Let’s go metric before we all go bananas
There are few things as bizarre as road distances and speeds quoted in kilometres while car speedometers are in miles per hour with kilometres in small background italics.
With so many foreign tourists and non-national residents now, it is just typical Irish top-of-the-head, back-of-an-envelope ‘planning.’
If, on the other hand, we wish to maintain our banana republic, why not calibrate everything in bananas?
For example, assuming three bananas to a metre, Cork to Dublin, at 330km, would be 990,000 bananas. Assuming the current 70mph/120kph motorway/dual carriageway speed limit, this equates to a legal rate of progress of 360,000 bananas per hour (BPH). Which system is better? I would think the metric for consistency and size of measurements.
For the same mindset as banana lovers, many Italians preferred their lira and Belgians preferred their equally ludicrous franc.
After 10 years in Belgium, when the euro was introduced I could never calculate large sums of Belgian francs in serious money. Smaller is definitely better.
While Transport Minister Seamus Brennan is on his consistency and commonsense drive, he may wish to address the heavy metal ‘Achtung! Drive on the left’ signs. The most ridiculous examples are the two on the airport hill approaching the Bull McCabe pub from Cork airport.
They are a good 2km from any intersecting roads or pathways.
If one was to survive driving on the wrong side of the road long enough to read these luminous signs that are less than illuminating, then you could assume safely that the monkey-and-banana god is on your side and keep on going regardless.
David Connolly
178 Ave Louise
Brussels B-1050
Belgium
