I thought I'd forward a message I've just received. Your comments are
welcome!
>As a 19 year old student, I am baffled by the ridiculous way in which the country is
>being forced into metrication. Why are we changing when it is quite obvious that the
>vast majority of people in this country (72%) are opposed to it.
>
>Why is there such an urge to 'come into line' with other countries, when to many
>people
>our national identity is defined by our difference to others. When will it stop?
>People
>who 'have made several complaints to my local TSD about store signs displaying milk
>prices...in pints', will be in the front line once again when it comes to forcing the
>British public to drive on the wrong side of the road. Why should we change. In an
>extreme
>view, why can't other countries change to our system. It is about time that Britain
>was
>left to make some of its own decisions. If a referendum were held, then the public
>would
>not choose any of the changes that you have proposed in your pages.
>
>You say 96% of the world's population already use the metric system? Really? Surely
>America
>and Britain make up over 4% of the world's population, and both use Inches, Pounds
>etc.
>
>One of the members of my family is a midwife, and finds herself forced by legislation
>to tell
>the mothers their baby's weight in metric, invariably meeting with a request for lb
>and oz.
>
>Imperial numeracy is more convenient, when using inches etc. 12 can be divided into
>by 1,2,3,4 & 6,
>whereas 10 has a meagre 1,2 and 5.
>
>You say that it is ridiculous that we use miles, when we buy petrol in litres, but
>you appear
> not to have considered changing the volume rather than the road system. The
>government pushes
>the public into these situations by changing one thing, and then attempting to
>justify other
>changes in relation to that first one. Rather Domino-esque.
>
>I am not trying to advocate the abolition of Metrication for business purposes. I
>think that
>the public should be able to make a decision without being pressured into changing.
>
>Also, from a student's point of view, how are we supposed to order beer in your
>future. 'Can I
>have a 568ml glass of your finest brew please Landlord' A pint is the perfect size.
>Not too much,
>and not too small.
>
>Yours Perplexedly,
>
>Tim May
--
Chris KEENAN
UK Metrication Association: http://www.metric.org.uk
Pro-metric mailing list now available.
