“Phred has no life whatsoever.”

“PS

Can anyone tell me who really MISS HAPEN is?”

“Sally - Brumby

I don't really want to get into any deep debate about the enforcement of metric over imperial weights in shops.

However, there has to be a certain degree of standardisation of weight, length and capacity if we are to trade with Europe.

When metrication was introduced, I don't think it was the EU who threatened shop-kepers for using imperial weights, it was the Uk government......and latterly they relaxed the rules about fining.

In this country, we still have a bit of a mixture with, for example, MPH and speed limit signs.

However, I have no difficulty with metric measures - they make sense. For example, 1 cubic metre of water weighs 1 tonne and if you know the specific gravity of substances one can easily work out the weight for its capacity size.

Having a base of 10 is much easier than having an imperial system originally based on the length of one's thumb; the distance to finger tips from elbow and how much ground an average horse could plough in a day (acre)!

I recall going into a builders' yard in the '70's and asking for some 4"x 2" timbers only to be forcibly told that they had gone metric and that they only sold 50mm x 100mm timbers. Then the assistant asked me what length I wanted - 8 foot, or 12 foot!

Then there's the true story of the US and the Russians cooperating to build a combined space rocket - the US build the top half using imperial measures and the USSR built the bottom section employing metric measures.

Evolution in measurement happens - otherwise we would still be using groats, bushells and perches......but then we still use the Chain length (22 yards) for a cricket wicket.

Imperial measures have their origin in the practicalities of their day....most to do with farming and agriculture of the Middle Ages. It's a bit like finding out that the avarage distance between villages pre-Industurial Revolution days was 9 miles with a hamlet, on average every 4 and half miles - 9 miles was the distance that a herd of livestock could be driven in a day - the hamlet was the drovers' lunch break!”

“Phred. Your probably right. And I agree with what you say.But what about Weights and measures. Is that a EU misconception. Is Fruit and Veg workers threat of imprisonment or fines for refusing to change over to Eu weights and measures a misconception.”

“TO the ST reporter:

You have grossly misled the reader in your first paragraph.

Para 2 - there has never been a 'BAN'.

The 3rd paragraph - slightly corrects the misconception by indicating 'EU-wide marketing standards' - but this does not mean it was EU legislation - it was a self-imposed standardistion by fuit/veg importers/exportes across the EU.
The so-called 'Red Tape' IS NOT from the EU - but from such outlets as supermarkets who would normally only stock CLASS A.

The penultimate paragraph is correct - imposed by the fruit and veg industry (not by eu law)”

“There has NEVER been EU legislation about wonky fruit!!!!

This popular misconception is often perpetuated by EU-sceptics....but it ain't true.

In reality, fruit & veg merchants across the EU agreed to standardise the Class of fruit and veg....so that a Class A cumcumber was the same in Latvia , as well as the UK. It made it much easier for importers to know what grade of fuit and veg they were buying without the need to make an on-site inspection of the stuff.

Retailers, such as supermarkets, have always had the opportunities to buy lower class fuit and veg (ie wonky, bent bananas and etc), but have previously claimed that their customers wanted the best and that Class C would not sell.

Now with the Recession, there is a demand from the public.
The EU has NOT relaxed its rules.....its the retailers who have changed their critieria on what fruit and veg stock it will display on their shelves.

Can we PLEASE get away from the wonky ideas that the EU makes nonsensical laws, as this has nothing to do with EU legistlation and is related to the chain of retailers' supply and demand.”

“They've been selling it on the market for years. You ask for the nice stuff from the display and they give you misshapen, mouldy rubbish from underneath.”

“At long last bureaucracy has been beaten. Long live wonky fruit and veg.”

“Let's hope that it may lead to ALL stupid EU rules being scrapped. In fact - from a shopping point of view - let's hope the whole thing can be scrapped.”

“I hope that this is the first of many stupid EU rules to be scrapped.”