I've compiled at the end of this three emails about what you want to have
metricated by mandate.
I don't see much consistency, either between posts, or within a post with
respect to dealing with government versus private institutions.
Here's my suggestion, IN CHRONOLOGICAL ORDER (not that I am changing my
opposition to mandated metrication in the private sector, but if it is going
to happen, then minimize the pain). Also, I am lumping federal and state
governments together, which may not work in reality.
(1) Change/remove all laws that prohibit use of metric labels (if any exist)
(2) Change/remove all laws the require the use of colloquial units
(3) Mandate the all government entities do procurement using metric units
(the federal government is the single largest purchaser in the country).
(4) Mandate that all government operations use metric units (not just
procurement, but everything in the operation, such as road signs and
government-supplied weather reports)
(5) Mandate that quasi-government operations be fully converted to metric
(USPS -- how many people will learn about "grams" and "kilograms" when they
mail boxes and letters?)
(6) Mandate common carriers to use metric only (UPS, FedEx, freight
carriers, etc.)
(7) Mandate that public-license broadcasters (radio and TV) show dual units.
(8) Mandate soft-conversion for consumer product labels, and unit-pricing be
done with metric units.
(9) Mandate all *new* consumer products be designed with hard metric (i.e.,
use metric fasteners, etc.)
(10) Mandate that *new* non-consumer products be designed with hard metric.
My bet is that by the time we reach #6 (a few years?), the rest will already
be well on the way to happening, perhaps obviating the need for more
"mandates".
My only objection to the lists below is "rational sizes." I know they feel
good, but there are many reasons for picking non-rational sizes, as is
evidenced by the plethora of non-rational colloquial sizes on the store
shelves. I don't see any advantage in the big picture to such a requirement.
Comments?
Jim Elwell
Carlton wrote:
> Weather in degrees Celsius, km/h, etc.
> Road signs in km or m.
> Packaging in metric only. I won't get picky about hard metric,
> just have it in metric.
> Advertising in metric. No more Giant Food calling a 2 liter
> bottle of soda a "67.6 oz." bottle.
> Building supplies, etc. shown in metric first. Doesn't have to
> be hard metric especially since most of it is nominal anyway, and
> there's a lot of legacy construction for which stuff still has to fit.
> Hospitals and doctors measuring and weighing carbon based life
> forms in metric.
> If people want to use ifp in the lonely hearts ads more power to
> them. Ultimately they will give up.
> In general, nothing official or commercial in wombat units.
> No policing of what people say to each other.
Joseph Reid:
> I would regard metrication to be complete when non-metric measuring
> instruments are no longer used, and when documantation has been converted
> to metric. The adoption of hard metric standards could follow in due
> course, if necessary.
Bill Hooper:
> Not JUST labels, but labels would be a good start.
> Rational sizes would be helpful (but sometimes we don't even get rational
> sizes with the non-SI currently in use).
> SI pricing would be a big step forward.
> For measuring instruments (or devices that contral measured amounts),
> require that they measure in SI or, perhaps temporarily in both SI and old
> non-SI units, but arranged so that the SI is always easier to measure.
> Sports, provided that it the sports management can be persuaded to
> cooperate. (I'd hope they could be persuaded to cooperate but, hell, we've
> lived this long with horse racing in furlong, I guess we could live with
> football in archaic yards instead of metres).
> Federal regulations in metric.
