Re: Illiteracy in America

From: Paul J Kriha (paul.nospam.kriha_at_paradise.net.nz)
Date: 10/08/04 

Date: Fri, 8 Oct 2004 20:58:57 +1300

LEE Sau Dan <danlee@informatik.uni-freiburg.de> wrote in message
news:m3wty3shaf.fsf@mika.informatik.uni-freiburg.de...
> >>>>> "Peter" == Peter T Daniels <grammatim@worldnet.att.net> writes:
>
> >> What's the point of using "TRN" instead of "TRAIN"? I can see
> >> why the contraction "PED" is used. But "TRN"? What's the
> >> point?
>
> Peter> Because TRAIN is wider than TRN,
>
> But by how much? Given that "I" (in sans-serif typefaces) is so thin!?
>
>
> Peter> and the fewer the letters, the bigger they can be?
>
> The difference is so "negligible". PED for "PEDISTRIAN" is
> understandable. But "TRN" for "TRAIN" is ridiculous (unless
> recognizability for Italians was intended).
>
> Why not also shorten "TURN" into "TRN", then?
> And "XING" is too long, too. "XNG" is much shorter!

I think the whole point was that the abbreviations always tend to be
ridiculous. When you have large numbers of foreign tourists on the
roads you don't want people spending several seconds trying to
decipher TRN XING, RR XING (US railroad crossing), RW XING
(railway crossing).

It is more sensible to put up a sign with a simple representation of
railway tracks with a black engine.

Paul JK

> Peter> Anyway it's RR XING.
> What's RR?
railroad
>
> Lee Sau Dan

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