[EMAIL PROTECTED] writes:
Just back from Maine and Atlantic Canada, a favorite vacation spot. Some
observations:
I just got back from 13 days in Quebec.
1. My car has a metric speedometer (no mph at all) and it was really nice to
make use of it.
2. Real estate still in "pi. ca.". Pathetic.
3. Friends up there give all distances in km now, and don't "translate" for
this American.
4. Meat and produce still advertised in "lb". Pathetic. Notable exception:
Costco, sells by the kg.
5. Kilometer posts along the highway go by rather quickly when you are doing
120.
6. Attention Americans, it takes very little time to get used to it.
7. Annoying temperatures in Fahrenheit from the American network stations
received on cable TV up there.
8. Huge sign at the border in two official languages: OUR ROAD SIGNS ARE
METRIC.
9. No help in Vermont for Canadians coming into the USA except for one
little sign that said that 65 mph = 103 km/h. A few distance signs further
down gave distances in both "mi." and "km." (sic)
10. Height restrictions in garages still show feet and inches as well as
meters.
Someone in Ottawa should just put his or her foot down and declare that
Canada is not under the thumb of the Americans and just finish the job off:
advertisements, real estate, no non-metric signs allowed, etc. Maybe that
will help efforts in the USA.
(There will still be the problems of lonely-hearts ads and birth
announcements -- what is it with anthropomorphic measurements?)
Carleton
