Dear All,
In a previous post on this subject I described one of the major groups of
opponents as 'Traders'. I did this in error in that I was actually thinking
about 'Rogue traders' but I inadvertently lumped all traders in the same
boat. What I meant to say was this:
3 Rogue traders These are the folk to attack, and to attack with vigor.
Rogue traders deliberately (and regularly) use old measures to dupe their
customers. And twas ever thus � the pharaohs used a royal cubit for buying
and a regular cubit for selling, with the difference of about 20% finding
its way into the royal coffers. Rogue traders have always used units of
measurement (and units of currency) to dupe the illiterate, the innumerate,
and the unwary. Rogue traders are the people who have to be restricted by
measuring laws, both nationally and internationally. Rogue traders also know
that governments are trying to limit their theft from their customers so
they resist changes in measurement individually and as groups. Individuals
might be fruit and veg. traders or fishmongers, while groups might use
acronyms such as TABD or OPEC to disguise their ultimate goal of denying the
population of rational, just, and fair measurements. Other examples that
come to mind are TV and computer screen sellers with their short inches,
diamond dealers with their obscure carats, and oil traders with their
barrels.
However, while rogue traders are the folk to attack, we should beware of how
disputes can be seen by third parties. In the UK some people, who called
themselves 'metric martyrs', successfully exploited third party sympathy.
When the 'metric martyrs' were charged with using illegal scales for
weighing, many onlookers saw this as harassment of otherwise lovable and
naive folk who were simply trying to make a living. Audience opinion is
often more important than 'winning' or 'losing'.
As we move to metric, the small minority of rogue traders will probably
change tactics and use metric units to dupe their customers in similar ways
that they formerly used old units; size changing is a common example. We
need to be aware of this so that these rogue traders do not provide
arguments against metrication.
One thing we can be sure of with respect to rogue traders is that they have
been with us for a long time in the past � and they will be with us for a
long time into the future.
Cheers,
Pat Naughtin
CAMS - Certified Advanced Metrication Specialist
- United States Metric Association
ASM - Accredited Speaking Member
- National Speakers Association of Australia
Member, International Federation for Professional Speakers
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