Hate to say it, WI

But the drivers in TX are better
More observant
More friendly

Everyone likes to say "Midwest nice"
Guess it doesn't apply to a large enough percent of the motorists there, especially while they're around cyclists and pedestrians, to corroborate that story, that myth, that stereotype

Maybe Wississippi should take down all those new "Open for business" signs at the state border and take a lesson from TX - and put up "Drive Friendly" signs instead?

Of course, cyclists in WI can likely do some things differently to help their own cause; especially since I think it's a pretty safe bet that the current state govt is going to do nothing to help them (given their focus, like a laser, on helping the wealthy and wealthy "corporate people"). What can cyclists do, to help their own cause?
Wear bright-colored clothing, use flashing front and rear lights - even during the daytime; even though some of your friends and some strangers will make fun of you for the lights. But we're cyclists in a car nation, for crap sake. So if we're gonna let a little "peer pressure" decide what we're gonna do - then we're just gonna stop cycling, aren't we?

Be courteous, be thoughtful. Be like most of the motorists in TX - move over when passing (or being passed). Ride single file when it makes it easier for motorists to pass, safely; as a mutual show of respect, of Sharing the Road (it is a two-way street). And, of course, write your city, county, state, and federal representatives/senators - even though you know that many of the responses from them will be what an old college friend of mine used to call the responses he got to his job applications - FOADs. Although you'll have to buy me a beer to learn the secret of that acronym! But let's just quote Wississippi Senator Ron "30 clip" Johnson to understand the flavor of many of those responses. Spending of our tax dollars on safe walking and biking is "a waste of money", according to good ol' RonJohn. But, please, keep writing them anyway. Or they will both think they are "doing the right thing" ("But no one wrote me on that issue!") and "right" on the issue (and not just "right wing" on the issue). Of course, I would guess that most of my friends and family would think that spending at least some of our tax dollars on making walking and biking safer is money well spent. As I'm fond of saying, I want "more than zero" of my tax dollars spent on making walking and cycling safe(r). Currently, "my" WI state govt and some of Wississippi's federal representatives think the only role of govt is to help "corporate people" make more profit, and not to help its citizens(you know, the ones that can [currently] vote) lead safer, healthier lives.
And that must be making the Founding Fathers roll over in their graves.
Until the "tea party revolution" and the "austerity" party have run their course through Wississippi's and Washington's govt's and Excel spreadsheets, we'll just have to ride defensively and respectfully - and hope for the best. We'll have to try the "show respect to get respect" thing until "our" govt is back in the "business" of protecting its citizens, rather than protecting only the wealthy and wealthy "corporate people". Maybe some day the American govt's will return to serving and being responsive to "We, the people"?

A middle-aged guy still has the right to dream, right?