I find the expereiencs recounted on this quitre interesting.
They illustrate the social pressures that can lead to people feeling inhibited about using metric. In the UK the general reaction to speaking metric in cases where it's not usually heard (e.g. personal height and weight) tends to be "what's that in ...?". It isn't a big thing with them and they are quite calm about it but it does nevertheless result in a gentle but very real discouraging influence. No wonder kids end up talking imperial in spite of a metric education.
Phil Hall
