[USMA:33351] soft metric conversions

[Philip S Hall]

2) If I spent the whole day deliberately using metric references when 
normally imperial ones get used people would start to get annoyed with 
me - specifically work colleagues and peer group. (but I still woouldn't 
dare ask for 568ml of cider in the pub!).

If I can keep it up and concentrate hard enough I might well try out point 
"2" at some point.

I wouldn't do that and I wouldn't expect anyone else to. The pint is a pint 
and thats that. Asking for 568 mL is a pointless exercise, (unless of course 
you wanted a bit of fun by befuddlng the poor barmaid).

Suppose things were the other way round and mL were legalised to replace the 
pint. Would you ask for seventeen and three eights fluid ounces just to 
avoid saying half a litre?

Going metric means adopting rational metric quantities and making sensible 
choices in metric for approximations etc. It doesn't mean soft conversions 
resulting in odd figures that you'd never choose as a working reference and 
just makes things awkward.

Phil Hall