News comes of the removal by the local authority of five large illegal metric signs. These are above the signs entering villages between Taunton and Weston-super-Mare. Each said: '3 km to nearest car park (or coach park)' or similar. Four have been replaced in Imperial; one has been removed but is yet to be replaced.

Also news of an absurd and expensive sign carved out into a concrete bollard on the Taunton to Bridgwater canal at Creech St. Michael, informing pedestrians (or rather, misinforming them): 'Taunton 3km' and 'Bridgwater 13km'.

Such a waste erecting them, as ARM will soon cover the sign over with plates showing the correct and legal distances, viz. 2 miles and 8 miles respectively

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Each said: '3 km to nearest car park (or coach park)'
>>

Since all coach odometers are calibrated in kilometres, isn't it rather daft to have distances that relate to coaches being given in miles?

<<<Since all coach odometers are calibrated in kilometres, isn't it rather daft to have distances that relate to coaches being given in miles>>>

Martin - for a bright chap this is not very intelligent!

As I look out the window I can tell you that cars outnumber coaches and buses many hundreds to one.

And buses/coaches tend to know routes without needing the distance displayed.

More apt would be to ask that since car 'odometers' in the UK are 99.999999% imperial why on earth would a local authority erect a sign that required the driver to do mental gymnastics in order to equate it to his speedo!?

SteveH wrote

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And buses/coaches tend to know routes without needing the distance displayed.
>>

Not neccessarily - a coach on charter from the other end of the country. There are many such coaches within thew UK not to mention those from the Continent.


SteveH also wrote
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More apt would be to ask that since car 'odometers' in the UK are 99.999999% imperial why on earth would a local authority erect a sign that required the driver to do mental gymnastics in order to equate it to his speedo!?
>>

This is an exageration. My brother-in-law's car was imported from South Africa. Our next door neighbout but one imported his car (left-hand drive) from Finalnd when his employed seconded him to their UK office.

Assuming

1) That these cars are the only cars with km odometers in the country.

2) That there are 20,000,000 cars on Britain's roads. (Plus many lorries, busses, coaches etc)

then only 99.9999% have miles on their odometers. I however believe that there are many other cars that have, so the figure of 99.9999% becomes smaller.

Pedantry is being excercised here, dear boy, pedantry!

Ok, here's a challenge.

Walk down a street of parked vehicles and note the 'odometer' units.

Pick a road with at least 100 cars/vehicles parked.

Tell me the results.

What, and get done by the police for attemtping to steal a vehicle!

Wear a hat and a fluorescent coat!

The anti-metrics on this forum draw heavily on the principle that what is popular is right.

Remember that smoking was once popular and valued by common consent. In these more enlightened times we take a different view.

re: "Wear a hat and a fluorescent coat!"

REPLY:

But make sure you don't look *too* like a Policeman, as otherwise you'll get done for impersonating a Police Officer as well as attempting to steal

"But make sure you don't look *too* like a Policeman, as otherwise you'll get done for impersonating a Police Officer as well as attempting to steal"

Unlikely. Police officers are seen so rarely these days that nobody can remember what they look like.

So is there is a law in England that makes it illegal to do something that makes it look like you are doing something illegal? (for example, looking inside parked cars)

Depends which way you look at it.

Its not a good idea, for example, to jokingly pretend you have a bomb in you bag then repeat the "joke" three times!!

;-)

Right I'm off to measure something in inches now whilst smoking a fag - yeah I know - "using inches damages your health"

(For american viewer - substitute "fag" with "ciggy" - - - my God - can you imagine what those "automatic adverts" are going to look like at the top there from a US perspective!!!)

re (Evil Engineer): "Unlikely. Police Officers are seen so rarely these days that nobody can remember what they look like".

REPLY:

Very true.

By the way, if you see what looks a bit like a Muslim woman wearing a black hajib (covered Islamic headdress signifying women's decidedly secondary status in Islamic society), but with a bit of chequered black-and-white in the hajib that looks faintly reminiscent of a Met Police cap badge - well, you've seen one of the Met's new Muslim Women Police Officers, who have special dispensation to wear something in accordance with their cultural requirements.

I look forward to the new Zulu design coming out next year

This week is the 125th anniversary of the Zulu Way 1879.