# Metric Linear **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [September 23, 2014, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/metric-linear/699370 "2014-09-23T20:29:38Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Enola\_Straight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/dec6dc/32.png) [@Enola\_Straight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enola_Straight)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2014, 12:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/metric-linear/699370/21 "2014-09-24T12:40:20Z")
[![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/SJXJkUFXbIY/hqdefault.jpg "Starblazers First Battle in Planet Brumus") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SJXJkUFXbIY) ---
**Author:** ![Dave.B](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9f8e36/32.png) [@Dave.B](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dave.B)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2014, 12:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/metric-linear/699370/22 "2014-09-24T12:41:59Z")
> [@bob\_2](#): > > In the UK, some councils started to use metres instead of yards on some signs but that was stopped and they use yards. The signs, such as the ones that count down distance to road works do say “yards”, but they are placed at intervals measured in metres. The 800 yard sign will be placed exactly 801m from the works datum. The longitudinal lane markings on a UK road where the speed limit is greater than 40mph comprise of a 3m white line followed by a 6m gap, etc… (Diagram 1008.1, Traffic Signs Manual, Chapter 5). The cone gang will count the lines and gaps from the datum. The “800 yards” sign comes after 89 lines and gaps. All signs and cones for major roadworks are set out this way. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2014, 1:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/metric-linear/699370/23 "2014-09-24T13:02:47Z")
> [@bob\_2](#): > > In the UK, some councils started to use metres instead of yards on some signs but that was stopped and they use yards. An exception is for footpaths where distances are usually in kilometres. > > Every trade seems to have its own preference: Timber is always in cms; engineers or architects use millimetres. Isn’t eight-by-four still the common trade size for plywood? ---
**Author:** ![Ximenean](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/aca169/32.png) [@Ximenean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ximenean)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2014, 1:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/metric-linear/699370/24 "2014-09-24T13:25:57Z")
[quote=“Enola\_Straight, post:21, topic:699370”] [/QUOTE] There should be an automatic warning for YouTube links with no description ;). Anyway, it’s some sci-fi cartoon and the relevant bit is at at 1:14, which by the way you can link to directly by right-clicking the video progress bar: [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/SJXJkUFXbIY/hqdefault.jpg "Starblazers First Battle in Planet Brumus") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SJXJkUFXbIY) ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2014, 1:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/metric-linear/699370/25 "2014-09-24T13:31:59Z")
Huh. Neat trick. ---
**Author:** ![Ximenean](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/aca169/32.png) [@Ximenean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ximenean)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2014, 1:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/metric-linear/699370/26 "2014-09-24T13:42:03Z")
Actually, I should apologise **Enola Straight** because they say “megametres” close to the start too. ---
**Author:** ![Cugel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cugel/32/1199_2.png) [@Cugel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cugel)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2014, 2:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/metric-linear/699370/27 "2014-09-24T14:07:27Z")
Litres go from kilo to mega to giga… e.g. A dam that supplies my city now has a 76 gigalitre capacity. [http://www.actew.com.au/Our%20Projects/Enlarged%20Cotter%20Dam.aspx](http://www.actew.com.au/Our%20Projects/Enlarged%20Cotter%20Dam.aspx) ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2014, 2:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/metric-linear/699370/28 "2014-09-24T14:47:17Z")
Interesting features on the Sun are often in the range of 10^6 meters in length, and solar physicists do indeed refer to them in megameters. But then, the kilometer is usually a pretty useless unit in solar physics. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/metric-linear/699370.md?page=1)