They forgot to mention that using imperial makes us "the laughing stock of
the world".
I always love that one!
;-)
From: "Bill Potts" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Reply-To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
To: "U.S. Metric Association" <[email protected]>
Subject: [USMA:32896] Re: Metric in federal legislation
Date: Wed, 25 May 2005 01:26:57 -0700
Daniel Jackson wrote:
What is the UKMA and what do they mean by "A Very British Mess"?
What kind of mess is Britain in?
A simple Google search would reveal it for you. However, it's United
Kingdom
Metric Association.
Here's the synopsis from their website at http://ukma.org.uk.
Synopsis
British weights and measures are in a mess. This is because although many
aspects of national life are metric (including most industry and building,
school mathematics and science, athletics, rugby union and Ordnance Survey
maps), many imperial relics remain (e.g. in road signs, football
commentaries, estate agents� advertisements and most non-specialist
media).
The result is a confusing muddle.
This half metric, half imperial muddle matters. It matters because it
increases costs (dual pricing and marking of packages), prevents fair
comparisons in shops, requires constant conversions, leads to
misunderstandings, wastes our children�s metric education, confuses
overseas
visitors, and, not least, frustrates one of the great advantages of metric
units - that they constitute a proper coherent system in which all units
are
interrelated and easy to calculate in.
We are in this mess because successive British governments lacked the
commitment and political courage to carry through a necessary reform in a
decisive and co-ordinated manner. Instead they have lapsed into a
piecemeal,
�voluntary/gradual� approach without attempting to explain the reasons for
change or to win hearts and minds. The result has been that opponents of
change have been able to exploit fears of the unknown and misrepresent
metrication as though it were a foreign imposition. The reform has
therefore
stalled.
UK Metric Association (UKMA) contends that there is a way out of this mess.
The purpose of this report by the UKMA is to persuade responsible opinion
formers that the UK should complete the changeover to exclusive use of the
international metric system as soon as practicable. The UK is the only
significant country in the world (apart from the USA) which has begun and
then failed to carry through a metric conversion programme. UKMA calls upon
the Government to demonstrate its commitment by announcing early completion
dates for all remaining areas of national life, including retailing and
road
signs
Bill Potts, CMS
Roseville, CA
http://metric1.org [SI Navigator]
