Michigan: The Pickup State?

Last week I was in northern Michigan on vacation. The vacation was refreshing to me not just because the high temperatures were in the seventies but because Michigan is so American. Now, I don't have a (huge) problem with foreign trucks, but I can't tell you how much I enjoyed not seeing even ONE Nissan Titan during nine days in the state. (I only saw one Tundra, and the windows were all smashed in.) Once you hit the Michigan border, you just see American cars everywhere you look. In fact, the Michigan equivalent of the Honda Civic is the Pontiac Grand Prix! I thought they were all dead somewhere until I went to Michigan and realized that every Grand Prix ever made must be there, rusting away but still running. There were some great American bumper stickers, too:

There were a few more colorful ones that I couldn't capture, but these two bumper stickers show the true spirit of Michigan as well as this Pickup Nation.

Another thing I noticed is that pickup drivers in Michigan don't clean their trucks. Now, I'll admit I was slightly turned off upon discovering this, but I think I know the reason. Many of the trucks, some less than ten years old, have holes from rust, especially on the rear fenders (I have coined these "Michigan Holes"). I am thoroughly convinced that the only way to prevent Michigan Holes from appearing is to let the truck get a good, thick coat of dirt on it. The dirt serves to protect the truck from the rust much the way that mud protected Arnold Schwarzenegger from the Predator. Here are some examples:

Unfortunately, the last truck here was unable to prevent the Michigan Hole at the bottom of the door.

Now on to my favorite subject: doing work. Michigan trucks not only do a lot of work; they do nothing else! Here's a nice old Dodge (three words that don't usually go together) that looks like it's always ready to do work:

One guy does so much work with his truck that he needs two tool boxes! I would do the same thing if the alternative was putting a cap on my bed:

Look closely at this next one. One truck is doing work and one isn't, but they're moving at exactly the same speed:

On a final and decidedly awesome note, there are no show trucks in Michigan. It's simply frowned upon (as it should be) to dress your truck up like it's a Barbie doll. If you want people's attention in Michigan, you give all their attention to a worthy cause. I have never seen a truck like this in my life, but I hope to see more:

Despite the poor image quality, you can tell that this entire truck is a rolling billboard dedicated to the memory of our troops. Now that is a show truck. Long live Michigan and this Pickup Nation!