I agree (from a different perspective) with Phil here.
I'm always perplexed when some organisations claim that "only US, etc etc is
non-metric".
This would mean that the "m" on British roads means metres (as 'miles' don't
exist in officially metric countries).
However, don't stop at Britain! Most of the caribbean is still mixed or
imperial dominant.
I've just come back from Barbados where the mix is very strong.
Smaller shops use lb/oz measuring devices whereas large supermarkets use
metric at the counter but mixed at the loose stuff (likethe UK).
Unlike the UK the roads are 'meant' to be metric. However no town has a
distance sign (which is a right pain) and the site of km/h speed limits are
fairly rare. However - privately made signs are a mix of mile, yard, km and
m. My hire car was japanese and thus metric speedo and km milometer.
What was quite strange was talking to a taxi driver who, despite his speedo
being metric only (it was a japanese care), referred to all distances in
miles (inluding a calypso style even tthat happens in bridgetown in March).
I asked him how long he'd been a taxi driver - 6 yrs. As far as I know
Barbados roads have been 'metric' for ages.
So in conclusion I have no idea why only 3 countries are quoted as being
non-metric.
From: "Philip S Hall" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Reply-To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
To: "U.S. Metric Association" <[email protected]>
Subject: [USMA:35241] Re: liberia and myanmar
Date: Sat, 19 Nov 2005 12:41:45 -0000
Dear Amy
It's the term *offcially* metric that is the key here. I'm English and live
in the UK. My country is officially metric. However you might not think so
if you lived here too. Our road signs are still imperial and there are no
formal plans to change them (although there is a long term obligation do so
as a member state of the European Union). The state owned broadcaster, the
BBC, is very poor at consistent metric usage and have no policy on the
issue.
I wish you the very best of luck with your research project Amy, and as you
have already begun to observe it isn't a simple matter.
Regards
Phil Hall
----- Original Message ----- From: "Amy Wang" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: "U.S. Metric Association" <[email protected]>
Sent: Saturday, November 19, 2005 3:02 AM
Subject: [USMA:35236] liberia and myanmar
Hello,
I am a graduate student researching the status of the metric system in
the U.S. for my thesis, and am hoping for some help. In many sources I've
seen the statistic that only three countries in the world are not yet
officially metric--the U.S., Liberia, and Myanmar. Yet when I looked
quickly on the Lonely Planet travel guide online, it seems there are
other spots that are not metric either, such as Aruba and Bermuda.
They're not considered countries, but neither are they part of
U.S./Liberia/Myanmar, so perhaps someone knows whether and where the
original statement can be verified?
Thank you!
Amy.
