O/T Signboards

[The Camel]

You are driving to the Capital down the M1.

You see a signboard which proclaims: "London 92"

Answer me a question please..

Is it 92 miles to the nearest point of London from where you are? Or a Central London? Or a specific place in London?

The conundrum has been bothering me all day!

[Colchester Kev]

i have always taken the mileage signs to be a distance to the town boundary .. .. but not 100% certain.

[roverthtaeh]

It's 92 miles to wherever you are going in London. The sign changes for each passing car.

[bolt pp]

It's 92 miles to wherever you are going in London. The sign changes for each passing car.

LOL

[Royal Flush]

You are driving to the Capital down the M1.

You see a signboard which proclaims: "London 92"

Answer me a question please..

Is it 92 miles to the nearest point of London from where you are? Or a Central London? Or a specific place in London?

The conundrum has been bothering me all day!

I am not alone!

[thetank]

Driving into Aberdeen, there's a sign that says "Aberdeen 3" then two hundred yards later, one saying "Welcome to the city of Aberdeen."

Hope this helps. 

[roverthtaeh]

Driving into Aberdeen, there's a sign that says "Aberdeen 3" then two hundred yards later, one saying "Welcome to the city of Aberdeen.""Kilmarnock 2"

Hope this helps.

[Ginger]

I've always assumed it referred to the city centre, but also never been too sure (and never wanted to look silly asking if it was well known)

[bolt pp]

Driving into Aberdeen, there's a sign that says "Aberdeen 3" then two hundred yards later, one saying "Welcome to the city of Aberdeen.""Kilmarnock 2"

Hope this helps.

I was about to go out but i want to stay in and read your posts all night

[Moskvich]

I always believed that distances are in general measured to the town's main post office, but i'm not quite sure where I've got that from. I've also always believed that in the case of London it's the distance to trafalgar square. Again though, can't back that up with any conviction...

[thetank]

What's the official centre of London then?

I assume the measured centre of cities would be some kind of municipal offical type building town housey type thing.
Houses of Parliament for London maybe?

[roverthtaeh]

I was about to go out but i want to stay in and read your posts all night
[/quote]
No, please, do go out :-)

[Dewi_cool]

scaled map and compass required methinks, and exact location of sign

[thetank]

Don't trust the maps. A crow with a pedometer is the way to go 

[Moskvich]

In New Zealand at least, this seems to be the answer.

Distances are measured from the sign to the "recognised centre" of each destination. In days gone by, this was traditionally the post office, but in the 1980s the Lange Government closed many of these, creating something of a dilemma. In Auckland the measurement point is now the motorway offramp closest to the CBD, which gives motorists an idea of how much further they have to go. For example, the distance sign you mention is near the Papakura offramp and is measured to the end of the Nelson St offramp.

Hope that helps...