No idea to whom you mean with regards to this bored Brisbane housewife? But I do agree on the prolific scale of anti-social elements in Perth CBD. Although police have been directed to clear the streets to some degree of those (in day time anyway) of performing move on notices to those shouting and screaming or in cases laying on the street , more for cosmetic purposes than any other. From my observations these are low key drug operators or the result of drug abuse.

The idea is not to startle the tourists of course. Spoke with a middle aged couple, on holiday from Cumbria , and they did not feel safe walking in Perth after dark. They also encountered young teens sniffing glue in day time on a train to the City.Perth has been on a slow slide , escalating over past four years , which is notable that our main journal West Australia moved away from the war on meth (previous stance clearly visible online) to almost ignoring most anything around the matter. Our issues will not be tackled but more an out of sight out of mind scenario has developed pretty much among the media. But anti-social antics have long been in evidence over many decades, but more alcohol related in the past.

My inner suburb , where a lot of the action takes place, is safe enough usually , at least until way later in the night. Although we had a drug related stabbing death a month and a half back in a street very close to me. I would not say the area is dangerous though. Middle class sort of place where everything goes on behind closed doors and about respectability in appearance at least . Fair to say though we have a problem, Some think it will implode from within considering the scale.

In fairness, the couple would have probably felt the same in any larger city after dark. When you are used to rural life in a quiet village you are often shocked how crazy the world really is. I suppose the issue with Perth is that it's an all or nothing city. When the recession hits, it hits people a lot harder because it's so remote.

I take your point but they are hardly alone in their observations and or experience. A Hong Kong International student was telling me she was living in Brisbane for a year prior to coming to Perth and felt safer in the former. I guess Perth is a mixture of those earning a lot in the mines and a lot of others getting by however. Probably the remoteness does play a part. But the massive number of people involved somehow in the drug area (fairly well concealed but known by many) is hard to believe.
But there are a number of issues like homelessness playing a part as well.

Not so in my own experience, I came from a suburb close to Manchester and worked in Manchester (shifts) before and felt safe but our first time on a train heading into Perth CBD we encountered very antisocial behaviour this was directed to us (my oh soon put them in their place) this was during the daytime the group were younger youths and were also “sniffing” we were shocked but nobody else in the train seemed to be, other occasions of this type of “menace” happened to us is various locations over our years in Perth, we’re we unlucky (we knew others who had experienced this as well) maybe but my point is there are problems everywhere some more excessive and some more surprising but Australia does have its problems some admit it and others paint this perfect picture maybe to them it is but to deny or put down others experience is not right.

I get your points, I wasn't talking about a city feeling safer than the other. Just saying that if you are from a rural area it doesn't matter if it's Manchester, Hong Kong or Perth and you would always feel uncomfortable if you had to use public transport or walk around a city when it's dark. My point was that because Perth is so remote you probably end up with more drug addicts and homeless people as they have nowhere else to go.

Part of the reason why is that while meth drug use is 'managed' it is not being tackled and as such growing substantially. With so many making it, it is safe to assume there must be a massive market . Meth being a drug that can make people anti-social and indeed violent. Obviously not just the drug impacted but those with skin in the game as well.
The authorities are attempting to band aid the situation by making inflicted people less visible in the city centre, but still quite notable on any trip to Perth CBD or indeed Fremantle. Night time a different proposition. Not really safe after about nine PM, but depending. The big difference I feel is far fewer people out and about in Perth after hours. Those cities like Manchester which have own problems, also have a night time going out culture. Hence if keep to crowed streets there shouldn't be a problem. Perth does not have 'crowded' streets and more sketchy as a result.

I took the last train back to the city for a few years after working late on a regular basis. Definitely witnessed far more anti-social behaviour and violence at times (or threats of) than seen elsewhere. I suspect most don't see this side of Perth , but there is a lot going down out there, that simply flies under the radar. It simply is not a very safe place, be it in the city or certain suburbs or on trains. (areas around train stations as well, being poorly lit can be included)

Sydney and Melbourne never rate a complaint from those living in those cities on BE. It gets complaints from those in other cities like "Bondi was the worst beachI have seen". Maybe there's a great takeaway from that.