Let me come back on that one with some brief answers:
1) "Hundreds of systems" - We know that in reality and in practice there are 2 systems known/used internationally. That's just 2. 2) The UK/US does not gain from using imperial road signs. That was not my point (but it is if you reverse it!) 3) I'm sure St Lucia don't regard themselves as of less significance ;-) 4) Modern speedos use digital displays or LCD 'dials'. It's a software thing. Increasingly mechanical speedos will be no more after which a tiny problem disappears altogether. Regarding point(4) - I think that is how they 'get away' with certain cars with mph-only speedos. In fact the mph-only is pixels on a screen (although to the untrained eye I must admit they looks convincingly like 'real' dials). Thus the 'dial' can be switched to km/h with a press of a button - thus satisfying a requirement that km/h must be there somewhere. It means an end to that tiny km/h writing (since you can 'switch on' the km/h dial). I think there are a few regulations, even on that set-up. If I press the button and change my Honda to read-out in km/h it will reset back to mph when the key is removed from the ignition switch. Date: Thu, 4 Mar 2010 15:39:14 -0800 From: [email protected] Subject: [USMA:46829] RE: Replacement of metric signs on I-19 (Arizona) deferred To: [email protected] Given the NAFTA trade agreement, we have quite a few Canadian and Mexican truck drivers on our roads, as well as quite a few visitors driving cars. It is not clear how we "gain" from using units no one else on the North American continent uses or understands. If every country insisted on this arrogance, we'd have hundreds of measurement systems in use. Fortunately, it is only the US and UK, and a handful of less significant countries in world trade, and we sort of use the same broken system no one else does. I think for both of us, it does have some trade implications. From the POV of an auto manufacturer, it clearly requires unique instrument clusters (I have to admit that we know how to keep the cost of this pretty minimal, but we are pretty cheap too, and WILL undertake a cost reduction action to save a penny.) From: Stephen Humphreys <[email protected]> To: U.S. Metric Association <[email protected]> Sent: Thu, March 4, 2010 2:09:20 PM Subject: [USMA:46827] RE: Replacement of metric signs on I-19 (Arizona) deferred As a footnote - I always think you should concentrate on trade reasons for going metric. With roadsigns and the like it looks more 'anti-imperial' than 'pro-metric' and many people will just see it as some people's personal beef being played out at a national level - if that makes any sense. Sort of "I hate those mile signs - make them say all 'k' & 'm' on them" versus "we've lost an order because the customer required metric - make them show metric". That sort of thing. However I will always say that you can usually tell how metric a country is by what's on their road/public signs (ie it's part of the language) Date: Thu, 4 Mar 2010 04:19:44 -0800 From: [email protected] Subject: [USMA:46824] RE: Replacement of metric signs on I-19 (Arizona) deferred To: [email protected] Gridlock works! I am happy, but I also realize it is insignificant in the bigger picture. Even having or not having metric signage defined in the MUTCD is insignificant in the absence of a time-bounded plan to actually GO metric. Congress destroyed the plan and legislated against any new plan circa 1995, with regards to roads. From: Stephen Humphreys <[email protected]> To: U.S. Metric Association <[email protected]> Sent: Thu, March 4, 2010 6:23:40 AM Subject: [USMA:46823] RE: Replacement of metric signs on I-19 (Arizona) deferred I suspect you're quite happy about that - I would have thought ;-) Despite my normal position regarding this subject I actually feel happy for you on this occassion! Congrats! Date: Wed, 3 Mar 2010 16:20:05 -0800 From: [email protected] Subject: [USMA:46815] Replacement of metric signs on I-19 (Arizona) deferred To: [email protected] Due to the lack of a plan, there is no plan. Since they couldn't decide exactly how to do it, they are not going to do it at all. Metric sign replacement on I-19 has been indefinitiely postponed, and the funds committed to another project. http://www.azstarnet.com/news/local/article_d7dec8f6-26f5-11df-b567-001cc4c03286.html Got a cool Hotmail story? Tell us now We want to hear all your funny, exciting and crazy Hotmail stories. Tell us now _________________________________________________________________ Tell us your greatest, weirdest and funniest Hotmail stories http://clk.atdmt.com/UKM/go/195013117/direct/01/
