Meterstick

The AP article below is interesting to me for two reasons.

Porn video shown on Moscow highway billboard
By NATALIYA VASILYEVA, Associated Press Writer
Friday, January 15, 2010

Drivers in downtown Moscow squinted in disbelief as an electronic highway billboard blazed a two-minute pornographic video instead of its regular advertising clips.

Late-night traffic on one of the Russian capital's busiest roads slowed Thursday as a couple's explicit escapades appeared on the 9-by-6-meter (yard) display.

Some people took pictures of the sight with their mobile phones and posted them on the Internet.

Passer-by Alyona Prokulatova told The Associated Press that she was "so shocked that I couldn't even shoot video or take a picture of it."

The screen's owner, 3 Stars, told the AP that a hacker attack was likely to blame. Police were investigating the incident.

First, obviously, is that someone managed to show porn on a billboard during a heavy traffic time!

Second, who decided that "yard" is an acceptable equivalent to "meter"?