Shouldn't We Have Expected This?

Police aren't buckling up. A study by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration analyzed 733 crashes from 1980 through 2008 and found 42% of police killed in crashes weren't wearing seatbelts. Another report showed fatal traffic accidents were the leading cause of officer deaths in 2010 for the 13th straight year - 73 deaths. Some officers say the restraints slow them down when they are getting in and out of their cars. Others say the straps interfere with their utility and gun belts. Nevertheless, police officers are encouraged to report colleagues who don't use seatbelts. They are encouraged "to police" themselves.

As of January 2011 there were casinos in 38 of the 50 states and slot machines were the main attraction. There were approximately 850,000 slot machines in the U.S. - that was twice the number of ATM's. With the help of ATM's located in casinos, Americans spent more money on slots than on movies, baseball and theme parks combined. However, a negative consequence of slot machines is that more people are addicted to them than to any other type of gambling. "Penny slots" were the most popular machines, but giving someone a "penny for your thoughts" may be more rewarding.

Supersized ambulances shouldn't be a surprise. In fact, in 2011 they were a reality in Boston, Kansas City, Las Vegas and Omaha. Between 2000 and 2005 America's obese population increased 75%; and according to a 2009 Gallop poll, over 25% of Americans were obese - that's having a Body Mass Index (BMI) of 30 or higher. This explains why Boston rescue crews reported transporting 2-4 patients a week who weighed at least 450 pounds. Retrofitting ambulances with hydraulic lifts costs $12,000 and stretchers capable of carrying 850 pounds cost $8,000. These are necessary expenses because rescue crews have to be "weight lifters" too.

Los Angeles is America's rudest city - that's according to Travel + Leisure magazine's 2011 survey of America's Favorite Cities. The magazine's readers were asked to rank 35 cities on 54 highly subjective qualities such as great restaurants, romance potential and overall personality of the locals. Filling out the top five rudest were 3 congested cities in the northeast: New York City (2nd), Philadelphia (3rd) and Washington (5th). Miami ranked 4th - although locals rank themselves as the unfriendliest people in America. Most surprisingly, Anchorage ranked 20th for rudeness - in spite of it being the land of the "cold shoulder".