There are restricted bridges on local roads around here in Maryland. They have warning signs before them to (try to) keep overweight trucks off them.
RESTRICTED BRIDGE 6/10 MILE Why cant they just say 0.6 mile? Why everything in stupid fractions? Carleton From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of John M. Steele Sent: Thursday, July 05, 2012 19:45 To: U.S. Metric Association Subject: [USMA:51747] Re: crazy Olde English measurements You must have been going north. Actually, no calculation is required. If the signage is correct, 850 ft is the closer sign BECAUSE it is in feet. (To know this, you have to enjoy reading the MUTCD as a bedtime story.) Sometimes signage is wrong. I saw a temporary construction sign in my area warning of a lane closure in 3000 ft. Feet aren't supposed to be used for a quarter mile or greater, so it should have said ½ mile and been placed correctly. --- On Thu, 7/5/12, Bill Hooper <[email protected]> wrote: From: Bill Hooper <[email protected]> Subject: [USMA:51746] crazy Olde English measurements To: "U.S. Metric Association" <[email protected]> Date: Thursday, July 5, 2012, 7:20 PM 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 ========================== SImplification Begins With SI. ==========================
