I had occasion to look up some dimensional requirements on the Post Office's website recently, which includes html or pdf copies of their official requirements. All are 100% Customary (inches, ounces, and pounds) with no metric equivalents given. Since they charge by increments of weight, I partially understand that, as it would be hard to deal with the rounding in weight tables. However, it seems wrong for the dimensional requirements (min and max sizes for various categories of mail).
Congress both professes that metric is the preferred measurement system and requires paper manufacturers to specify dimensions of paper and envelopes in both Customary and metric. Yet it allows a Federal agency it oversees to tell us its regulations solely in Customary dimensions. This just seems wrong. (One law for you, another for me.) Of course, this is not the only inconsistency in our government, even as it regards measurement. Wine and spirits must be sold in milliliters, but beer must be sold in floz. Standard size packages must be labelled in dual, but random weight packages must be labels in pounds, etc. I'm sure a few more exist. This seems self-evident to me but it is apparently tough for Congress-critters: If metric is preferred, it should always be required or at least allowed. If Congress doesn't wish to force people to be metric, perhaps dual is required. However, it is not right for Congress to force me to be Customary. The debate needs to be between metric-only and dual. Requirements for Customary-only should be deemed invalid and contrary to the expressed will of the Congress of the United States. However, I am afraid if pressed, Congress would admit they lied in 1988, really prefer Customary, and only pay lip service to metric. We might take a giant step backward.
