After pointing out a sign, giving the height restriction to the car park as "2.1m", I received a very encouraging letter this morning from Mr Peter Murch, Property Services Manager of South Bedfordshire Disrtict Council.

Mr Murch wrote;

"Thank you for your letter dated 30th November, 2002 regarding the above. I can confirm that an instruction has been issued to our contractor to remove the metric signs and replace with imperial signs.

"A survey of all of our car park height restriction signs is planned for early next year to identify and correct any signs being displayed contrary to the regulations.

"Thank you for bringing this to our attention."

Someone might want to have a go at Reading Council on this subject.

I can now confirm that the metric sign has been replaced with one stating the height as 6'6".

And since when was 2.1m equal to 6ft 6in. By my reckoning, it should be 7ft. (6ft 10.5in).

Well done, Alan, the number of known demetricated signs in the U.K. has now risen from 1,975 to 1,976.

2.1m is just over 6' 10" and 2/3rds inch

There are two likely explanations for changing 2.1m to 6' 6":

(a) the height has been re-measured and comes to below 6' 9", or

(b) the Council officer/engineer who tried to convert 2.1m to Imperial didn't make a very good job of it.

Incidentally from a recent ARM survey of height and width sisns, it appears that Imperial heights and widths on traffic signs are usually stated to the nearest three inches. Not always, but in about 95% of cases according to our research unit

There is a third possibility.

Take a look at this:

http://www.abd.org.uk/ht-kills.htm

It may have been that the limit was revised downward deliberately.

It is a legal requirement that high vehicles (I am not too sure how high) must have teh vehicle height written in a place that is easily visible to the driver.

Where I work all the lorry trailers (or whatever they're called) have their height stamped in 2" tall letters on the front facing bit, ie right behind the driver when its attached to the engine bit.

Sorry for the lack of technical knowledge of what the various things are called!

While we're on the subject - Parking express exit at Gatwick is in metres only - just incase anyone wants to know.

THat is to get people in the holidsay mood - everything in Spain is expressed in metres (or kilometres, grammes, litres etc)

I said "exit"

Well then, that is a final reminder of the holiday that they have just had.

Hot potato: But they (the spanish) use "mtr" for metres!