Banners along the London marathon today, sponsored by Flora and containing their logo, showed distances to the nearest toilets along the route in metric e.g. '200m'

Tony Bennett

Considering the marathon was billed as 26m (miles), that means that there's a whole lot of running to do to take a leak!

200m is a distance that runners are familiar with and have a feel for: half a lap of a running track.

Precisely - all athletics events are in metric units. (Because practically every country in the world uses them)

{Precisely - all athletics events are in metric units. (Because practically every country in the world uses them)}

American Football: Measured in yards

Tennis: Courts and net are in feet

Baseball/softball: feet, ball's diameter in inches

Golf: Yards

Pickleball: Courts and nets are in feet

Basketball: Courts are in feet, ball's diameter in inches

Soccer: Yards

Bowling: Feet, pounds, inches


You have a strange idea of 'metric.'

To be fair to "Brian" he did narrow his view to "athletics" which is predominantly (if not exclusively) metric. Unless you include "curling" as athletic.

Strange for a metric fan to "narrow their view" don't you think!

LOL!

(that's "Laugh out Loud", not "Lots of Love"!!!)

To Yardstick's above list, add horse-racing.

Race courses are measured in in miles, furlongs and yards. Horses heights are measured in hands. Jockeys' are weights measured in pounds and stones.

To 'steveh':

Remember US 'athletics' = 'sports'.

International 'athletics' = US 'track and field'.

Probably our definition is more in accord with the actual Greek word from which 'athletics' came.

Very true. Generic idea of athlete
is competitor?

Gr. noun athlon "prize, contest"

verb athlein "to contend for a prize"

To Andrew:

Many thanks for that. I find myself a little more "educated" in the differences of our common language (so to speak).

>Non-metric sports May 15 2002, 9:07 PM
>
>To Yardstick's above list, add horse-racing.
>
>Race courses are measured in in miles, furlongs and
> yards. Horses heights are measured in hands.
> Jockeys' are weights measured in pounds and stones.


I checked the details of the latest Durban July Handicap. The race is beign run over 2200 m (metres,not miles) and the jockey's weights were certainly given in kg. I am sure that the same goes for the Melbourne Cup and also for most other big races outside the UK, USA and Ireland.

BTW, it is probably illegal to use hands when advertising a horse.

"BTW, it is probably illegal to use hands when advertising a horse. "

I think there was a climb down on this because it was so universally used.

Still they could always hold a gun against their head and say "now say it in millimetres" !

"Hold a gun ... "
No, they've made that illegal. It would have to be a humane killer (captive bolt).
And perhaps the horse will learn to sing (and use metric)...

......and that's why I disagree with horse racing and jumping!

(my only left wing tendency, along with foxhunting)!!!!

If foxhunting is your left-wing tendency you must be several universes to the right of Ghengis Khan!

Sorry, I meant as in "against" fox hunting!

Yeah, I realised that. I just couldn't resist poking the monkey - to coin a phrase!

Carefull! That was too close to "bashing" !!

P.S. Hope you've been laughing at the stuff I've levelled at "matahari"? Some of it is worthy of stand-up comedy material!

Yes, though I have to admit I can't be bothered actually trying to read his illiterate diatribes.

But Paul, I enjoy his input... It's so interesting to know of a young man who feels he is still living in a bygone era- Saves me renting 'Jurassic Park' again and again to enjoy a similar experience.
PLEASE BLOCK ME- I am very obnoxious.

Matahari,
You're request is denied.

OK- well, I'll keep popping in now and again to inflict my metric-jackbooted-nazi-stalinist ways upon you. Well, I do have a nice pair of thigh high leather boots and the little black nazi cap, but what I do at certain London underground club venues is my own business. (I tire at times of BD [Belly Dance] and go for BD [Bondage and Discipline] in a ms (millisecond, as opposed to S@M)
She goes from hips to whips, and would gladly start on you lot!

Seems a bit unfair

It is not necessary to block someone who wants to be blocked - only those that do not want to be blocked.

I didn't tealise that people could be blocked from here.

Interesting doublespeak though - we'll only block them if the don't want to be blocked.

A bit like the prisoner's dilemma!

It raises some very interesting questions such as

How do you know if someone wants to be blocked? Perhaps they are saying that they don't want to be blocked because they don't want to be blocked.

Or, they could be saying that they want to be blocked because they do want to be blocked - the only way that they could fulfill that desire is actually to say that they DON'T want to be blocked.

Very confusing!

There is no logical reason for someone wanting to be blocked to be blocked, since they can elect not to visit here, thereby "blocking" themselves voluntarily.

Blocking is only for those who DO want to come here but, for whatever reason, BWMA wishes to exclude them (eg for abusive posts).

So, the way not to be blocked is to want to be blocked. The way to be blocked is not to want to be blocked. What about those who are not sure? Half blocked perhaps?

Has anyone ever been blocked? Did they want to be or not? Perhaps they said that they did but really didn't (or vice versa). Fascinating thoughts!

Man, I just had a quick walk around the block because my mind was blocking, but then someone blocked my way and I thought I could block his block. Smurf ?

I noticed a request by Matahari to be blocked BY MATAHARI!!!?!?

Anyway all I can say is to BWMA - PLEASE DON'T BLOCK HER!!!!!

She's a constant source of comedy for me and I love every rediculous post she makes! In fact if you could pre-set up an account for her so she doesn't need to register - my life would be duller if she chooses not to register!