I recently spotted a couple example of how Ye Olde English measures does more 
to confuse than it does to inform.

One example is a pair of signs on Interstate 95 near the Jacksonville fFlorida 
airport. The two adjacent signs state:

East Beltway 850 feet, and West Beltway 1/4 mile

OK, which exit comes first? Quickly, all you have to do is calculate how many 
feet in a quarter mile or what fraction of a mile is 850 feet, while driving at 
the speed limit of 120 km/h (OK, that's 75 mph) in traffic. Good luck taking 
the correct exit!

The second example is a sign in a bus to warn people not to bump their heads. 
The sign displays:

Clearance
10' 3" ft.

No misunderstanding there; you are certain that it is meaningless. I don't even 
know how I would read that.


Regards,
Bill Hooper
Jacksonville FL, USA

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   SImplification Begins With SI.
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