I think I have a name for this phenomenon: the U.S. "social factor" in
metrology.
It sure as heck appears in healthcare. Almost all of the units used are
metric, but when it comes to patient height, patient weight, and oral liquid
medication measurement, the people force themselves to revert to the
inch-pound and apothecary units. This behavior seems to be independent of
national origin. For example, the numerous non-U.S. citizens who come to the
U.S. (Texas, anyway) to study medicine adopt our old measurement units as if
to the manner born. It is American peer pressure.
----- Original Message -----
From: "Pierre Abbat" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: "U.S. Metric Association" <[email protected]>
Sent: 06 Sep 04,Monday 17:21
Subject: [USMA:37268] Why are immigrants talking in pounds?
Yesterday I was coming back from a camping trip with a church group and we
stopped at a fast food place. I ate nothing there, as I have been eating
raw
for a few months, and what I wanted (and will eat shortly) was a few
salted
avocados. One of them asked how much I had lost. "Siete kilos," I
answered.
(I was 81 when I went raw and 74 the day we left.) He discussed with the
other people how many pounds that was. He is from Venezuela, and as far as
I'm aware, everyone there but me is from another country. Why would they
want
to convert it to pounds?
Pierre
