Oh dear. Well, I have experienced something similar. It's a bit shocking when you run into someone like that. At one point during my many moves, I ended up living in a more metropolitan area. (Yep, like you it was the murder capital of my state. Lovely huh.) I was quite stunned to learn that there are still people born and raised in this country who cannot read or sign there name.(Yes, there are still people who sign with an "X") I was floored.

Well, on the bright side, a road trip is fun! Your costume sounds awesome!