Border Rivalries and Team Dynamics
Against my best instincts, I recently began using Facebook. While on the site, I managed to stumble into a message board where there was some discussion of where the best hamburger in Kansas City could be obtained. My interest was piqued immediately, since I do love a tasty burger. I prepared my saliva ducts and began reading the comments, foolishly expecting that the discussion would center on the finer attributes of culinary delight that can be received when the Chef du jour is an acne-ridden 16 year old.
However, within 5 comments, the thread had completely devolved into a discussion of the cultural heritage of the commenter. When reading this, it became clear that there was a major rift between the people who live in Kansas City, Kansas versus those who live in Kansas City, Missouri. By the time the thread reached about 20 comments, the discussion had completely devolved into a discussion of who was the worst driver.
Apparently, all Kansas drivers believed that Missouri drivers were the worst and all Missouri drivers believed Kansas drivers were the worst. Now, we all know that Oklahoma drivers are the worst drivers in the known universe, but they were ignoring this simple fact and critiquing each other’s driving habits ad nauseam. So, here’ my question…
Why does someone’s driving acumen have anything to do with their taste in hamburgers? Even more importantly, why is it that everyone believes that their neighbors are the worst drivers in the world?