(Now that we're way off topic!) It could be worse, you could have jughandles (all turns made from the right) like we do in New Jersey. Plus, New Jersey is the home of the traffic circle. What seemed like a good idea in the 1920's and 1930's is not such a good one today. Roundabouts are starting to appear but obviously not in high traffic settings.
Phil > -----Original Message----- > From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf > Of Stephen Humphreys > Sent: Tuesday, September 13, 2005 3:10 AM > To: U.S. Metric Association > Subject: [USMA:34440] Re: One way to metricate the USA > > Once you've got used to roundabouts you can "upgrade" to magic roundabouts > like the one here (from Swindon): > > http://www.strum.co.uk/wessex/brunpic.htm > > No need to panic! The organised chaos that you can see in the second > picture > actually works and the whole thing remains very fluid. > > Best get used to a standard one first! > > > >From: "Carleton MacDonald" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > >Reply-To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > >To: "U.S. Metric Association" <[email protected]> > >Subject: [USMA:34438] Re: One way to metricate the USA > >Date: Mon, 12 Sep 2005 20:09:52 -0400 > > > >We're adding them in Maryland. They slow down the traffic at dangerous > >intersections and result in less waiting for a light, or for an opening > if > >you're the side with a stop sign and not the other. > > > >Carleton > > > >-----Original Message----- > >From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On > Behalf > >Of Paul Trusten, R.Ph. > >Sent: Monday, September 12, 2005 16:10 > >To: U.S. Metric Association > >Cc: U.S. Metric Association > >Subject: [USMA:34434] Re: One way to metricate the USA > > > >We still have roundabouts in "New" England. We call them rotaries or > >traffic > >circles. But, thank goodness, they are being steadily eliminated. > > > >Quoting Ezra Steinberg <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>: > > > > > Anyone on the list who hasn't seen this may get a well-deserved > chuckle > >out > > > of reading it. > > > (Note the mention of metrication in the body of the letter. :-) > > > > > > Cheers, mates! > > > Ezra > > > > > > ----- Original Message ----- > > > From: "Ezra Steinberg" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > > To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > > Sent: Sunday, September 11, 2005 4:13 PM > > > Subject: John Cleese > > > > > > > > > > John Cleese's Letter to the USA > > > > > > > > To the citizens of the United States of America, in light of your > >failure > > > to elect a competent President of the USA and thus to govern > yourselves, > >we > > > hereby give notice of the revocation of your independence, effective > >today. > > > > > > > > Her Sovereign Majesty Queen Elizabeth II resumes monarchical duties > >over > > > all states, commonwealths and other territories. Except Utah, which > she > >does > > > not fancy. > > > > > > > > Your new prime minister (The Right Honourable Tony Blair, MP for the > >97.8% > > > of you who have, until now, been unaware there's a world outside your > > > borders) will appoint a Minister for America. Congress and the Senate > >are > > > disbanded. A questionnaire circulated next year will determine whether > >any > > > of you noticed. > > > > > > > > To aid your transition to a British Crown Dependency, the following > >rules > > > are introduced with immediate effect: > > > > > > > > 1. Look up "revocation" in the Oxford English Dictionary. Check > > > "aluminium" in the pronunciation guide. You will be amazed at just how > > > wrongly you pronounce it. The letter 'U' will be reinstated in words > >such > >as > > > 'favour' and 'neighbour'. Likewise you will learn to spell 'doughnut' > > > without skipping half the letters. Generally, you should raise your > > > vocabulary to acceptable levels. Look up "vocabulary." > > > > > > > > Using the same twenty seven words interspersed with filler noises > such > >as > > > "like" and "you know" is an unacceptable and inefficient form of > > > communication. Look up "interspersed." There will be no more 'bleeps' > in > >the > > > Jerry Springer show. If you're not old enough to cope with bad > language > >then > > > you should not have chat shows. > > > > > > > > 2. There is no such thing as "U.S. English." We'll let Microsoft > know > >on > > > your behalf. The Microsoft spell-checker will be adjusted to take > >account > >of > > > the reinstated letter 'u'. > > > > > > > > 3. You should learn to distinguish English and Australian accents. > It > > > really isn't that hard. English accents are not limited to cockney, > > > upper-class twit or Mancunian (Daphne in Frasier). Scottish dramas > such > >as > > > 'Taggart' will no longer be broadcast with subtitles.You must learn > that > > > there is no such place as Devonshire in England. The name of the > county > >is > > > "Devon." If you persist in calling it Devonshire, all American States > >will > > > become "shires" e.g. Texasshire Floridashire, Louisianashire. > > > > > > > > 4. You should relearn your original national anthem, "God Save The > >Queen", > > > but only after fully carrying out task 1. > > > > > > > > 5. You should stop playing American "football." There's only one > kind > >of > > > football. What you call American "football" is not a very good game. > The > > > 2.1% of you aware there is a world outside your borders may have > noticed > >no > > > one else plays "American" football. You should instead play proper > >football. > > > Initially, it would be best if you played with the girls. > > > > > > > > Those of you brave enough will, in time, be allowed to play rugby > >(which > > > is similar to American "football", but does not involve stopping for a > >rest > > > every twenty seconds or wearing full kevlar body armour like nancies). > > > > > > > > You should stop playing baseball. It's not reasonable to host an > event > > > called the 'World Series' for a game which is not played outside of > >America. > > > Instead of baseball, you will be allowed to play a girls' game called > > > "rounders," which is baseball without fancy team stripe, oversized > >gloves, > > > collector cards or hotdogs. > > > > > > > > 6. You will no longer be allowed to own or carry guns, or anything > >more > > > dangerous in public than a vegetable peeler. Because you are not > >sensible > > > enough to handle potentially dangerous items, you need a permit to > carry > >a > > > vegetable peeler. > > > > > > > > 7. July 4th is no longer a public holiday. November 2nd will be a > new > > > national holiday. It will be called "Indecisive Day." > > > > > > > > 8. All American cars are hereby banned. They are crap and it is for > >your > > > own good. When we show you German cars, you will understand what we > >mean. > > > All road intersections will be replaced with roundabouts, and you will > >start > > > driving on the left. At the same time, you will go metric without the > > > benefit of conversion tables. Roundabouts and metrication will help > you > > > understand the British sense of humour. > > > > > > > > 9. Learn to make real chips. Those things you call French fries are > >not > > > real chips. Fries aren't French, they're Belgian though 97.8% of you > > > (including the guy who discovered fries while in Europe) are not aware > >of > >a > > > country called Belgium. Potato chips are properly called "crisps." > Real > > > chips are thick cut and fried in animal fat. The traditional > >accompaniment > > > to chips is beer which should be served warm and flat. > > > > > > > > 10. The cold tasteless stuff you call beer is actually lager. Only > >proper > > > British Bitter will be referred to as "beer." Substances once known as > > > "American Beer" will henceforth be referred to as "Near-Frozen Gnat's > > > Urine," except for the product of the American Budweiser company which > >will > > > be called "Weak Near-Frozen Gnat's Urine." This will allow true > >Budweiser > > > (as manufactured for the last 1000 years in Pilsen, Czech Republic) to > >be > > > sold without risk of confusion. > > > > > > > > 11. The UK will harmonise petrol prices (or "Gasoline," as you will > be > > > permitted to keep calling it) for those of the former USA, adopting UK > > > petrol prices (roughly $6/US gallon, get used to it). > > > > > > > > 12. Learn to resolve personal issues without guns, lawyers or > >therapists. > > > That you need many lawyers and therapists shows you're not adult > enough > >to > > > be independent. If you're not adult enough to sort things out without > >suing > > > someone or speaking to a therapist, you're not grown up enough to > handle > >a > > > gun. > > > > > > > > 13. Please tell us who killed JFK. It's been driving us crazy. > > > > > > > > 14. Tax collectors from Her Majesty's Government will be with you > >shortly > > > to ensure the acquisition of all revenues due (backdated to 1776). > > > > > > > > Thank you for your co-operation. > > > > > > > > * John Cleese > > > > [Basil Fawlty, Fawlty Towers, Torquay, Devon, England] > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > >Paul Trusten, R.Ph. > >Editor, "Metric Today" > >U.S. Metric Association, Inc. > >www.metric.org > >3609 Caldera Boulevard, Apartment 122 > >Midland TX 79707-2872 USA > >[EMAIL PROTECTED] > > > >"There are two cardinal sins, from which all the others spring: > impatience > >and > >laziness." ---Franz Kafka > > > >
