I successfully obtained a U.S. passport this Spring while giving my
height in meters.
The passport application can be filled out using one of two methods. The
questionnaire method presumes feet and inches for heights and has blocks
for each of those. The other method provides a raw form that can be
printed as a blank or the data areas of that form can be filled in on
the screen prior to printing. Either of those procedures allows one to
give one's height in meters or in centimeters.
After calling the passport help line and being given the "OK", I entered
my height as "1.80 m", filled in the rest, printed it out, and submitted
it. I had not problems. It would have been OK, I was told, to have put
"180 cm" in that space; the woman told me just to be sure to show the
unit of measure.
The application form does not ask for body mass. And I see nowhere on
the passport itself where the height I submitted is listed.
Jim
John M. Steele wrote:
The letter is a bit over the top, but I understand the sentiment. The
US government says metric is preferred, but going metric is voluntary.
However, they think nothing of forcing me to use Customary in various
ways, but won't force anyone to use metric. That does grate.
All pre-packaged food is labeled in dual, that's fine. On random weight
goods, the Customary is required and supplemental metric is allowed, but
rarely used, same for beer. The Feds and the State would like to know
my height in feet and inches for my passport and driver's license. I
understand the passport form is actually free-form and you can give
height in centimeters. I will do that next time and see how it goes.
Perhaps I'll argue with the DMV too. When I write complaint letters to
my legislator, the letter is in more muted tones. However, in my heart,
I'm thinking, "I'm here, I'm metric, screw you, government."
Given the backwards steps Congress and some Federal agencies have taken,
those who advocate metric have to hold on to what we have too. In
pushing a permissive metric FPLA, we run the risk of Congress passing a
Customary-only FPLA too, as existed from 1966 to 1994.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
*From:* Stephen Humphreys <[email protected]>
*To:* U.S. Metric Association <[email protected]>
*Sent:* Wed, June 9, 2010 4:07:12 AM
*Subject:* [USMA:47585] Re: UK Transport Minister banishes metric in all
official communications
I got to the word 'obcene' and realised that this is probably a fake
letter. The one thing that says this for me is the bit about not
knowing all these measures and then explaining the relationship between
pounds, shillings and pence (a relationship I cannot remember myself, it
being before my time and something I have never used, ie without looking
I think there are either 120 or 240 shillings in a pound - either of
which is completely wrong).
This could be our old friend who does the mass emails - I've seen that
'kilo-whatsit' phrase before. No-one would get that worked up in that
way, surely. "The past is a different country"? What does that mean? We
assign our greatest inventions, our most noble victories in the face of
fascism, our mother of all democracies to a different country? My
advice would be not to use this item as a 'pro-metric' artifact because
it would push those 'in the middle' right over to the anti- side. All
my humble opinion, of course, but I say this genuinely on this forum in
a way that I might not to a more 'native' audience if you get my drift.
It's a 'berzerk' reaction, I beleive.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
CC: [email protected]
From: [email protected]
To: [email protected]
Subject: [USMA:47584] Re: UK Transport Minister banishes metric in all
official communications
Date: Wed, 9 Jun 2010 16:54:28 +1000
Dear Martin,
Do you remember this:
Dear Editor,
I am 40. I have never been taught Imperial measures in school and yet I
am surrounded by people who talk about inches, pints, miles and ounces.
I find it quite obscene that I have to learn about measures that were
declared moribund before I could walk.
Why did the government listen to the old stick-in-the-muds? It didn't
happen with decimal currency because it couldn't. Talk to a twenty year
old about shillings and he will think you are talking about Austria,
before the Euro. This is how it should be. The past is a different
country, we have moved on. But why did we allow some conservative old
fogeys to keep on talking about their miles, pints, ounces, stones, feet
and Fahrenheit? We should have buried these things in the 1960s when we
left the shillings and 240 pence in the pound nonsense.
Tens, hundreds and thousands. So easy to calculate. So much easier than
twelve pennies in a shilling, twenty shillings in a pound, sixteen
ounces in a pound, fourteen pounds in a stone. Not to mention gills,
chains, rods, poles, fathoms, bushels and firkins.
A cube 100 millimetres by 100 millimetres by 100 millimetres defines a
volume of one litre, if you fill it with water it has a mass of one
kilogram. If you raise the temperature to 100 degrees the water boils.
Cool it to zero degrees and it freezes. This is simple, this is elegant,
and this is beautiful.
The oldies say: '/Don't talk to me about them kilo-whatsit things laddie
I think in inches'./
But, the oldies are trying to force *me* to think in old measures too —
despite the fact that all the old measures were scheduled for
replacement *four* years before I started primary school.
It is time we buried the imperial system. The only way do do it is to be
draconian about it. Do not allow people to ask for, demand or even talk
about imperial measures.
If you don't draw the line like that, the old fogeys will force it down
our necks for ever more. Why must my children, and probably theirs as
well as our grandchildren and great grandchildren, have to learn about
pounds and inches just because some older people will not make a little
effort?
Name and address supplied
Cheers,
Pat Naughtin
Author of the ebook, /Metrication Leaders Guide,/ see
http://metricationmatters.com/MetricationLeadersGuideInfo.html
Hear Pat speak at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_lshRAPvPZY
PO Box 305 Belmont 3216,
Geelong, Australia
Phone: 61 3 5241 2008
Metric system consultant, writer, and speaker, Pat Naughtin, has helped
thousands of people and hundreds of companies upgrade to the modern
metric system smoothly, quickly, and so economically that they now save
thousands each year when buying, processing, or selling for their
businesses. Pat provides services and resources for many different
trades, crafts, and professions for commercial, industrial and
government metrication leaders in Asia, Europe, and in the USA. Pat's
clients include the Australian Government, Google, NASA, NIST, and the
metric associations of Canada, the UK, and the USA.
See http://www.metricationmatters.com/ to subscribe.
On 2010/06/09, at 15:19 , Martin Vlietstra wrote:
David Cameron was probably not taught how to manipulate imperial
figures at school. He might not know how to add up 3 lb 4oz, 5 lb
14 oz and 6 lb 5 oz. It gets even more difficult using a
calculator. However Philip Hammond, the new transport minister who
is a few years old than Cameron might just remember how to do it.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
*From:* [email protected] <mailto:[email protected]>
[mailto:[email protected]] *On Behalf Of *Stephen Humphreys
*Sent:* 08 June 2010 22:50
*To:* U.S. Metric Association
*Subject:* [USMA:47571] Re: UK Transport Minister banishes metric in
all official communications
Please be aware that there is a change of government.
The main part of the new government (the Tories) advertised
themselves as 'Saving the pound and the ounce for Britain' in a
recent euro-election leaflet.
If I was a betting man - I would bet a huge sum that David Cameron
is not pro-metric. And now he is prime minister.
I would not be surprised if this is the first of many moves that
could lead some to believe this govt as 'anti-metric'.
It could get very interesting/disappointing/pleasing (delete
depending on your personal view)
> Date: Tue, 8 Jun 2010 20:29:12 +0100
> From: [email protected] <mailto:[email protected]>
> To: [email protected] <mailto:[email protected]>
> Subject: [USMA:47570] Re: UK Transport Minister banishes metric in
all official communications
>
>
> UK government policy on metication is, to quote one recent Prime
Minister:
>
> “that the United Kingdom should – in stages – switch from imperial
to metric units of measurement for an ever-increasing range of uses”
>
> If the Express story is true (we have to treat it with caution)
then Hammond is exceeding his authority. He has no right to obstruct
the free use of metric units in department publications. The metric
system is the offical system of measurement in the UK except for
road signs (as required in the Units of Measurement regulations
1986). Civil servants are bound by this.
>
> This politician and any others who attempt to halt or reverse
progress toward honesty in measurement should be sacked.
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "ezra steinberg" <[email protected]
<mailto:[email protected]>>
> To: "U.S. Metric Association" <[email protected]
<mailto:[email protected]>>
> Sent: Monday, 7 June, 2010 8:13:56 PM
> Subject: [USMA:47547] UK Transport Minister banishes metric in all
official communications
>
>
> Is this barmy or what? Hammond has clearly gone 'round the bend ...
>
> http://www.express.co.uk/posts/view/179560/This-U-turn-on-metric-is-miles-better
>
> Ezra
>
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Get a free e-mail account with Hotmail. Sign-up now.
<http://clk.atdmt.com/UKM/go/197222280/direct/01/>
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Get a new e-mail account with Hotmail – Free. Sign-up now.
<http://clk.atdmt.com/UKM/go/197222280/direct/01/>
--
James R. Frysinger
632 Stony Point Mountain Road
Doyle, TN 38559-3030
(C) 931.212.0267
(H) 931.657.3107
(F) 931.657.3108
