All big companies started out as small ones, they just happened to have the chance to grow in a time that afforded them the ability to succeed and survive. It's too hard to compete with them on their level these days, especially online. They have the buying power, the name recognition, the staff, and the buzz to keep them going and growing. A smaller business has to find their niche and accept that they won't always be the venue that consumers utilizes.

 

They also depend on lots of exploitation to get where they are. Workers rights violations, as well as abuse / exploitation of tax loopholes or bribing local towns for things like TIF funds (this was a big one in Chicago). Publicly available funds that were supposed to be for things like schools, playgrounds, museums but someone magically get funneled into corporate accounts to pay for their move-in fees or the first few years of rent under the guise of 'helping the economy' when it never does. The organic nature of success isn't really part of alot of these peoples success, which is what personally pisses me off. They've definitely done some things right, but they also have used alot of grey area to win where it wasn't just good ol' fashion hard work.

Amazon is a GD juggernaut at this point. Not much to really do anything about it. I thought they were making them finally pay sales tax though, which would be good because its losing tons of tax revenue that can go to better things than some CEO douche's pockets. Like books for schools, ha ha.

 

You can tell who didn't learn to drive in the Chicago area. I am someone who did and I can tell you, out of towners are probably mortified by the way we drive. Somehow though, it works for the locals. I've mastered the skill of the three lane change, at speed and in style, with a two lane double back. Everyone knows the fastest lane is the one you aren't in, so you better get in it!

I live in near the border of Wis/Ill and I hate to say that some cheeseites have some driving, er, disabilities. Not to mention they label Cty Hwy with letters that change when driving through different counties, further confusing visitors and locals alike!

Hands down though, Ohio has the crappiest drivers. I've been coast to coast, North and South, and have almost driven in every state. Ohio drivers by far scare me the most.

 

Worst drivers I've ever encountered were in Missouri. Absolutely 100% terrible. It must be a state law that you need to drive below the speed limit and speed up then slow down on a constant basis.

 

Ha, see that's what I can appreciate about the native Chicago drivers! They are operating on "ain't nobody got time for that" time. ha ha. Out in Colorado here everyone must be high as ****, because they all drive 5 under, and go through turns at 1mph. I can really appreciate full speed responsive driving. The Lincoln Park "let me pull my range rover out without looking" crowd needs to burn in hell though. HAHA!

 

I was driving through Chicago with a sheriff behind me on the expressway. No one cared and still did 80 with no turn signals or any other regard for traffic laws.

So I did the same the entire 8 hour trip. I loved it until I hit the slow ****ty Missouri drivers.

 

You can really separate the wheat from the chaff at the 90/94 ramp where they join just northwest of the city. Holy mess of people jamming on their brakes! Then you see randoms just flying through hahaha.

 

More B.S.

If you did you'd certainly be an advocate for small business, not doing everything possible to chase people the other direction.

 

Come drive in Miami...

 

That's not true at all.

Not wanting to pay more for an item has nothing to do with being anti-small business.

I give my business to the local small businesses all the time when they offer a speciality service that I need and is priced competitively.

But im not going to be ripped off just because they're a small business.

For example, I was calling around yesterday for alignment costs. Small local shops wanted $80. Farm and Fleet wanted $60.

Who got my business? Neither. Those prices are retarded high for an alignment on a 95 Cherokee. I refuse to pay more for the same service or part from a small business just because they're a small business. Ill half *** it for now and get one for free when I get new tires in a few weeks. No skin off my back.

 

TN has some crappy ones as well.

Considering the laws in CO, they probably are!

Back when I was in H.S. I was zipping down 90 in the upper 90mph range. This was during the summer and I was headed back home from visiting friends in PA. All of sudden a statie comes up on my bumper and lights me up. I slow down and signal to the shoulder, pissed because I'm about to lose my damn license to points. Nope, ****er goes zipping past me and shouts over the intercom "Slow down."

Out of towners get the deer in the headlights look! Ahhhhh!!

I haven't been to Miami since the 80's. All I remember was that every underpass had some homeless person set up under it. I'm sure it's a far different city at this point.

I'm just going to throw this out there because I find it funny as hell. The local FnF auto dept got their torch privileges taken away from them for almost a year. They had to send any work that required one to my friends shop.

 

How far from you from Kenosha/Racine/Milwaukee? You can't be that far over the border..

 

A little over an hour and a half, closer to two probably.

 

That's not too bad. Once it warms up we'll all get together and do some wheeling. Assuming I have a lift put in by then. ;-)

 

I'm always down to go wheeling. I go to the Cliffs fairly often. You can do the Badlands green trail stock. Cliffs would be a bit harder with all the ruts.