But what happens when you get the likes of me - educated purely in metric
but finding myself choosing an appropriately convenient measure for a task
I choose to do at the point I choose to do it - a measure that could be
metric or imperial?
There are many of us like that in the UK.
We call it "convenience" (or as the UKMA call it "A Very British Mess")
You are an exceptional case in that, as you have clearly demonstrated, you
are firmly against the idea of change to metric and will never be pursuaded
otherwise no matter how well reasoned the argument. We don't expect to
literally pursuade every individual citizen in the UK but a general sea
change may be possible.
- Anti-metric campaigners tellng people it's going to cost a billion
pounds to change our road signs, (a figure which is totally
unsubstantiatied and a gross exaggeration)?
Do you know how much it would cost?
Without going into detail I can assure you the true figure is lilkely to be
less than �100 million, about one tenth of that claimed. You may say in
response that it is still way too much, but my real point is that if
opponents are so confident of their case against it why exaggerate the cost.
People are being misled by this kind of disinformation and I find it
hypocritical that those who peddle it often pretend the state is some evil
tyrant.
And over, say, 1000 years will it have paid for itself in increased
trade, safety or convenience?
No one is claiming the project to be self financing but there are potential
benefits in making the change which have never been put before the British
public.
Or might it be done with the risk of harming British roads being the
safest in Europe just so that some people can see 'km' and 'm' in place of
'm' and 'yds'?
There is no evidence that safety will be put at risk - the Irish change-over
a few months ago has not produced a sudden increase traffic accidents, nor
so far as I can tell has this kind of change been fatal in America where, in
some cases they changed over and back again..
- Metric martyr campaigners telling everybody Steven Thoburn was
criminialised for selling a pound of bananas?
At both polar ends of the metric / imperial debate either side will make
capital out of what is loosely true when viewing the whole case in a
specific perspective.
Didn't you notice an election just happening? Both sides made claims that
were fodder for the listener.
Not all groups campaigning for change resort to tabloid press style tactics.
From my observations prometric groups are the least offenders in that
respect largely because they don't need to do it.
