I have to agree with that. Right policy, wrong strategy. I NEVER lecture people on why they shouldn't use imperial, that gives your cards away. I just act bewildered, saying I must have been daydreaming the day that taught that in grade school (which I WAS, but that's another subject). This may not work with feet, inches, and miles in present-day US, since they're too pervasive, but with lesser-used units such as "ounces" "quarts" "acres", etc, I play the ignorance card.
Nat -----Original Message----- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of BigChimp Sent: Saturday, 2004 April 03 9:08 To: U.S. Metric Association Subject: [USMA:29413] Re: Fw: Inches in a Dutch ad from an airline You made a whopping mistake in telling them you are fluent is US/UK units. If I worked for the airline, the first thought to come into my head would be: "Then, why are you complaining?". Then I would promptly discard your message. They may feel it is not an issue if everyone like you understands the information. You would have been better off asking them what those words and numbers mean? Acting ignorant may have gotten you a response. If they feel their potential customers don't understand the info, then they will be inclined to make an effort to change it. If the information they provide is understandable, even if not in a format you may have preferred, then they will see no need to change what they have. Euric ----- Original Message ----- From: "Han Maenen" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: "U.S. Metric Association" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Friday, 2004-04-02 15:48 Subject: [USMA:29411] Fw: Inches in a Dutch ad from an airline > One of our own airlines found it necessary to use inches for leg room > in an > ad. I sent them this message. Although I got no answer, I hope that > they have taken it in. I feel that I have to oppose such fifth column > activities, so I could not let it pass. > > Dear Sir, Madam, > > Last Saturday I read an advertisement from your airline in our > provincial newspaper. It said something about the leg room of 28 > inches in the aircraft > of other companies compared to the leg room of 32 inches in your > planes. Why inches? Why should we have to use medieval units? Is it > because they are > used in the USA? > We and almost all other nations in the world (except the USA and > partly the UK) use the metric system (International system of Units, > SI), and we have no need at all for US and UK weights and > measures.They belong in > a museum. Everything non-metric we use at present has come in under US > and UK influence in the past. At least we should limit their use to > what is strictly unavoidable, until at last the day arrives when we > can boot these units out. I am fluent in US/UK units and that is > exactly the reason why I oppose any attempt at introducing them or > popularizing them (in The Netherlands), an attempt which is chrystal > clear in your ad. Compared to the > metric system these units are an absurd pile of rubble, a vestige from > the Middle Ages. And this should be adopted here? Really? Replacing > the metric system by US/UK units is to me an act of madness. It is > akin to replacing high speed trains by horse drawn stage coaches and > river barges. I request that you stop expressing leg room in inches > and to do that in centimeters in the future. That is what we measure > with and what we think in. > > In spite of this critism I hope to fly with VBIRD one day, especially > if you > add Dublin to your route network. > > Yours, etc. > > Translated from: > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: Han Maenen > To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > Sent: Sunday, 2004-03-28 19:08 > Subject: Inches in reclame > > > Geachte heer, mevrouw, > > Zaterdagochtend las ik in een advertentie in de Gelderlander iets over > beenruimtes van 28 inches en 32 inches. Waarom inches? Waarom moeten > wij met middeleeuwse maten rekenen? Is het misschien omdat ze > Amerikaans zijn? Wij en bijna alle andere landen ter wereld (met als > uitzonderingen de USA en > grotendeels het UK) gebruiken het metrieke stelsel (SI - > Internationaal Stelsel van Eenheden) en we hebben helemaal geen Britse > en Amerikaanse maten > en gewichten nodig. Die horen thuis in het museum. Alles wat we > daarvan gebruiken is ons door Amerika en Engeland in het verleden > opgedrongen. We zouden het gebruik ervan tenminste kunnen beperken tot > het allernoodzakelijkste tot de dag komt waarop we ze er eindelijk uit > kunnen gooien. Ik kan met Britse en Amerikaanse eenheden omgaan en > juist daarom verzet ik me tegen iedere poging om ze in te voeren of > populair te maken, wat overduidelijk het geval is in uw advertentie. > Vergeleken met het metrieke stelsel zijn Britse en Amerikaanse maten > en gewichten een absurde puinhoop, > een belachelijk overblijfsel uit de middeleeuwen, en dat zouden we > moeten invoeren? Vervanging van het metrieke stelsel door deze > eenheden vind ik waanzinnig. Het staat gelijk met het vervangen van > snelle treinen door trekschuiten en postkoetsen. > Ik verzoek u om in uw advertenties beenruimte niet meer in inches, maar in > centimeters uit te drukken. Daar meten we mee en daar denken we in. > > Ondanks deze kritiek hoop ik ooit met VBIRD te gaan vliegen, zeker als > ook Dublin aan het rijtje bestemmingen wordt toegevoegd. > > Vriendelijke groet, > > H. Maenen > Nijmegen > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > >
