With all the discussion of the media reporting liters of water being shipped
to Houston, I was holding out for the NY Times to join in, knowing they'd do
everything to resist it. Even if they included the transcript of Bush's
speech verbatim, they'd still include a parenthetic explanation the ("a
liter is a little larger than a quart").
But in typing the word "liter" in the NY Times search box, I came up with
this gem from the archives. The link is there, you can pull the whole
article. Enjoy.
Nat
August 22, 1981
Consumer Saturday; CHEATING IN GASOLINE BY LITER
By RON ALEXANDER
T EN percent of the approximately 2,000 to 2,300 gasoline stations in New
York City have converted to metric measure and are now pumping gas in
liters. Which is fine for those who enjoy fantasizing that Bruckner
Boulevard is really the Rue de la Paix but could be costly to anyone without
a pocket calculator or a mathematically inclined mind.
Because of reports of overcharges at some of the stations now pumping in
liters, Bruce C. Ratner, Commissioner of the Department of Consumer Affairs,
is urging New Yorkers to make certain they are paying the actual posted
price when filling up at these stations.
''We are beginning to see some gasoline stations attempting to overcharge
customers through incorrect metric conversion,'' Mr. Ratner said. ''While we
are still in a world of gallons and liters, consumers should do their own
math to make sure that they are actually paying the posted price.''
According to Mr. Ratner, 18 gasoline stations have so far been cited by the
department for incorrect metric conversion. Twelve of these stations that
were cited, the department said, were Shell stations - according to a Shell
spokesman 99.9 percent of Shell's New York City stations are now metric -and
of the six other stations three were Sunoco, two were Texaco and one was
selling unbranded gasoline.
Under New York City law the price in per-gallon measure must be
conspicuously posted on each of the station's pumps, even when the pumps are
calibrated for liters.
There is, of course, nothing illegal in the use of metric measure. But
incorrect metric conversions are another matter, and under New York City's
Consumer Protection Law they are subject to fines of up to $500. <continued
in link.....>
http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9F06EEDD123BF931A1575BC0A9679
48260
<http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9F06EEDD123BF931A1575BC0A967
948260&sec=health&spon=&pagewanted=print> &sec=health&spon=&pagewanted=print
