Respect rather than contempt for the EU Metric Directive (80-181) would be gained. Presently the FPLA requires duality while, if enforced, the EU Directive requires metric-only labeling after 2010 Jan 1. Simplicity, clarity, and less deceptive marketing would be gained by metric-only labeling.
---- Original message ---- >Date: Fri, 20 Feb 2009 19:10:13 -0800 (PST) >From: Jeremiah MacGregor <[email protected]> >Subject: [USMA:43111] Re: true metrication is systemic >To: "U.S. Metric Association" <[email protected]> > > Every package that I encounter has a metric > description on it. Isn't that sufficient? If by > chance the English units were removed, what would be > gained? > > Jerry > > ------------------------------------------------ > > From: STANLEY DOORE <[email protected]> > To: U.S. Metric Association <[email protected]> > Sent: Monday, February 16, 2009 4:50:01 PM > Subject: [USMA:43041] Re: true metrication is > systemic > Paul et al: > Absolutely metrication needs a decision from the > top; however, visibility and use is essential to > make it work. Packaging and road signs are > visible and used by most people and this would make > people familiar with and learn metric. Those are > two highly visible and useful applications which > confront people daily and which would stimulate and > maintain the conversion process. > Yes, a procedure is necessary and packaging and > road signs would be an excellent way for people to > learn metric in an every day environment. Metric is > already used extensively below the public surface in > the US, however, most people don't know it or are > not concerned about it. The SI and metric needs to > be brought into the open. > Stan Doore > > > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: Paul Trusten > To: U.S. Metric Association > Sent: Monday, February 16, 2009 9:04 AM > Subject: [USMA:43032] true metrication is systemic > Stan et al., this is about procedure. Metrication > is not a bottoms-up process; it is systemic. > Victory for metrication is to be found among our > leaders, who have to get together and set it in > motion. Road signs cannot function as > mere billboards for metrication, but rather, as > the results of metrication. Once the starting > gun for real metrication is fired, and the race is > on for the 10-year transition period, we shall > have an ever-increasing number of visible and > audible signs of it, as weather reports report > wind speeds in kilometers per hour and > temperatures in degrees Celsius, available office > space is advertised in square meters on signs, and > those pesky media style guides are revised to > specify the use of metric units only, so that > every measurement we read about is stated in SI > metric units. > > Metric "will win" when metrication starts in > earnest. I think that, for those of us who want a > metric America, real metrication will be very > satisfying, because it will be truly ubiquitous. > We will eventually get to that point where > refrigerator magnets that happen to be > thermometers will be Celsius-only thermometers, > and when you go into a dollar store looking for a > ruler, it will be have millimeter scales on both > edges. With true metrication, U.S. customary > units will go the way of the 33-1/3 > RPM long-playing record. > > Paul > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: STANLEY DOORE > To: U.S. Metric Association > Sent: 16 February, 2009 07:27 > Subject: [USMA:43031] Re: More companies primed > to pounce on metric-only labeling > Road signs are an integral part of changing > to metric because they are so visible and an > integral part of all our lives. change them, > weather reporting and product display in > grocery stores and metric will win. > Stan Doore > > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: Brian J White > To: U.S. Metric Association > Sent: Sunday, February 15, 2009 11:53 PM > Subject: [USMA:43022] Re: More companies > primed to pounce on metric-only labeling > You know me Paul...I wasn't disputing > anything. It just made me think. > > Did the DOT rules relax over the past few > years on the speedo km/h requirement? > > At 20:47 2009-02-15, Paul Trusten wrote: > > Changing road signs can only be a small part > of metrication. What about the speedometers, > odometers, driver training, federal and > state traffic regulations, statements of the > heights of tractor trailers in meters so the > drivers will understand the meters-only > clearance signs that will replaces the ones > that now read in feet? If there are jobs to > be held for metrication, they will be > created in many areas of our lives, and each > metric transition must be coordinated with > the others. There will be jobs in signage, > sure, but there will also be jobs in writing > new regulations, jobs providing metric > training, jobs in designing new products or > changes in old products. Once the Nation's > leadership makes the decision to go metric, > all of these things will follow, e.g., there > would be a DOT requirement that, by a > certain date, all vehicles made in the U.S. > will display speedometers that read in > kilometers per hour only, and odometers that > accumulate kilometers only. Metrication is > all or nothing. It's a life process; a > living thing. > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: Brian J White > To: U.S. Metric Association > Sent: 15 February, 2009 22:29 > Subject: [USMA:43020] Re: More > companies primed to pounce on > metric-only labeling > > What gets me about sign changing, > is....whatever happened to the DOT > requirement that cars must be sold > with both km/h and mph on the > speedo? > Mercedes over the past 3-4 years > seems to be getting away without > it...they are mph only it looks > like. > > I know GM has numbers only with a > legend that switches between mph and > km/h, but the Mercedes cars look to > be mph only all the time. Makes > for a suck time when driving to > Canada I'm sure. > > My wife's old Honda Civic (I hated > that car.) had both mph and km/h > markings, but only MPH illuminated > at night. Talk about a bozo design > feature right there..... I tried to > talk you out of the Honda again Nat, > but to no avail. :) > > At 19:36 2009-02-15, STANLEY DOORE > wrote: > >  > The NIST has drafted legislation > to provide for metric only product > labeling. If Congress would pass it > and the President sign it, there > would be a great move to go all > metric. > If ALL people would contact > their Congressional > representatives, then perhaps > something would happen. No single > organization can do it alone. > However, most companies want to go > metric and many already have gone > metric like the auto industry has. > With the current stimulus bill > recently passed and it's called a > jobs bill, it would be appropriate > to have all road signs changed to > metric very quickly. > Stan Doore
