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With "Crossland" and "three deaths," I thought this was a religious message, but these billboards, seen throughout Kansas City, are put up by the Carpenters' District Council of Greater St. Louis. Crossland, a construction company, is accused of subjecting workers to dangerous conditions.

As I was trudging through the snow before this photo, a truck stopped, and the driver, a black man no older than 30, asked where I was going. He wanted to give me a ride. Time and again, I would encounter such kindness in my travel. As I've stated repeatedly, people are generally very sweet.

In KC, I talked to a truck driver of 13 years. Delivering meats for supermarkets, he had seen the entire country. I asked him which region he liked best, and he said the Northeast, particularly Maine. I stated, "People are pretty friendly up there," then added, "but people are friendly everywhere."

"You're right," he responded, "people are generally friendly everywhere, but if you show an attitude, you'll get an attitude."


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