Sorry, this was supposed to go to the list, not just Mr. Trusten. Anyway, that sounds like a great plan, sort of like Decimal Day in England when they switched over to a decimal system of currency.
However I have a question. How long would the signs be covered? It couldn't be for a long period of time because people still need to see where they're going. Actually, Mr. Naughtin, how did they do this in Australia? How long were the signs covered? --- On Tue, 1/13/09, Paul Trusten <[email protected]> wrote: From: Paul Trusten <[email protected]> Subject: [USMA:42333] highway metrication is metrication in microcosm To: "U.S. Metric Association" <[email protected]> Date: Tuesday, January 13, 2009, 5:31 PM If U.S. road signs are to be metricated, then, a coordinated, national plan must be followed, such as in the following order: 1)the American PEOPLE must be metricated; that is, children must learn metric in school, and adults must learn metric by a variety of methods: classes, seminars, public service announcements, all with the total backing of federal, state, and local governments and industry leaders. We can't go metric in a vacuum. 2) vehicle odometers and speedometers must be manufactured to be metric or metric-capable, and these changes recognized by law and regulation (the status of older, WOMBAT cars needs to be factored in); all state DOTs are by necessity involved in this, e.g.., motor vehicle measurement standards must become metric, such as vehicle titles recording odometer readings in kilometers; vehicle weight must be recorded in, and legally based upon, kilograms). 3) metric road signs are prepared and erected, but covered over until "m-Day" (perhaps President Obama will include the erection of these new metric road signs as part of his national work program) 4) "m-Day" is set (the single day of unveiling metric road sign on the highways nationwide) 5) "m-only Day" - date must be established beyond which the automakers will manufacture vehicles with metric measuring equipment only, so future vehicles could not be accidentally switched back to the old unit readout ----- Original Message ----- From: "Victor Jockin" <[email protected]> To: "U.S. Metric Association" <[email protected]> Sent: 13 January, 2009 00:32 Subject: [USMA:42329] Re: Change-over period to the metric system & the aviation industry. > > Re: pipes and plywood, I would rate the relative importance of areas to switch in the following way: > > Road Signs: 85% > Consumer Products: 7% > Temperatures: 7% > Industrial, Construction, Manufacturing, Engineering, Architecture, etc.: 1% > > If road signs were converted, it would tip the scales and everything else that matters would, eventually but surely, fall into place. For example, I'm trying to get NY Times science reporters to not convert NASAs metric distances to US measures. Would they even think about doing that were the road signs in metric? Would USGS keep showing elevations and distances in feet and miles? Road signs are the cornerstone of US traditional measures in this country, and if we knock that out, we win the war. > > On the other hand, would anyone who's not an aviation engineer even know what units Boeing uses to specify parts? If everything the public saw was metric, would or should the public even care? (Yes, there may be a business case for one way or the other, but a lot of business decisions are dealt with out of public view, as this one should be, as far as I'm concerned). > > To me our cause for hope is this: Provided a clause can be slipped into some bill negating the ban on using public funds for metric signs, the whole battle (i.e., road signs, and the full conversion it would engender) can be won through the actions of one enlightened President, who could simply direct the DOT to change the signs (here we can blame Ford and Carter). All Congress would need to do is decline to block such an action. > > > > -------------------------------------------------- > From: "Pierre Abbat" <[email protected]> > Sent: 01/12/2009 9:39 PM > To: "U.S. Metric Association" <[email protected]> > Subject: [USMA:42328] Re: Change-over period to the metric system & the aviation industry. > >> >> On Monday 12 January 2009 15:58:06 Bill Hooper wrote: >>> Some things would take longer because of durable goods that it are too >>> expensive just to throw out because it is not metric; think "my >>> house". You're not going to tear down your house that was built to >>> olde English standards just because you can only get metric sized >>> sheets of wallboard or plywood. Manufacturers will need to make, and >>> suppliers will need to sell, some olde English sizes of building >>> materials for some years so that old, pre-metric homes can be kept in >>> good repair. The critical part of this is to persuade the builders and >>> suppliers of NEW construction to begin using metric sizes. >> >> Another example, which I thought about during my hydrology class, is storm >> sewer drainpipes. I think the correct solution for that is to designate one >> pipe company (there are few) to make only Renard number sized pipes in >> metric, require all new pipe runs to be done in such sizes, and let the other >> companies metricate when they decide to. Existing pipe runs may be repaired >> with inch-sized pipes. >> >> Pierre >> >> > > >
