Kev,
I gotta call you on this one. You are labelling people in the same way you decry. Calling it "just using those as examples" doesn't excuse it. You clearly imply that certain groups drive dangerously, in your experience. What do you think a "gangster type" is, anyhow? (apart from someone whose driving concerns you, obviously) You aren't just judging these people by their actions, as you suggest, but also attaching pejorative labels and grouping them, based on other visual clues. The clues are not sufficient in themselves to make informed judgements, hence, without yourself being racist or sexist or anti-yuppie, you are making the mistake you accuse others of.
What constitutes a 'yuppie type'? Do they wear ties, vote republican, drive certain brands of car, work in advertising?
Do you see what I'm getting at? We all use stereotypes as a descriptive starting point, until we have enough knowledge to make more accurate and detailed judgements. You and I do it. In this case, you were offended by use of the negatively connoted (in your mind, on this occasion) expression "redneck".
Yesterday you labelled me, after replying to a thread I started. You didn't choose to share your opinions on the variety of issues I raised (however clumsily
)- merely attaching an amusing stereotype to the little bits of thoughts I had posted.
-but I might have been as offended by the term 'Hippie' as you are by the term 'Redneck'...........
eric