A non driver in the land of cars.

Driving, it seems, is the only way to get around. There is no public transport in town or it seems between towns. You have to drive. The cars or trucks are huge, and mostly four wheel drive monsters, driven usually at a very calm and sedate 30 miles an hour. Driving round here is leisurely. No one seems to be in a rush or impatient. You don't hear car horns and overtaking seems to be rare. It is very relaxing.
You can do everything from your car. The centre of Fulton has four drive through banks. They look like petrol stations. You can return your library books or dvd's from your car. Pay your utility bills, post your letters and get your pizza. You never actually have to get out of your car and move your lower half.
The result? Some very large lower halves. People come in sizes you never see in Britain. There does not seem to be any embarrassment or disadvantage to being gross. It doesn't seem to be just a class thing either. There are gigantic people working in the bank and university.
According to a book we have over half of all americans are classed as obese. I don't know their definition for obese, but looking around me I'd say that was pretty accurate.
It is not just the lack of exercise, which must contribute to this, but the food.
Going into Walmart is an education in itself. It is huge and the food is sold in huge packages. Meat comes in monster packs, juice comes in enormous bottles. What they call cheese, a rubbery substance, usually bright orange, comes in foot long packs. It's hard to buy small. I don't know what you do as a single person.
Of course we have the huge american fridge to house the giant packs. But it all encourages you to overbuy and overeat.
Actually, it's the first time I've ever been tempted to go vegetarian. Organic does not exist in the meat section of Walmart.
Food is all vitamin and mineral enriched. It's very hard to buy anything that hasn't been added to. The balsamic vinegar has preservative in it, most dairy products are added to and soya beans in one form or another seem to be in everything.
We do, however, have a farmers market twice a week, in the summer months. These seem to be fairly widespread across Missouri. It is limited mainly to vegetables, fruits and preserves, but is walkable from our house and the produce is good.
What we have none of are the little corner grocers you get on practically every corner in London, where you can buy most things. Food outlets in small sizes do not exist in Fulton.
I have to ask the question, can I survive here as a non driver? It's going to be hard.

I'll leave you with a few images of rather nice houses, empty and falling down, just round the corner from us.