# What does your state not excel at ? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [December 20, 2014, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-your-state-not-excel-at/707749 "2014-12-20T16:34:40Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![DrumBum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e79b87/32.png) [@DrumBum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrumBum)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2014, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-your-state-not-excel-at/707749/1 "2014-12-20T16:34:40Z")
Someone with way too much time one their hands came up with what each US state [does poorly at.](http://www.thrillist.com/travel/nation/what-every-us-state-is-the-worst-at) My state of record - California - is rated worst for pollution which I suppose is probably true but that is not as bad as Alabama, which has the most child smokers. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2014, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-your-state-not-excel-at/707749/2 "2014-12-20T16:40:43Z")
Aside from clam cakes and red chowder we excel at nothing, unless you count being small an achievement. ---
**Author:** ![Aspenglow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aspenglow/32/76_2.png) [@Aspenglow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aspenglow)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2014, 4:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-your-state-not-excel-at/707749/3 "2014-12-20T16:47:36Z")
We suck at setting up an individual state exchange for the ACA, for sure. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2014, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-your-state-not-excel-at/707749/4 "2014-12-20T16:56:03Z")
As a New Yorker, I would probably say humility. Though Texas could probably give us a run. ---
**Author:** ![Catamount](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/catamount/32/2840_2.png) [@Catamount](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Catamount)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2014, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-your-state-not-excel-at/707749/5 "2014-12-20T17:03:29Z")
The old NC state motto was “Thank God for Mississippi.” Mississippi’s new state motto is “Thank God for North Carolina.” How do you end up 51st out of 50 states for education? I don’t know but we did it! ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2014, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-your-state-not-excel-at/707749/6 "2014-12-20T17:06:30Z")
> [@DrumBum](#): > > Someone with way too much time one their hands came up with what each US state [does poorly at.](http://www.thrillist.com/travel/nation/what-every-us-state-is-the-worst-at) That chart lists Nevada, but to be fair, we are awesome at getting people divorced, not bad at it. Things that this state does notably poorly include education, Governors, law enforcement and rainfall. ---
**Author:** ![tapu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/49beb7/32.png) [@tapu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tapu)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2014, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-your-state-not-excel-at/707749/7 "2014-12-20T17:37:12Z")
Maine - Length of cold season. ---
**Author:** ![tapu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/49beb7/32.png) [@tapu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tapu)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2014, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-your-state-not-excel-at/707749/8 "2014-12-20T17:41:27Z")
I think I got that wrong. Should be: number of warm months (weeks). ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2014, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-your-state-not-excel-at/707749/9 "2014-12-20T17:55:13Z")
Decision making. Every goddamned thing has to be a consensus opinion. Makes me nuts. ---
**Author:** ![Cheez\_Whia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/d26b3c/32.png) [@Cheez\_Whia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cheez_Whia)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2014, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-your-state-not-excel-at/707749/10 "2014-12-20T18:25:18Z")
Surfing? ---
**Author:** ![Machine\_Elf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/82dd89/32.png) [@Machine\_Elf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Machine_Elf)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2014, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-your-state-not-excel-at/707749/11 "2014-12-20T18:39:51Z")
Michigan sucks at building/maintaining roads. I’ll vouch for that. ---
**Author:** ![notfrommensa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/f14d63/32.png) [@notfrommensa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/notfrommensa)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2014, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-your-state-not-excel-at/707749/12 "2014-12-20T20:02:24Z")
Some of the Worst are funny. Maryland is the worst at incarcerating the elderly? Maybe it is because the elderly are obeying the laws; So why is that a bad thing? Fewest Heliports in Maine. Maine needs to STEP IT UP to get that monkey off their back. (Can’t helicopters land in a parking lot?) Fewest Furniture Manufacturers in Nebraska. May Nebraska rot in hell for that. And people in Washington apparently love Justin Bieber more than any other state. Nebraska needs to save a space for Washington. ---
**Author:** ![Aspenglow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aspenglow/32/76_2.png) [@Aspenglow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aspenglow)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2014, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-your-state-not-excel-at/707749/13 "2014-12-20T20:11:11Z")
I’ll vouch for Idaho as being the state for worst drivers. It’s years since I lived there, but I still remember. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2014, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-your-state-not-excel-at/707749/14 "2014-12-20T20:21:11Z")
> [@notfrommensa](#): > > Fewest Furniture Manufacturers in Nebraska. May Nebraska rot in hell for that. > > And people in Washington apparently love Justin Bieber more than any other state. Nebraska needs to save a space for Washington. Ontario’s the one that really deserves that spot in hell. At a count of one, they’re the worst at manufacturing Justin Biebers. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2014, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-your-state-not-excel-at/707749/15 "2014-12-20T20:29:26Z")
> [@Aspenglow](#): > > I’ll vouch for Idaho as being the state for worst drivers. It’s years since I lived there, but I still remember. Apparently you’ve never driven in Massachusetts. ---
**Author:** ![LavenderBlue](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e95f7d/32.png) [@LavenderBlue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LavenderBlue)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2014, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-your-state-not-excel-at/707749/16 "2014-12-20T20:36:12Z")
Speeding is a problem in NJ apparently. What they really suck at is designing competent road signs. The signs are awful. Half the time they’re either confusing as hell or just plain wrong. On the plus side, we’ve got great Italian food and some nice beaches. ---
**Author:** ![ITR\_champion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/c67d28/32.png) [@ITR\_champion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ITR_champion)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2014, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-your-state-not-excel-at/707749/17 "2014-12-20T20:46:50Z")
The link in the OP says that North Dakota is “least visited”. I’ve also seen another version saying that North Dakota has the ugliest people, which seems plausible though I’m not sure how they measured that. I guess we’ll just have to settle for having the nation’s fastest economic growth, lowest unemployment, lowest crime, and highest percentage of woman business owners. ---
**Author:** ![racer72](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/racer72/32/3075_2.png) [@racer72](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/racer72)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2014, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-your-state-not-excel-at/707749/18 "2014-12-20T21:08:09Z")
> [@notfrommensa](#): > > And people in Washington apparently love Justin Bieber more than any other state. Nebraska needs to save a space for Washington. Actually, we hate Bieber. He has the fewest fans from per capita than any other state. Grunge started here for a reason. ---
**Author:** ![billfish678](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7bcc69/32.png) [@billfish678](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/billfish678)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2014, 10:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-your-state-not-excel-at/707749/19 "2014-12-20T22:14:14Z")
As a native southern stater I find our production levels of gold medal winning bobsledding teams to be disconcertingly low. ---
**Author:** ![notfrommensa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/f14d63/32.png) [@notfrommensa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/notfrommensa)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2014, 11:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-your-state-not-excel-at/707749/20 "2014-12-20T23:24:53Z")
> [@racer72](#): > > Actually, we hate Bieber. He has the fewest fans from per capita than any other state. Grunge started here for a reason. Too late. The citation in the OP proves otherwise. You just got to accept the fact that you are the state that loves Bieber the most. Deal with it.😃 [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-your-state-not-excel-at/707749.md?page=2)