Jerry said "If I stay away from gas stations and super markets and just drive
up and down motorways I may be convinced the UK is fully imperial"
Nah. There are signs every 100 m along UK motorway giving the distance from the
start point of the motorway in tenths of Kilometres.
If you saw a sign saying
108
3
->
You would know that you were 108.3 km from the beginning of the motorway and
should follow the arrow to the nearest emergency phone.
There are larger signs on some motorways that have similar information. Here's
a link
http://www.cbrd.co.uk/indepth/mileagesigns/
Finally, there are signs that show what facilities are available at sevices..
These signs show the price of fuel at the filling stations at the services.
The price is shown in cost per litre.
--- On Sun, 3/8/09, Jeremiah MacGregor <jeremiahmacgre...@rocketmail.com> wrote:
From: Jeremiah MacGregor <jeremiahmacgre...@rocketmail.com>
Subject: [USMA:43554] Re: Jerry's questions regarding "imperial" fuel & fish
sales in the UK.
To: "U.S. Metric Association" <usma@colostate.edu>
Date: Sunday, March 8, 2009, 10:50 PM
That is a very interesting point. Also wouldn't it depend on what we visit?
If I stay away from gas stations and super markets and just drive up and down
motorways I may be convinced the UK is fully imperial. If I had Stephen as a
guide I would be taken to see only rare uses of imperial. If Ken took me I
would obviously see something totally different.
So yes Ken, that is a very good point you made. How would a short one time
visit make me an expert on metric usage in the UK?
But Ken, I would be more then happy to go as soon as I receive the check/cheque
from Brian.
Jerry
From: Ken Cooper <k_cooper1...@yahoo.com>
To: U.S. Metric Association <usma@colostate.edu>
Sent: Sunday, March 8, 2009 3:59:04 PM
Subject: [USMA:43524] Re: Jerry's questions regarding "imperial" fuel & fish
sales in the UK.
I'm going to go totally off-topic for a moment here.
If I visited New York, would that make me an expert on the entire USA?
Why should visiting London answer all Jerry's questions on the UK then?
There's a lot more to the UK than one overpriced & overrated city.
--- On Sun, 3/8/09, br...@bjwhite.net <br...@bjwhite.net> wrote:
From: br...@bjwhite.net <br...@bjwhite.net>
Subject: [USMA:43494] Re: Jerry's questions regarding "imperial" fuel & fish
sales in the UK.
To: "U.S. Metric Association" <usma@colostate.edu>
Cc: "U.S. Metric Association" <usma@colostate.edu>
Date: Sunday, March 8, 2009, 4:31 PM
Jerry......can I direct you the site www.expedia.com. It is a wonderful site
where one can purchase airplane tickets and hotel reservations and everything.
May I suggest a flight to London and a few nights stay at a hotel? That way,
you can check everythng out in the UK before asking tons of pointless questions
on the USMA list. Thank you.
Brian
-------- Original Message --------
Subject: [USMA:43493] Re: Jerry's questions regarding "imperial" fuel &
fish sales in the UK.
From: Jeremiah MacGregor <jeremiahmacgre...@rocketmail.com>
Date: Sun, March 08, 2009 9:25 am
To: "U.S. Metric Association" <usma@colostate.edu>
#yiv72854944 #yiv1500284579 #wmMessage DIV {margin:0px;}
If it was true that the server side had an imperial equivalent to see then the
server would be able to tell him exactly what he purchased in pounds and
ounces. The server would not vaguely make a reference to just over a pound,
but state it as 1 lb and xx ounces. There would be preciseness. The server
knows that there are 454 g in a pound and 486 g is more then 454 g (by 32 g -
quite a lot for being "just over"), so without doing a drawn out calculation
they can easily make a vague reference..
Jerry
From: Stephen Humphreys <barkatf...@hotmail.com>
To: U.S. Metric Association <usma@colostate.edu>
Sent: Saturday, March 7, 2009 7:07:38 PM
Subject: [USMA:43469] Re: Jerry's questions regarding "imperial" fuel & fish
sales in the UK.
#yiv72854944 #yiv1500284579 #wmMessage .hmmessage P
{margin:0px;padding:0px;}#yiv72854944 #yiv1500284579 #wmMessage body.hmmessage
{font-size:10pt;font-family:Verdana;}
John, you got me thinking about what you say below..
This would work entirely with my discovery that Tesco 'server side' scales have
that 'equivalent to xx lb xx oz' on the screen.
It makes a lot of sense if that's generally what they do (perhaps policy) then
having that bespoke info just makes it easier to do.
That does not make it some form of 'imperial breakthrough' - just a common
sense idea so that they can say those approximate amounts without the need for
calculations or calculators.
From: j...@frewston.plus.com
To: usma@colostate.edu
Subject: [USMA:43437] Re: Jerry's questions regarding "imperial" fuel & fish
sales in the UK.
Date: Sat, 7 Mar 2009 17:57:42 +0000
#yiv72854944 #yiv1500284579 #wmMessage .ExternalClass DIV {}
To be honest Jerry, I have not actually checked whether they get it right - I
simply look at the scales (in metric), and ignore their conversions. They
never use a calculator - these are busy deli counters, so I assume they guess.
When I order in metric (e.g. 500 g of pork and egg pie), they will not convert
it at that point, but simply cut off their own estimate (which is usually quite
close, so they must know how much 500 g of pork and egg pie looks like), and
then say to me as they put it on the scales something like "That's just over a
pound - is that OK?". To which I reply on the lines of "You've weighed me 486
g, that's just fine".
The receipts are ONLY in metric - that is the law.
----- Original Message -----
From: Jeremiah MacGregor
To: j...@frewston.plus.com ; U..S. Metric Association
Sent: Saturday, March 07, 2009 5:49 PM
Subject: Re: [USMA:43410] Re: Jerry's questions regarding "imperial" fuel &
fish sales in the UK.
Even though they try to convert to imperial for you, how close do them come to
getting it right? Do they use a calculator to do the conversion or do they
just give you a guess? What do they usually say when you order in metric?
Do you get a receipt of your purchase and is it metric only or dual?
Jerry
From: John Frewen-Lord <mailto:j...@frewston.plus.com>
To: U.S. Metric Association <usma@colostate.edu>
Sent: Saturday, March 7, 2009 10:52:47 AM
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
To: U.S. Metric 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 <jeremiahmacgre...@rocketmail.com> wrote:
From: Jeremiah MacGregor <jeremiahmacgre...@rocketmail.com>
Subject: Re: [USMA:43385] Re: USC units spread to the UK - and no-one notices!
To: k_cooper1...@yahoo.com, "U.S. Metric Association" <usma@colostate.edu>
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
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