When I was in the UK in June 2005 our friend took us driving from Southsea to Stonehenge. On the motorway the distance to the next exit was noted on the sign as "1 m". Funny, even though that looked metric, I didn't see it all that close.
Carleton From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of John Frewen-Lord Sent: Saturday, March 07, 2009 10:53 To: U.S. Metric Association Subject: [USMA:43410] Re: Jerry's questions regarding "imperial" fuel & fish sales in the UK. My local Tesco in Grimsby weighs ONLY in metric units for trade purposes (at the deli and fish counters primarily). Yes, the customer-use weigh scales are dual marked, with metric as the primary (outer) scale, and imperial as the secondary (inner) scale. All our other local supermarkets (Morrisons, Sainsbury's, ASDA, Somerfield) only retail weigh products in metric, this is the law. Annoyingly, some counter staff insist on converting it to imperial for me (even when I have asked for it in metric), but that is sporadic. Also to confirm - all fuel, whether petrol (gasoline) and diesel at the pumps, or the fuel oil we buy for our heating system, is sold in liters ONLY. Even aircraft fuel is calibrated in liters (a friend of mine works at my local airport). I have NEVER seen automotive fuel in other than metric. Same for Canada - since conversion in 1978, all gasoline can be dispensed ONLY in liters. The UK is primarily metric (e.g. the laptop computer I am typing this out on is shown as weighing 3.5 kg, no imperial equivalent), and officially all government is metric, even though there is some backsliding. Only the road signage, and pints in the pub, are not metric. These are the sole areas that those who resist metric conversion are holding out on. ----- Original Message ----- From: Ken Cooper <mailto:[email protected]> To: U.S. Metric <mailto:[email protected]> Association Sent: Saturday, March 07, 2009 2:23 PM Subject: [USMA:43401] Jerry's questions regarding "imperial" fuel & fish sales in the UK. As you suggest, Jerry, one individual on one website seems to believe that liquid fuel in the UK is dispensed in "air miles" rather than litres. I think that his views can safely be ignored. I can assure you that UK law still states that litres MUST be used whenever liquid fuels are sold by retail in the UK. My view of the law is backed up by my own experiences in filling my car at pumps in dozens of filling stations throughout the UK, and in passing hundreds of other filling stations with large roadside price displays marked solely with prices per litre. UK petrol pumps normally have 3 active displays at any one time. One tells the price per litre, one tells the number of litres dispensed and one tells the total price to pay. Some pumps omit the price per litre & a few omit the price to pay. In every case, however, there is a requirement that the pump shows the number of litres dispensed. I'm sure that other UK contributors to this site can confirm my findings. With regard to Tesco's supposed return to using imperial scales at their fish counter in their Loudwater store, I would point out that this information is provided by the same individual on the same website I mention above. This tine, he makes a claim that Tesco are using dual scales for trade purposes in this store. Unfortunately, he refuses to provide any meaningful detail about the scales, making it impossible to verify whether he is telling the truth or not. I've never been in the Loudwater Tesco, so I cannot comment on that particular store. However, during the last 12 months or so, I have visited Tesco stores in Dundee (4), Edinburgh (3), Glasgow (2), Helensburgh (2), Arbroath, Ayr, Budapest(non-UK!), Campbeltown, Dumbarton, Dublin(non-UK!), Inverness, Lochgilphead, London, Oban, Perth & Stirling. None of these stores use dual-marked weighing equipment for any trade purposes (a few have dual non-trade customer checkweighers in the F&V aisle). Each and every one of those stores had weighing and/or measuring equipment in use for trade. Without exception, the equipment indicated in metric units only. Again, I would ask other UK contributors to post their experiences in Tesco stores. I'm pretty sure that only one person will claim to have seen such a scale, yet will prove to be surprisingly reluctant (or perhaps unable) to provide any real proof that it exists. --- On Sat, 3/7/09, Jeremiah MacGregor <[email protected]> wrote: From: Jeremiah MacGregor <[email protected]> Subject: Re: [USMA:43385] Re: USC units spread to the UK - and no-one notices! To: [email protected], "U.S. Metric Association" <[email protected]> Date: Saturday, March 7, 2009, 1:48 AM Ken, I've heard a rumor recently that the UK no longer uses the liter for dispensing gasoline but has instead switched to a new unit called "air miles". Can you provide some further information on this? I also understand that some super markets are now re-introducing scales in pound units that are being used to weigh goods asked for by customers. I believe that a Tesco located in the town of Loudwater has already changed over. Can you provide some further information on this reversion? Jerry
