You are an exceptional case in that,
I am not so sure of that - I simply see no groundswell of people claiming
that "The state of weights and measures in the UK are a mess" or "I've
lost 20lb on the GI diet but I find it irritating that I cannot choose
kilogrammes, despite them being freely available to me."
That is not the sense in which I claimed you to be exceptional. It's your
entrenched view I was referring to.
as you have clearly demonstrated, you are firmly against the idea of
change to metric
When have I said that?
I see, so now you are for change to metric?
In certain areas metric is obviously better than imperial. Science is one
area - and this extends to medicine (something that the (wo)man in the
street uses). I would be totally against the removal of metric pricing
and scales in UK shops - why reduce information? The more the better.
Well you'd have to go a bit further than that but we're getting there.
I am not anti-metric. But I am not anti-imperial either.
If that means what I think it means then we're back to square one.
and will never be pursuaded otherwise no matter how well reasoned the
argument.
I could easily fire that one back citing freedom of choice, but then
you'll respond with "the problem with choice is...."
Alright then. The problem with choice is ...
We don't expect to literally pursuade every individual citizen in the UK
but a general sea change may be possible.
Without state enforcment I see it taking longer than the 40-odd years that
its taken to get nearly no-where so far.
It takes more than that. What we need now is public education.
Without going into detail I can assure you the true figure is lilkely to
be less than �100 million
Like the pro-imp side, your quote there is purely guesstimate based upon
your own feelings.
Remember that anti-war protest last year?
just under a million, or two million people attended - depending on what
side of the fence you listened to.
A few facts then. Back in 1970 (or there abouts) the government published a
white paper with an estimate of �2 million for the change to road signs.
Naturally you have to scale that up to todays money and possibly make
allowance for any increase on the number new roads etc. But for a present
day figure of �1 billion it would have to muliplied 500 times. Don't you
think that's a bit excessive?
As another piece of evidence look at the published cost of the Irish
project - 9 million euros or �6 million. Again it has to be scaled up but is
it likely to be as much as 170 times?
if opponents are so confident of their case against it why exaggerate the
cost.
That is a case of pre-supposing they are exaggerating the cost.
I'm not going to put my hand up and make my prediction as I don't know
where to start.
But put it this way - replacing that M25 variable limit system on its own
witll cost more than what's it my wallet ;-)
Would it need replacing though. Electronic signs can be reprogrammed.
People are being misled by this kind of disinformation and I find it
hypocritical that those who peddle it often pretend the state is some evil
tyrant.
I'm confident that if you ask the casual passer by if they knew whether
they were costing up changing signs to metric or, indeed, the idea of
changing the signs they will plead ignorance.
No one is claiming the project to be self financing but there are
potential benefits in making the change which have never been put before
the British public.
Apart from "completing the process", what would this be?
This is not an exhaustive list or in any particular order:
(i) Metric educated drivers can apply their learning to the real world
(ii) 1 km = 1000 m is very simple
(iii) Road atlases can use the same system as OS maps as used for other
activities. The whole business of map reading is easier.
(iv) Can use L/100 km for fuel consumption in line with the measures used
at the petrol pump
(v) Drivers travelling to the continent of Europe are fully adapted
(vi) Drivers coming into Britian are safer for the same reason
(vii) Speed limits at intervals of 10 km/h offer more alternatives than
intervals of 10 mph
Individually they may not seem much but taken together it represents a
worthwhile improvement to road transport in the UK.
There's a bit more to it than getting a fuzzy feeling seeing m and km on
signs. The emotional things I leave to those idiots going around nicking and
vandalising signs coz they get upset when they see signs saying how many
metres it is to the nearest toilet.
There is no evidence that safety will be put at risk - the Irish
change-over a few months ago has not produced a sudden increase traffic
accidents,
Irelands statistics aren't very good.
No they wouldn't be would they.
And you are talking aabout a few million versus scores of millions of
people.
And I believe they addresses some speed limit issues whilst converting.
Yes but the reason it offered this opportunity was because of my point (vii)
above.
From my observations prometric groups are the least offenders in that
respect largely because they don't need to do it.
They have the state and the superstate on their side.
Do they? I thought you told me that parliament don't support it? Anyway
which side are the state on when they refuse to allow metres on road signs?
