[keyserj]

I agree that wealth is not the same as class, but just as a counter anecdote, my dad is a (small business) plumber and I never felt like we were treated less than any other middle class family. If anything, it seemed like people were often really grateful and giving random gifts like food from gardens or tickets to local events.

[labster]

In America, a skilled tradesman is middle class. There would be no reason to treat a member of the group any differently. (Incidentally my grandpa was a plumber.)

A teacher is lower upper class though. Teaching is used by some as an early step to a political career — I have a couple of friends who have done so. They don’t have an upper class income, but teachers have the merits to be high class.

[Jensson]

> If anything, it seemed like people were often really grateful and giving random gifts like food from gardens or tickets to local events.

If they didn't do that to other middle class families then they saw you as less than them. Seeing people as less comes both with charity and contempt, not just one of those.