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Alabama ranked America’s most honest state for second consecutive year

This image doesn't have much to do with anything, but it sure does feel good
This image doesn’t have much to do with anything, but it sure does feel good

Alabama is the most honest state in the country according to a study by Honest Tea, a beverage company who recently conducted their second annual nationwide experiment on honesty. But whereas Alabama topped the rankings by itself in 2013, the Yellowhammer State is sharing the honor this year with Alaska and Hawaii.

Honest Tea set up 60 unattended kiosks all over the country where their beverages were put out for sale for $1. A clear lock box was left at the kiosk and Honest Tea employees watched from afar keeping track of what percentage of people paid even though they did not believe anyone was watching.

In the end, the study showed that Americans were honest 95 percent of the time. But Alabama, Alaska and Hawaii led the pack with a 98 percent rating on what Honest Tea has dubbed the National Honesty Index.

“Considering how divisive the national dialogue is, you’d think we were all a bunch of crooks,” said Honest Tea CEO Seth Goldman. “But Americans are a lot more honest than we give ourselves credit for.”

Birmingham, Ala., also ranked among the nation’s top 5 most honest cities. Residents of The Magic City were honest 99 percent of the time, tied for second in America.

For the second year in a row, women were slightly more honest than men — 95 percent to 93 percent. Blonde tends to be the most honest hair color, doing the right thing 95 percent of the time, compared to red heads at 91 percent.

While much of the results in this year’s test were similar to last year’s, there was one major difference. For the first time ever, someone tried to steal the clear money box at the Honest Tea kiosk in San Diego.

They failed.

But there were some touching stories, too.

According to USA today, a homeless man in Minneapolis studied the kiosk for a while, but then started to walk away because he did not have any money. At that moment, a woman came up bought him a bottle of tea.

They bother walked away happy.


Follow Cliff on Twitter @Cliff_Sims

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