Uta Freiberg from Mannheim, Germany, has made one of her regular visits to Britain.

Here, dated 18 April, is her latest letter:


"Dear Mr Bennett,

Every time I stay in the U.K. I am looking for metric signs.

In November I stayed again in the Golden Cap Estate nr. Charmouth [Dorset] and I walked again to Lyme Regis and I found the footpath sign I mentiond to you in November 2002 with now correct 170 yds [*1]. Wonderful!!!

At the beginning of April I made a narrow boat tour on the Monmouthshire and Brecon Canal and I foud four signs in metric. I think if I could see from the boat suddenly three signs and one in a village then there are uncountable metric signs near the canal which I have not seen [*2].

Your unique fight against metric systems is the best I have heard.

Yours sincerely,

Uta Freiberg

Enclosed: Photos"




*1 This sign and several others nearby were amended by an ARM supporter in 2003 - see elsewhere on this bulletin board. The signs were wooden waymark signs giving he distances only in metres; attractive plates have now been superimposed on the signs giving the correct distances in yards


*2 These are now on the ARM national list for appropriate action

Don't let John (Erin) see this! A German liking imperial units?? He'd end up doing 24 ma/h (24 mallets per hour)

Ute must be in real agony in Germany, as there are no FFU signs. I wonder what kind of reaction she would get if she wrote to her local authorities and insisted they change all the metric signs to FFU.

It seems they let Ute out too early from her treatments in the sanitorium.

Poor idiot!

You cannot STAND people having a different view to your own minority one!

LOL!

Buy another mallet, mate!

Ooh, and call imperial some more names! You're close to "winning the war" ! Come on!!!!

ROTFL!

:-D

I am sure that there are many foreigners who like our imperial units because of their quirkiness and because when you go abroad most people want things to be different to how they are at home.

They find it fascinating that a modern country still clings on to such an outdated system of measurement.

I totally agree with your first sentiment.

I believe you are very misguided about the second one with regards to why people visit foreign lands.

I'm going to Hungary this afternoon.
I won't be going to see their MacDonalds.
If they don't have one I won't get overconcerned that in this day and age you'd think they'd jhave one.

Have a good trip. I've decided to go to Budapest in August so let me know what you think of it (and which is the best McDonalds!)

"""I won't be going to see their MacDonalds."""

I wonder why? I guess we don't want to be exposed to the reality that they don't sell quarter pounders there. In Europe they aren't legal so they use the name Hamburger Royale. Much nicer name too.

Yeeeeeeeeeeeeesssssssssssssssssss!

Andy,

I have a lot to update you on (and others, naturally!). You know, recommendations, restaraunts, places to visit etc etc. It will be about 5% "on-topic" (ie to do with measurements) though!

I've just flown back the 600 odd miles from Copenhagen so I'm nakered! (I didn't fly the plane myself, you understand!).

For now I'm just reading the various posts by everyone and laughing a lot.

Berenger And Bennet are still at-it I see!

Nice to see a few a couple of new names too.

So I will post 2 new posts (Denmark and Hungary) shortly. Look out for them!

:-D

<<
I am sure that there are many foreigners who like our imperial units because of their quirkiness and because when you go abroad most people want things to be different to how they are at home.

They find it fascinating that a modern country still clings on to such an outdated system of measurement.
>>



In India, which I visit fairly frequently, the imperial system (along with the English language) is seen as a symbol of status. Whereas the lower class speak local languages, the elite take pride in speaking English. The same goes for units of measurement. I would be hard pressed to explain to them why some people consider the imperial system to be outdated.

Bud posted this on the 'Metric Transport Signs' Forum:-

"In India, which I visit fairly frequently, the Imperial system (along with the English language) is seen as a symbol of status. Whereas the lower class speak local languages, the elite take pride in speaking English. The same goes for units of measurement. I would be hard pressed to explain to them why some people consider the imperial system to be outdated"

OK, I agree that my post didn't have much to do with transport signs. But it was a response to a post on that board, and was on topic with the other posts in the thread.

re (Bud): "OK, I agree that my post didn't have much to do with transport signs. But it was a response to a post on that board, and was on topic with the other posts in the thread"


REPLY: Bud, a word of explanation. I copied your post and meant to paste it straight on to the International Board. I mistakenly pasted it up here first, which is why it looks like a criticism, it wasn't, of course.

If you visit the 'International' section, you will see that your post has caused a bit of a reaction in certain quarters