I concur. I would imagine that someday in the U.S. it will be standard
and specified practice to state a person's height only in meters for
drivers' licenses and in medical records. Or, to state a person's height
only in centimeters for drivers' licenses and in medical records.
Hopefully, drivers' licenses and medical records (and all others) will
be standardized to the same choice. I would be surprised if millimeters
are selected as the standard unit for those purposes.
John M. Steele wrote:
I agree with that. However, NIST has CLEARLY indicated that the
centimeter is OK for trade. They may feel the dekameter is fine too, in
general, but in fact, it is not OK for trade.
I believe we are talking about practice here, as the way height is
stated has ramifications in medical records, driver licences records, ID
documents, criminal records etc. Individuals might be free to choose
how they state it, but I do think officials need to agree on a practice.
As to which practice, meters or centimeters would be reasonable choices,
although we should agree on one. I think millimeters is a poor choice
for reasons I have already argued.
--- On *Thu, 7/30/09, James R. Frysinger /<[email protected]>/* wrote:
From: James R. Frysinger <[email protected]>
Subject: [USMA:45468] Re: centimeter
To: "U.S. Metric Association" <[email protected]>
Date: Thursday, July 30, 2009, 5:41 PM
John,
Now you're talking U.S. law and regulation regarding a particular
application: labeling.
It is perfectly fine to specify which form of a unit should be used
in certain applications if one wishes to standardize **practice**.
For example, the ICAO might decide to specify that all flight
altitudes should be given in kilometers. Woe betide the pilot who is
assigned to fly at 1000 dam but hears that as 1000 m. By limiting
altitude information, reporting, and direction to one specific form,
the meter, a large number of potential problems are obviated.
But, NIST is the NMI and WMO for the U.S. Therefore, as a matter of
general practice, they see the meter and the dekameter as being
equally valid **in general**, that is, as far as SI goes. For NIST
to state a universal practice for all applications would be neither
practical nor desired.
Jim
John M. Steele wrote:
> I agree with Jim F's comments, but I would like to make an
additional point.
> NIST was the technical advisor (and possibly ghostwriter) for
the FTC's detailed rules in support of the FPLA, and advisor to NCWM
on the language of the UPLR. As a matter of state and Federal law,
the centimeter is an approved unit of length in that legislation (in
the range 1.00 - 999 cm). So their position seems pretty clear and
happens to be different from yours. (In squared and cubed form, also
permitted for area and volume within applicable ranges).
> Current laws would require amendment to say it can't be used for
trade.
>
> --- On *Thu, 7/30/09, Robert H. Bushnell
/<[email protected]
<http://us.mc824.mail.yahoo.com/mc/[email protected]>>/*
wrote:
>
>
> From: Robert H. Bushnell <[email protected]
<http://us.mc824.mail.yahoo.com/mc/[email protected]>>
> Subject: [USMA:45460] centimeter
> To: "U.S. Metric Association" <[email protected]
<http://us.mc824.mail.yahoo.com/mc/[email protected]>>
> Cc: [email protected]
<http://us.mc824.mail.yahoo.com/mc/[email protected]>
> Date: Thursday, July 30, 2009, 1:10 PM
>
>
> Does NIST have any comments, reports, policies or recommendations
> about the use of centimeter? Or not use of centimeter.
>
> I want everyone to stop using centimeter. How are we to
convert to
> SI if, when we hear centimeter we think, "now how many inches
is that"?
> Centimeter causes this problem because it is near the size of
the inch.
> This makes it hard to stop using inches. People keep comparing
> centimeters to inches.
>
> Millimeter does not have this problem.
>
> Can NIST help get rid of inches?
>
> Thanks for your ideas.
> Robert Bushnell, PhD PE
> member USMA
> member ASTM
>
-- James R. Frysinger
632 Stony Point Mountain Road
Doyle, TN 38559-3030
(C) 931.212.0267
(H) 931.657.3107
(F) 931.657.3108
--
James R. Frysinger
632 Stony Point Mountain Road
Doyle, TN 38559-3030
(C) 931.212.0267
(H) 931.657.3107
(F) 931.657.3108
