Public Perception of Trams

["Ron BESDANSKY (formerly Ron BEST)" <ronbest@bigpond.com>]

Those old enough may remember the first "round-the-world" live television
show using the then new-fangled communications satellites. It happened in
about October, 1967, and had a segment from each of the participating
countries, depicting a typical activity occurring at the time. The
Australian segment showed a car running out of South Melbourne tram depot
(it was about 5 a.m. Melbourne time when the show was broadcast). There was
a huge furore in the press - it was claimed that the segment depicted
Australia as being so backward for still using trams! Nowadays, however, in
just about every TV street scene shot in Melbourne, you'll see a tram go
past - they seem to wait for them! (I'm talking mainly about news etc - not
films where they need the city to be anonymous). And they don't even have to
be Ws!

Also, the Four Corners program last Monday night on illegal immigration had
many shots of the trams in Sydney's Chinatown.

--
Rgds

Ron BESDANSKY