon, since everyone moves to Vegas from somewhere else. We're the dumping ground in this country for people pursuing their dreams. But anyone who drives in Vegas traffic, or maybe any traffic anywhere urban, sees people behaving badly at their most profound. I guess the real question is, are we getting more stupid or more callous?
Whatever. Give me time, I'll find a reason to link this behavior to George W. Bush and the evangelicals.
