Hard times or easy credit?

I was out and about Friiday and couldn't believe how busy every place seemed to be. Not only was traffic bad, restaurant parking lots were full and stores seemed to be extraordinarily busy. I thought Michigan had one of the worst economies in the nation. If that's true, the word hasn't gotten out to the masses. I saw people spending scads of money. Maybe it's just that people can't afford to buy anything but know they can charge it and never have to pay it off. That's how bankruptcy usually works.