Jim Elwell wrote: >And it certainly was NOTHING related to fraud -- he wasn't trying >to rip anyone off!
The phrase 'who is the victim' is one that I often use when discussing regulation. I think this is similar to what you say. >The guy probably had a perfectly good pound scale, Yes he had. >which had probably been certified Yes it had been. >Then, one day the inspector comes in and says "Hey, you can't >use that -- it has to have kilograms on it!" So, he is now >forced (if he wants to obey the law) to go out, buy a new scale, >which he nor his customers really care about, and have it >certified, and throw the old scale away. It might have been like that but it wasn't entirely. It was not 'one day the inspector comes'. It was more like 'one decade the law changes and eventually he gets several contacts from various inspectors'. As far as your comment about his customers is concerned, this may not be at issue here. He did not want metric customers. Your point, I think, is that this should be his commercial choice. The story was technically different in relation to the scales. Some scales did not need to be discarded, only modified. One trader disposed of his imperial-only scales and bought metric-only scales therefore complying with the scales part of the law. He then tried to calculate in pounds on them. See this detail and others at the metric martyrs web page: http://www.metricmartyrs.sageweb.co.uk/appealjudgment.htm >I know what you are saying here. However, I would suggest that one >should "know thy enemy." Good point. This is particularly why we should care about the basic facts. The media make a story and US papers pick the story from UK papers. Before you know it, this has turned into Chinese whispers. For example it is often incorrectly reported that a trader was jailed. Even one of the judges remarked on the media inaccuracies: "Some weeks ago, I was listening to a programme on the radio, it featured a Court case and it sounded fascinating. It was only when the particular item had finished did I realise that it was a case I was trying - in fact it was this case. Such were the inaccuracies of the statements uttered that I was in a state of bewilderment." http://www.bwmaonline.com/Legal%20-%20Morgan%20Judgement.htm The trading standards press office invited contacts: http://www.tradingstandards.gov.uk/cgi-bin/newsitem.cgi?file=pres0154.tx t&area=pres [begin quote] Tony Northcott, spokesperson for the Trading Standards Institute, is available for interview. Please contact the press office to arrange an appropriate time. Contact: Amanda Gray TSI Press Office T: 0870 872 9030 F: 0870 872 9031 E: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [end quote] That phone number from the US would be 011 44 870 872 9030
