Well....for example in the UK, the vast majority of retail sales are done in metric units, grams, litres, etc, yet our public roads all use miles and yards. Most young people have only ever used centimetre rulers at schools, aand have actually done so since the 1970's, yet the majority of people weigh themselves in stones.
Then there's the ridiculous right to display quantities in pounds and ounces even though everything has to be legally measured on metric scales. I believe that,also, on UK roads, a mixture of SI units such as metres and yards is permitted in some circumstances and absolutely illegal in others. Frankly....its a mess! ----- Original Message ----- From: [email protected] To: U.S. Metric Association Sent: Friday, August 14, 2009 8:54 PM Subject: [USMA:45633] Re: OK Simon.....try this. Can you explain to me what measurement muddle they are in? Simon From: John Frewen-Lord Sent: Friday, 2009-08-14 14:17 To: U.S. Metric Association Subject: [USMA:45628] Re: OK Simon.....try this. I agree. The quick brutal approach is, rightly or wrongly, the most effective. Short term pain for long term gain. The persuasive gentle approach has been shown to not work, and is, as has been said here many times before, the primary reason why the UK (and Canada) are in such a measurement muddle. John F-L ----- Original Message ----- From: Stephen Davis To: U.S. Metric Association Sent: Friday, August 14, 2009 7:09 PM Subject: [USMA:45626] OK Simon.....try this. Do you think that for effective integration of SI into American society, it would have to forced through and made mandatory to only use SI units? Or do you think freedom of choice and polite persuation would be more effective in getting the benefits of SI across? Something that seems to be the consensus of quite a few on this board? Personally, I think a properly organised mandatory implementation of SI both in the US and Britain is the only effective way doing it, much like the way decimal currency was introduced in the UK way back in 1971. ----- Original Message ----- From: [email protected] To: U.S. Metric Association Sent: Friday, August 14, 2009 6:46 PM Subject: [USMA:45625] Re: Maths (or should that be "math?") Amen! I beginning to wonder what kind of forum this is. When a topic involving the metric system is brought up the responses are almost zero. Talk about something other then the metric system or something loosely connected and then everybody joins in. I hate to complain since I'm so new here but I came here to discuss the metric system and so far its not happening at the level I would like to see. Simon From: Aaron Harper Sent: Friday, 2009-08-14 12:20 To: U.S. Metric Association Subject: [USMA:45624] Re: Maths (or should that be "math?") The question of whether decimals or fractions are better has nothing to do with the purpose of this forum: "Metrication."
