Actually, Smithsonian did a fascinating article about "night", and how, up until the advent of the streetlamp, night time essentially provided cover for all the citizens (rich/poor/gentry/common) to hang out together. Needless to say, it was particularly convenient for the gentry to get involved in things in which gentry ought not to get involved.


But apparently there was kind of an unwritten rule that after the sun went down, so did the class distinctions. But everybody was supposed to be back in the right bed come sunrise.


All that said, I think that the parallel between D-land and Vegas does not include a class-less society. D-land - sure, once you're inside the park, except for being able to afford the expensive toys or not, everybody's on the same terms. Vegas constantly reminds us who has money and who doesn't - it's evolved that way because it induces those with a small amount of money to want to parlay it into a lot because look at what you'll get if you have a lot of this stuff.


I think Vegas is one of the most socially stratified places in the U.S.


Regards, Lee