The other day, I decided to conduct a small social experiment - one that required no more than a half-hour of my time, a keen eye and willingness to simply observe.

I chose the bus stage near Garden City.

A stern-faced police officer diligently managing traffic was the focus of my experiment.

What I witnessed in those 30 minutes painted a telling picture of our culture and, more broadly, the gap between our aspirations and our current reality.