You know, Margaret, I think that environment is only competitive if you don't work in the same industries or have the same lifestyle. These people bleed the same. It's just an environment they grew up in. If all your friend's kids go to a good school, you want the same. Privilege is hard for everyone in some ways. If you get a music lesson twice a week, and plenty of sports then you'd find it hard that others go without that. Plenty of that in London too in Islington, SW London. I remember getting caught up with a bit of that in London and it was all a rush, never really a competitive thing - people played hard and worked hard and often it was networking that was the clincher, and it was a lot of fun as well. Some people prefer a slower life and vote with their feet. Round here, out SE, people still send their kids to the cheapo private school and don't flash the money around. Others ensure all that privilege is mixed with balance.

Most people who live with 10k of the CBD are fairly privileged. I think the north is more eclectic, parts of the inner East is more old money for want of a better word. But I've met some very decent, and interesting people out that way. Infinitely more interesting than your average bogan!

I didn't say that they were.

Parts of Ferntree Gully, maybe. But not the others. You've clearly never been to Kalorama if you think it's "bogan/redneck central".

Emm yea, but here in NSW we don't feel the need to put "The place to be" on the plate. Which was kind of my point. Clearly living in Victoria has some effect on the IQ of the residents.

Thats a bit of an over the top statement to make, What the F** has a number plate got to do with peoples IQ?

You don't get a choice with a bog standard plate do you? Up here you can either have "The Sunshine State" or "The Smart State" but you have to have one of them. Presumably Victorians don't have a say in whether or not they want "The Place To Be" or not?

I spent my teenage years growing up around Knox, Ferntree Gully, Boronia, Bayswater, The Basin, Belgrave, Upwey etc. I know Kalorama, Mt. Evelyn and the Dandenongs really well.

I think i've become blinkered due to the nature of my job, i spend each day at work listening to surgeons and anaesthetists talking of their latest pruchases, and about little johnny at scotch college, if am honest it was the same in scotland, but the guys here could teach the scottsh medical staff a thing or two about being snobby twats although i can honestly say i did not know of any children of medical staff in scotland who went to private schools, most of them were at the same school as my kids.

Personally dont get that close to view and if we are travelling slower there are much better things to be viewing on the side walk

Must get me a new volvo to avoid those near misses

your there ozziebabe to even up the balance and keep the place sane, your right i cant speak for the north as i have no experience of it,

It's all a very subtle thing I should imagine, you recognise the similarities and also notice others that contrast.

Depends on the area I suppose and the schools. London and Melbourne are a lot bigger than cities in Scotland.

This is all very Sydney vs Melbourne. I reckon NSW and VIC are the most similar states.

Parts of the Dandenongs do lean to being alternative or different in a hippy, if disinterested, if not Bogan way.

There are places where there is a bit of a escape (from the city) movement, and others which are considered to be great if you are a lazy hippy, albeit not a real one, just using it as an excuse.

That was in 1982 though wasn't it
Things have changed.....

They used to put "NSW - The Premier State" on plates until they realised it was false advertising.

Fairly much but for some reason I didn't. I don't know if it's because I got the smaller plates or not.

I think in Jeff Kennett's time the tag-line was "On the Move" until they realised how many were actually moving to Qld.