I bet if you asked how many feet are in a mile, most would respond 5280. It tends to be a trivia question. At least it is in the US. Most people here know about 100 yards as it is the length of a (American) football field. Most do not know how many yards are in a mile.
Phil > -----Original Message----- > From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf > Of Stephen Davis > Sent: Wednesday, May 10, 2006 1:49 PM > To: U.S. Metric Association > Cc: USMA > Subject: [USMA:36738] RE: Jade: I didn't know how long a mile was! > > Well....my question was (apart from your wife, apparently) was how many > British people actually know how long a mile is in yards? > > The answer is not that many. Before I took any interest,12 inches in a > foot and 3 feet in a yard was about the limit on my knowledge in imperial > measurement. > > I'd never heard of poles, perches and rods along with countless other > people in Britain. > > Rather ironic given the efforts in some quarters to keep hold of imperial > measurements at any cost yet hardly anyone in this country knows much > about imperial measurements apart from the simplest ones. > > If you ask most people: "How many yards in a mile?" how many would > automatically say "1760 yards?" > > Less than 40%, I'd say. > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Stephen Humphreys" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > To: "U.S. Metric Association" <[email protected]> > Sent: Wednesday, May 10, 2006 9:15 AM > Subject: [USMA:36736] RE: Jade: I didn't know how long a mile was! > > > > My wife is a marathon runner and as a matter of course she, along with > > others in the marathon training community knows how long a mile is. The > > "pacing" technique leading up to a marathon means you need to know. She > is > > currently pacing the 10 mile stage. (She also has totally no interest in > the > > "measurements" debate, by the way). > > I'm not a marathon runner but I, along with countless others, would be > able > > to answer a question like "How far do you travel to work each day?" in > miles > > with some degree of accuracy. > > Similarly those familiar with kilometres would be able to answer the > same > > question. > > Neither would be able to answer with scientific accuracy, obviously. > > Incidentally - you may be aware of the yearly national charity event > called > > "run a mile" which is coming up soon. Somehow I doubt people will be > > saying, "Heck, how can we do that? I don't know what a mile is" > > > > Apart from "genius extraordinaire" Jade Goody. > > > > > > >From: "Stephen Davis" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > >Reply-To: "Stephen Davis" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > >To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > >CC: "USMA" <[email protected]> > > >Subject: Re: [USMA:36733] RE: I didn't know how long a mile was! > > >Date: Tue, 9 May 2006 19:49:54 +0100 > > > > > >How many Brits (never mind Jade Goody) knows how long a mile is? > > > > > >In paces or yards? > > > > > >Regards, > > > > > >Steve. > > >[EMAIL PROTECTED] > > > > > >----- Original Message ----- > > >From: "Stephen Humphreys" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > >To: "U.S. Metric Association" <[email protected]> > > >Sent: Tuesday, May 09, 2006 10:03 AM > > >Subject: [USMA:36733] RE: I didn't know how long a mile was! > > > > > > > > > > It would be unfair to put Jade Goody across as a good argument for > > >anything > > > > without explaining a little bit about the young "lady" to those who > will > > >not > > > > know her as (unfortunately) well as a Brit. > > > > > > > > It's summed up in wikipedia: > > > > > > > > "Goody's fame may be also due in part due to various quotes > portraying > > >her > > > > as being extremely uneducated and ignorant, and a symbol of British > chav > > > > culture. She is considered a representative for the perceived > attitudes > > >of > > > > the British public towards deliberate apathy, trivia, and dumbing > down." > > > > > > > > If you asked her what a centimetre was should probably scream and > say > > >"take > > > > it away, get rid of it, I hate creepy crawlies" > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > >From: "Stephen Davis" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > > > >Reply-To: "Stephen Davis" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > > > >To: "U.S. Metric Association" <[email protected]> > > > > >Subject: [USMA:36732] I didn't know how long a mile was! > > > > >Date: Mon, 8 May 2006 17:24:48 +0100 > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > 04 May 2006 > > > > > Goody confused about marathon length > > > > > Former 'Big Brother' star Jade Goody has admitted that she only > > >agreed > > > > >to run the London Marathon for charity because she didn't know how > long > > >a > > > > >mile was. > > > > > > > > > > Goody collapsed after running 21 miles of the 26-mile race and > was > > > > >treated for exhaustion afterwards. > > > > > > > > > > Speaking on television show 'This Morning', she said: "I don't > > >really > > > > >understand miles. I didn't actually know how far it was going to > be." > > > > > > > > > > "I'll be honest, I didn't take it seriously which is really bad > of > > >me > > > > >because there's people out there who actually want to do the > marathon," > > >she > > > > >said. > > > > > > > > > > "I didn't realise how much commitment the marathon was. I had > four > > > > >training sessions, that's all I did. At most I could run half an > hour > > >on a > > > > >treadmill," Goody said. > > > > > > > > > > "I was expecting to do five miles, not even more than that, so I > > >think I > > > > >did extremely well to get to 21 miles." > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > RELATED STORIES > > > > > Goody collapses during London Marathon, 24 April 2006 > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > 03/05/2006 - 19:14:36 > > > > > > > > > > Jade Goody has admitted she agreed to run the London > Marathon > > > > >because she didn't know how long a mile was. > > > > > > > > > > The dippy Big Brother winner collapsed 21 miles into the > > >26-mile > > > > >race and had to be treated for exhaustion by paramedics. > > > > > > > > > > She told ITV1's This Morning: "I don't really understand > > >miles. I > > > > >didn't actually know how far it was going to be." > > > > > > > > > > Before the race she had just four training sessions - and > ate > > >a > > > > >diet of curry and Chinese takeaways. > > > > > > > > > > "I'll be honest, I didn't take it seriously which is > really > > >bad of > > > > >me because there's people out there who actually want to do the > > >marathon," > > > > >said Jade, 25. > > > > > > > > > > "I didn't realise how much commitment the marathon was. I > had > > >four > > > > >training sessions, that's all I did. At most I could run half an > hour > > >on a > > > > >treadmill. > > > > > > > > > > "I was expecting to do five miles, not even more than > that, so > > >I > > > > >think I did extremely well to get to 21 miles." > > > > > > > > > ><< JadeBigBroPA.jpg >> > > > > > >
