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A white van's parked beside the road and a group of men wearing
luminous waterproof coats and yellow hard hats are working on some
signs. Council workers you might think - but you'd be wrong.
These men here in Tockwith are from the Active Resistance to Metrication.
They're changing a footpath sign saying "1.9Km to Bilton Church"
back to miles.
Derek Norman, is one of the group that call themselves Active Resistance
to Metrication (ARM). He says imperial measurements are a vitally
important part of British heritage:
"Polls show that around 80% of people would prefer to keep
imperial measurements, so it's want the people want really"
Derek says they're not only acting on behalf of the majority of
the British Public, he claims what North Yorkshire County Council
has done is against the law.
"The general directions for signs say they must be in imperial
measurements. What we've done this morning is fit plates, some plastic
and some metal, with high quality reflective lettering and changed
the signs back to imperial measurements. So they're now lawful signs."
Tony Bennett is the secretary of ARM. He says British people think
in Miles and Yards not Kilometres and Metres.
"We're going to cover over the horrible metric distance there,
stick a nice sign saying 1 1/4 Miles on. We've been going round
doing this for three or four years because we want to stop these
signs being erected by stealth."
But considering the signs with Kilometres on are for walkers, and
the maps walkers use are in kilometres don't the signs make perfect
sense? Derek Norman isn't convinced.
"Well it might make sense, but the law says different. The
law says that on the public highway the signs must be imperial."
So if these men have the law on their side and the county council
don't, shouldn't it be the council's responsibility to change the
signs. And why have they installed metric signs in the first place?
Tony Bennet says ARM did raise this with the council.
"When we asked them about it they said they were going to
leave the signs as they are until they became unserviceable in 10
to 20 years time. They say the local ramblers association would
prefer to have the signs in kilometres.
"But if you ask 10 walkers, nine out of 10 would say they
prefer miles to kilometres. In fact a survey was done three years
ago asking people which they prefer and 86% said they prefer imperial."
So, safe in the knowledge that the majority of the public are behind
them, in the pouring rain, the kilometres are removed and are replaced
with miles.
Is this a war against the removal of British heritage? Or is it
simply that the conversion from miles to kilometres is a tricky
one, not one the mind can do instantly?
There's just over 1.6 kilometres to a mile so with that in mind
this report was written eight miles or 12.8 kilometres from York
- which do you prefer?
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Martin Vlietstra
OS maps are in metric, so it makes sense that foorpath signs are also in metric.
Davey
Don't these people have anythign better to do with their time. When I'm out on the hill I couldn't give a monkey's what measurements the signs use.
Richard Levett
America, the land of the free feels no need to go metric. I lived on the continent & in Australia for years which use Kms, I also own a sign company which is a 90% metric industry; so I am fully conversant with the metric system, BUT why should I in my own country be forced to use them? By all means show both, but Miles but come 1st!
Bernie
Well done to ARM - I back them whole-heartedly as do my family and friends.
Robert Janovski
There's only one rule:
If all the signs in Britain show miles, why only some of them would show distance in kilometers?
Kris
Changing all the signs is going a bit far isn't it? Anyway most people I know work in metres and miles. I have no idea how far a yard is.
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