metric system (was Re: [thechat] Jan 18 peace march)

[John Handelaar]

On Thu, 2003-01-23 at 02:58, Sean wrote:
> Howdy,
>
> Actually I was only half-joking.  Isn't part of membership in the E.U.
> standardisation of units for commerce?  Wasn't there a case recently of a
> merchant facing fines due to selling produce in units like pounds and 'one
> melon'?

Only for refusing to co-label in kg.

The worst that's ever likely to happen in the UK and
Ireland (where short measures stopped being portions
of a gill a few years ago and reverted to 40/50ml -
nobody noticed) is a similar co-labelling a la
£2.20 per pint (570ml).

Entirely possible that Germany sells half-litres. I
know that France does in some places (though 330ml is
the more common glass size there - same volume as a
standard Coke can).

Incidentally, wine bottles have been 70 or 75cl in the
UK (which has moved very slowly indeed on the whole metric
thing) since at least the mid-70s.  But then wine was a
foreign concept here then...

At least the UK doesn't have half its road signs in miles
and half in Km, I guess.  I get to deal with that one
in Ireland after 1st May or thereabouts.

--
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John Handelaar

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