My husband and I commented the other day that we have not been inside a mall in two years. Last weekend we drove to a lowes in a heavy, high density shopping area outside Houston. Traffic is always painfully heavy on Saturdays filled with shoppers. We get on the highway - hardly any traffic. We get to lowes, hardly any cars in the parking lot. Inside hardly any shoppers and two clerks asking my husband if he needs help.
It was like being in a place that is foreign - empty almost. So I drove us around to the many other shopping areas, resturants normally packed and to the mall parking lot - the same as Lowes - almost empty. We had an eerie feeling as we zipped back home with no stop and go traffic in the usual places. Things are really bad or loads of people have given up on the has been hobby of shopping and eating out. I feel bad for the small business owners and all their employees!
Realize that Houston is still propped up a bit with energy companies compared to the rest of the nation. Energy prices have not tanked much and Texas is doing better than other parts of the country.
I guess the point is I am shocked that Houston is like a ghost town. Small businesses around the country are toast. VEry sad but a lot of people voted for this.
McCain s*cks but a lot of this is Atlas Shrugging and people boycotting the Obama economy.