My experience is that the vast majority (prob over 80%) don't ever even
raise the issue - they're just not interested (I wish they were). They just
don't notice it - they'll say "litre" and "yard" in the same sentence and
have absolutely no idea that both come from different measuring systems.
Then the rest comprise of
- Libertarians (like me) who would like to keep it as is - keep the choice
element. I guess we are the ones who have no issue with metric - just the
imposition of metric and banning of imperial.
- Those who find the metric/imperial mix odd, but are happy with it
- Those who would like to see metrication completed but prefer not to do
anything about it (and I have to say - with readiness to be hounded - that
these are a tiny minority)
- Those who hate metric because its some form of plot from the "hated" EU
(which is an unfortunate mis-interpretation)
- Those who prefer it "the old way"
- Those who find it "very British" and would like to keep it
- Those who campaign for the abolition of imperial, as in "anti-imperial",
and propogate the idea that "we're all european now" and cite that EU laws
should be used to force this (basically the arch-nemesis of those identified
3 points ago).
That's a bit of a list - but bear in mind the >80% I mention at the start of
the message.
Oh, let me add, "IMHO"
Steve
P.S. My favourite quote of all time was from a young army person/friend of
mine who said the most funny quote regarding measures - he said:-
"Hey! It's miles and metres for me, none of that French stuff"
From: "Daniel" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Reply-To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
To: "U.S. Metric Association" <[email protected]>
Subject: [USMA:33456] Re: BBC-- a basket case?
Date: Thu, 7 Jul 2005 00:38:58 -0400
Would you say your friends are typical citizens? Can we surmise from the
response of your friends that the majority of people in the UK would like
to see metrication completed? That they don't push it not because they
don't want it, because they just accept the present situation? So, if your
friends are typical of the majority they would have no problem seeing the
job done.
You may need to encourage them to do something and not accept the status
quo. If it is only the last bit that has to be done, their efforts would
be worth it to simplify their lives. Give it a go, mate!
Dan
----- Original Message ----- From: "Carleton MacDonald"
<[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: "U.S. Metric Association" <[email protected]>
Sent: Wednesday, 2005-07-06 20:02
Subject: [USMA:33455] Re: BBC-- a basket case?
No, they weren't complaining - they just treated it as part of life. Most
thought it strange that this last bit of metrication hadn't been done. The
feeling was that the country should just get it over with.
Carleton
-----Original Message-----
From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf
Of Daniel
Sent: Wednesday, July 06, 2005 00:05
To: U.S. Metric Association
Subject: [USMA:33451] Re: BBC-- a basket case?
Were your friends complaining about the status quo? What direction do
they
think the UK should take on the issue, if any?
Can you give us more details of your experience?
Dan
----- Original Message ----- From: "Carleton MacDonald"
<[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: "U.S. Metric Association" <[email protected]>
Sent: Tuesday, 2005-07-05 19:05
Subject: [USMA:33450] Re: BBC-- a basket case?
I was in the UK the past couple of weeks. Most interesting was the use
of
"m" on motorway signs to mean "miles", as in, "A32 exit 1/2 m" ... a sign
only 500 mm from the exit would not be very useful.
UKMA is right, it's quite a jumble still. Friends over there said the
problem was not doing it all at once like the Australians did.
Carleton
-----Original Message-----
From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On
Behalf
Of Stephen Humphreys
Sent: Tuesday, July 05, 2005 03:53
To: U.S. Metric Association
Subject: [USMA:33445] Re: BBC-- a basket case?
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/4646969.stm
This one is interesting for the use of "m" to mean "millions":
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/4649423.stm
From: "Philip S Hall" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Reply-To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
To: "U.S. Metric Association" <[email protected]>
Subject: [USMA:33437] Re: BBC-- a basket case?
Date: Mon, 4 Jul 2005 16:01:07 +0100
Today following the actual impact they report it in metric only:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/4647673.stm
Phil Hall
----- Original Message -----
From: Ezra Steinberg
To: U.S. Metric Association
Sent: Monday, July 04, 2005 5:46 AM
Subject: [USMA:33435] BBC-- a basket case?
So, here we are, on the web site of the official British news
organization discussing a science event (the crashing of the space probe
into a comet for the first time), and every single appearance of SI is
immediately followed by Imperial (in parentheses):
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/4642845.stm
Sadly, this isn't any better than NASA's site (at least based on the
couple of pages I quickly sampled on this topic), which also leads with
SI
and follows with US Customary in parentheses.
Ah, well. As an eternal optimist, I continue to hold out hope that
one
day Britain will once again lead the way!
Ezra
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