Also, for a little "big picture". We often will ask for 34L at SYD. Reason being, when your company plans to quick-turn your jet around in an hour and a half or less on the ground, it is best for the poor guys who are going to take your airplane back where you just came from, if you don't leave them with hot brakes. A medium autobrake light tailwind landing on 34R coupled with a long taxi with a lot of brake applications can really screw the outbound crew, not to mention cause ground handling delays. Facilitating the next flight's on-time departure is big-picture "operational necessity", and sometimes generates a request for the closer, longer runway. If the controller says no, then oh well, the next guy just has to deal with it and we try our best.