Here is the latest news:

London Borough car parking sign de-metricated:

A team of spotters in a London suburb successfully de-metricated a street sign saying “Car Parking 20 mtrs”.
After having been informed of the de-metrication and reminded of the unlawfulness of the sign the Council responded by pointing out that the sign actually meant that there were 20 metered parking spaces along the street in question.

Torquay Metric tourist sign, owner confronted:

A metric sign was spotted in Torquay saying “HOTEL 30m”.
At the time a man in a white waistcoat was seen cleaning the sign. The sign spotting team approached the man and explained to him that the sign was unlawful because it does not comply with the Traffic Signs Regulations and General Directions 1994 up to and including 2002 amendments, and is required to do so because it is on a road or highway to which the public has access.

To which the bewildered man replied “Keh?” Or something like that.

The proprietor of a nearby hotel was eventually tracked down and confronted with the same warning. The proprietor turned to his employee who had been found cleaning the sign and hit him over the head for misunderstanding instructions. He then reassured the spotters that he was not the owner and that it belonged to a hotel some 30 miles up the road.

Other news:

Congratulations to a team of spotters in Northern England headed by their Area Chief Spotter “Metre Watcher” awarded a prize for making significant contributions to the total number of de-metricated signs in Britain. The man himself was unavailable for comment as he is presently recovering in hospital after falling off a ladder.

Metric Sign Spotters Gazette: Correction

A member of the Council of ARM has contacted this newspaper to say that the London sign which read '20 mtrs' did not mean '20 metered parking places' but '20 motors'.

STOP PRESS: The Archbishop of Canterbury has contacted the 'Gazette' late this afternoon to say that the sign meant '20 mitres'

STOP STOP PRESS: Sir Patrick Moore, the famous T.V. astronomer, has just faxed us to say that the London sign actually was short for '20 meteors'

STOP STOP STOP PRESS: Neil Herron, Director of the 'Metric Martyrs' Campaign, 'phoned us on his mobile 'phone just as we went to press to say that the sign indicates '20 martyrs'.
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*Full report on THE GREAT MTRS DEBATE in tomorrow's 'Gazette'*

Also readers' poll - *your* verdict on who's right about the M-T-R-S !

And read our regular 'X-files' feature: Could 'mtrs' be part of a top secret intergalactic code used by aliens planning to invade the planet? - special analysis by our feature editor Con Spirassy

LOL

Man, I'm not lying, that was painful to read.

The good side of it: There's really nothing to fear.

Ralf

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A metric sign was spotted in Torquay saying “HOTEL 30m”.
At the time a man in a white waistcoat was seen cleaning the sign. The sign spotting team approached the man and explained to him that the sign was unlawful because it does not comply with the Traffic Signs Regulations and General Directions 1994 up to and including 2002 amendments, and is required to do so because it is on a road or highway to which the public has access.

To which the bewildered man replied “Keh?” Or something like that.

The proprietor of a nearby hotel was eventually tracked down and confronted with the same warning. The proprietor turned to his employee who had been found cleaning the sign and hit him over the head for misunderstanding instructions. He then reassured the spotters that he was not the owner and that it belonged to a hotel some 30 miles up the road.
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The TRSGD 2002 and the Weights and Measures Order 1994 are at variance on this point. The Weights and Measures Order state categorically that the symbol for the meter is "m" and for the mile is "mile" (note - no abreviation!). Moreover, it states further that miles may only be used on road signs and for no other official purpose. SInce the Weights and MEasures Order is in compliance with the EU direcotive 80/181/EEC, it takes precedence over TRSGD 2002.

The hotel owner should be reported to the trading standards office for displaying misleading information.

...and the Highways Agency should be prosecuted for all those 'Services 12m' signs along our motorways...

Martin always comes up with this one - regardless of the obvious humour of the post.

As you say, "m" is used for "miles" up and down the land

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As you say, "m" is used for "miles" up and down the land
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I saw a width restriction sign the other - one of the measurements was 2.0m (miles or metres?).


There was a qualifier, vehicles that were less than 0.116 degrees of arc (6 minutes and 6 seconds to be exact) were also forbidden.

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There was a qualifier, vehicles that were less than 0.116 degrees of arc (6 minutes and 6 seconds to be exact) were also forbidden.
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oops - sorry, I meant greater than, not less than. Also, degrees, minutes and seconds are of course angles, not measures of temperatire or of time.

Are you being a cheeky monkey?