John Mercer wrote in USMA 28301:Joseph B. Reid
Hello if i were going to talk to a group about the metric system and wanted to use some body parts for example what is the approx hand width of an average man's or women's� in cms.� The reason i would use cms is i believe that people could relate to cms first before mm. I know that i am probably not as strict about SI rules but i am trying to think of the average person and make it as easy as possible for he or she to think metric.� Another idea i have is if products were advertised in cm dimentions people would get used to it.� To really make it a success there should be a media campaign telling people how long a cm is.� Tell them that they can look on any ruler and see cms.� I would dare say there are a lot of people that don't even know�rulers are double sided.� In the media campaign you would tell peple they don't have to get rid of their old rulers. You would tell them that rulers are double sided and that cms are on them already.� Another idea is for ruler manufacturers is to make rulers with only cm and mm on them such as a 30 cm ruler.� If i ever get to talk to a group i would tell them to bring there rulers and have them measure things using the cm side.� I know this isn't perfect but there are millions of double sided rulers out there probably every house in Canada and the U S has at least 1 and probably every company in both countrys as well.�I feel to get metric used we have to use what's already there cms are already out there so why not use them.� I hope you don't think this is� a stupid idea even if you do please let me�know i only want to come up with a good way to get the average person used to metric. John.��������������������
ISO Recommendation 1000, Rule 3.2 states:
"The use of prefixes representing 10 raised to a power which is a multiple of 3 is especially recommended.
"Note. - In certain cases, to ensure convenience in the use of the units, this recommendation cannot followed."
My memory is that a report from Australia said that trades that used the centimetre had difficulty in metrication because the tradesmen had a tendency mentally to try convert back to inches. Trades that used the millimetre found that it took too much mental effort to convert from millimetres to inches, so the workmen did not attempt to do so.
It is a custom in some countries to dimension entirely in millimetres, with no unit statement on individual dimensions, but with the simple statement in the title corner "All dimensions in millimetres". That applies to even to the design of locomotives.
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