IA driver followup, and why no Alfas?

["David Ross" <ross@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

There was a thread here recently re Iowa drivers (which degenerated
into a thread about drivers in general); I just spent 5 days in Iowa, including
a fair amount of driving in Iowa City, and have to report that I found the driving there very much as I remember it from when I
taught there
in the early
80s - a few predictable annoyances (e.g. the ubiquitous slow left-lane driving), but overall relatively polite and straightforward,
certainly much more pleasant than Honolulu, or even Illinois (where I am now).  I'm inclined to think that Jay's original post was
colored by his feelings for the place (which I don't share, but understand).  I will certainly grant that the driving behaviors
there (good and bad) are very different from Boston, where I believe
Jay was before IC.

I was discouraged to find that my all-time favorite Italian car garage, Grand Prix Motors, seems to have vanished with no trace
whatever.

Now, a question for you Midwesterners out there:  In the 2 months I've been
back here, including lots of long car trips (especially northern Illinois), I've only seen one Alfa, a black 70s Spider on the Edens
Expressway last Sunday.  What's the deal?  Are there really so few here?  I see at least 2-3 Alfas every day on the roads in
Honolulu.

- - David R.

------------------------------