Driving standards

[kevinlms]

3 minutes ago, Reorte said:

The bit that bothers me there is someone at the BBC has felt that they need to write 20 mph (33 km/h).

Why not, articles like that get read worldwide and not everyone knows what mph is.

[Reorte]

1 minute ago, kevinlms said:

Why not, articles like that get read worldwide and not everyone knows what mph is.

They'll be full of things people elsewhere won't have heard of. The BBC's output, other than the World Service, is for domestic consumption. It's good that others can see it but that's not who it should be written for.

[MrWolf]

12 hours ago, kevinlms said:

Why not, articles like that get read worldwide and not everyone knows what mph is.

 

Like all UK media, they aren't putting in the km/h figure to be helpful to those in wholly metric countries, they're doing it because 33 is a bigger number than 20, so it sounds a little more sensational.

As the UK town speed limit has been 30mph for years, it almost sounds like he's speeding.

 

It's the closest they can get to "Look at the narcissist capitalist pig hooning in his Ferrari with no thought other than out of my way peasants!"

 

Someone might have been killed, or worse still, offended!

 

Cars like that weigh about as much as a packet of cigarettes and can be very skittish on a wet road. All it takes is a little diesel spill and someone who doesn't drive it every day.

[Compound2632]

13 hours ago, Reorte said:

The bit that bothers me there is someone at the BBC has felt that they need to write 20 mph (33 km/h).

 

Not even a correct conversion...

[PhilJ W]

3 minutes ago, Compound2632 said:

 

Not even a correct conversion...

Should be 32 kph.

[MrWolf]

9 minutes ago, PhilJ W said:

Should be 32 kph.

 

32.1869, so they rounded it up rather than down as they should have, but they've got to wring as much as they can out of the figures.

[kevinlms]

9 hours ago, MrWolf said:

 

Like all UK media, they aren't putting in the km/h figure to be helpful to those in wholly metric countries, they're doing it because 33 is a bigger number than 20, so it sounds a little more sensational.

As the UK town speed limit has been 30mph for years, it almost sounds like he's speeding.

 

It's the closest they can get to "Look at the narcissist capitalist pig hooning in his Ferrari with no thought other than out of my way peasants!"

 

Someone might have been killed, or worse still, offended!

 

Cars like that weigh about as much as a packet of cigarettes and can be very skittish on a wet road. All it takes is a little diesel spill and someone who doesn't drive it every day.

Given your comments, It's time the UK realised that a site like the BBC (the international one or not) is commonly read outside of the British mainland. Do people really think that 33kmh (lets ignore the fact as others have pointed out, that it's closer to 32kmh) is worse sounding than 20mph? Britain must be sadder than I thought if so!

 

I do agree with your last paragraph about the handling characteristics of such vehicles in the wet. They are designed for race track usage on a dry day and with an unlimited budget to pay for repairs. I think that sums them up!

I've never driven one and have no desire to.

[Compound2632]

32 minutes ago, kevinlms said:

Given your comments, It's time the UK realised that a site like the BBC (the international one or not) is commonly read outside of the British mainland.

 

Well, yes indeed, and for the benefit of such readers, it is entirely right and proper to provide a translation of our parochial customary units into internationally recognised units; moreover, it fulfills the Rethian objective of informing and educating as well as entertaining, by familiarising British readers with the metric equivalents of our speed limits, preparing us for driving abroad.

[Reorte]

44 minutes ago, kevinlms said:

Given your comments, It's time the UK realised that a site like the BBC (the international one or not) is commonly read outside of the British mainland. Do people really think that 33kmh (lets ignore the fact as others have pointed out, that it's closer to 32kmh) is worse sounding than 20mph? Britain must be sadder than I thought if so!

Making pointless conversions is sadder IMO. Like I said it's read outside but the BBC's job is to provide for the UK, the ones who pay for it, not an international audience.

 

Anyway when I look at sites and stories and so on from another country I find it preferable if they stick to whatever's used locally and leave me to figure out any differences for myself. Makes the world a bit more of an interesting place if people don't all do things the same way, and I may learn something.

[kevinlms]

33 minutes ago, Reorte said:

Making pointless conversions is sadder IMO. Like I said it's read outside but the BBC's job is to provide for the UK, the ones who pay for it, not an international audience.

 

Anyway when I look at sites and stories and so on from another country I find it preferable if they stick to whatever's used locally and leave me to figure out any differences for myself. Makes the world a bit more of an interesting place if people don't all do things the same way, and I may learn something.

What a predictable and nonsense reply!

 

As I stated earlier, the world goes further than the British mainland - like it or not.

[Guest]

49 minutes ago, Reorte said:

Making pointless conversions is sadder IMO. Like I said it's read outside but the BBC's job is to provide for the UK, the ones who pay for it, not an international audience.

 

The BBC has commercial activities around the world and isn't funded solely by UK licence fees...

[kevinlms]

29 minutes ago, 30801 said:

 

The BBC has commercial activities around the world and isn't funded solely by UK licence fees...

And if taxpayers/licence fee payers don't like how the BBC writes it's articles, then it's up to them to complain to the BBC, or better still their local MP - give them something useful to do.

Edited March 22 by kevinlms
More information

[stewartingram]

1 hour ago, Reorte said:

Making pointless conversions is sadder IMO. Like I said it's read outside but the BBC's job is to provide for the UK, the ones who pay for it, not an international audience.

 

Anyway when I look at sites and stories and so on from another country I find it preferable if they stick to whatever's used locally and leave me to figure out any differences for myself. Makes the world a bit more of an interesting place if people don't all do things the same way, and I may learn something.

Whatever happened to the old saying: "When in Rome, do as the Romans do" /

[Reorte]

1 hour ago, kevinlms said:

What a predictable and nonsense reply!

 

As I stated earlier, the world goes further than the British mainland - like it or not.

Yes, the right reply usually should be predictable. Calling it "nonsense" I'm afraid just looks like a lack of any sensible reply to it, sneering at answers you don't like.

 

Do you expect reports in countries that use metric units to give conversions of them all to imperial? Remember it's not just the UK that uses them, the USA is a pretty significant country that uses mph.

Edited March 22 by Reorte

[Reorte]

1 hour ago, 30801 said:

 

The BBC has commercial activities around the world and isn't funded solely by UK licence fees...

Hence specific international services like the World Service. What we're talking about here though is very much a domestic news story (not even a national one).

[kevinlms]

36 minutes ago, Reorte said:

Yes, the right reply usually should be predictable. Calling it "nonsense" I'm afraid just looks like a lack of any sensible reply to it, sneering at answers you don't like.

 

Do you expect reports in countries that use metric units to give conversions of them all to imperial? Remember it's not just the UK that uses them, the USA is a pretty significant country that uses mph.

Can't help yourself, when someone doesn't agree 100% with you!

 

Fact is you should be complaining to the BBC, instead of a public forum which has no influence. Unless the BBC is actually monitoring RMweb, for what people actually think of their 'waste of money' by making a metric conversion, in an article.

 

Obviously you think it's a major issue.

Edited March 22 by kevinlms
More info

[Guest]

39 minutes ago, Reorte said:

Hence specific international services like the World Service. What we're talking about here though is very much a domestic news story (not even a national one).

[MrWolf]

Well that was all rather exhausting...*

 

 

Has anyone out there experienced any miscellaneous bellendery out on the roads lately?

 

 

*Although I nearly laughed myself to death at the idea of contacting the BBC or an MP about almost anything at all whilst expecting a result...

[kevinlms]

Here's one!

 

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-03-25/victoria-police-traffic-officer-glenn-weir-speeding-apology/103629572

[Guest]

[kevinlms]

On 23/03/2024 at 11:53, MrWolf said:

Well that was all rather exhausting...*

 

 

 

 

*Although I nearly laughed myself to death at the idea of contacting the BBC or an MP about almost anything at all whilst expecting a result...

True, but who else has any hope of getting any change of policy - whinging on RMweb has zero chance!

[MrWolf]

1 hour ago, kevinlms said:

True, but who else has any hope of getting any change of policy - whinging on RMweb has zero chance!

 

Also true, it's interesting to read the comments sections of the online version of any of the newspapers, regardless of their circulation or political bias.

[Coldgunner]

20 hours ago, MrWolf said:

 

Also true, it's interesting to read the comments sections of the online version of any of the newspapers, regardless of their circulation or political bias.

I tend to find the comments section on certain newspaper sites shows that some people are real knuckledraggers.

[jbqfc]

Drivers been abusive to road workers 

 

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-surrey-68633010

 

 

John 

[Hibelroad]

We seem to be living in an increasingly angry society. Yes I get annoyed at things and may shout and fume when in the privacy of my car but face to face (or on the phone)  I find you get a much better response if you are calm and polite, even use a bit of humour if possible.