bogarde73 wrote on May 21
st, 2015 at 4:10pm:
I understand George St Sydney is about to be ripped up for "light rail".
When I was a kid George St Had "light rail", only it was called "trams". Am I the only one alive who remembers trams?
I used to catch one from Mosman into the city to go to school. They ran everywhere in those days: from the city to the eastern suburbs; from the city to the north shore, as far as The Spit, Taronga Zoo, Chatswood.
Geez we're getting modern having "light rail" put in.
PS I specially remember with affection what was known as "the toast rack", a version which was open on both sides with a running board right along the length - ideal for fare evasion.
For kicks we used to put pennies on the tram tracks to see them get flattened out like chewing gum. It was before video games.
Sydney's tram network was one of the best in the world. Tearing them up was a scam where by the manufacturers of diesel buses (politicians being the shareholders) got hefty government contracts.
NSW was one of the crookest places outside of Chicago. Bodies floating in the lakes, razor killings, police running prostitution. I remember a bloke getting cut down with an Owen gun from a passing car in Randwick.
PS Respectability was worshipped in those days, so they used to try to hush up the uglier side of Sydney.