It is more than just that. It is the economy. If your economy designs in metric, produces in metric, services in metric, purchases in metric, etc. then you can be well assured the country is metric.
Conversations are difficult to gauge. How can any one person know what all of the rest are saying. If you are the type to hang out with anti-metric types you will insist no one speaks metric. If you were the type to hang out with pro-metric types, then to you everyone is speaking metric. People will also speak the units they see in general use in the markets. Some anti-metric types (I doubt any exist outside the US and UK) will cling to remnant appearances of non-metric and make it appear that is all that matters. They conveniently ignore the rest of the economy. Others in the country who also despise metrication may be frustrated each time they purchase petrol, go shopping, hear a weather report or simply go to work and have to use metric on the job. The exposure to metric in the US is obviously more than expected or else the subject wouldn't come up from time to time in the media with harsh negative comments. ________________________________ From: "[email protected]" <[email protected]> To: U.S. Metric Association <[email protected]> Cc: U.S. Metric Association <[email protected]> Sent: Thu, July 8, 2010 12:36:06 PM Subject: [USMA:48099] Re: S.Leone goes metric after 49 years In other words, how fully metric a country is, from completely metric with no old units ever used by anyone, to essentially old units only with only a bit of metric used. The indication would be useful if it sensed what the average person does and says in conversation, as it is assumed that scientists and others behind the scenes use metric. In that regard the USA would be quite to one side. Carleton ----- Original Message ----- From: "Stephen Humphreys" <[email protected]> To: "U.S. Metric Association" <[email protected]> Sent: Thursday, July 8, 2010 9:44:40 AM Subject: [USMA:48092] Re: S.Leone goes metric after 49 years I've never given credit to the 3-country "thing". Like - what metric country would have miles and yards written all over the main way of moving about? I prefer to see a 'merticonometer' (or make you're own name up) with a gauge showing places like Germany, China, etc on one side - US, UK, caribbean etc near the other side and various at various levels in between like Canada, Australia etc. A barometer approach. > Date: Thu, 8 Jul 2010 09:23:00 -0400 > From: [email protected] > To: [email protected] > Subject: [USMA:48091] Re: S.Leone goes metric after 49 years > > Hmm I always thought there were three non metric countries, now that Sierra >Leone has gone metric, its back to three or is it? How many others are out >there >that are not metric that we don't know about. > > -- > > "Go for a Metric America" > Howard Ressel > Project Design Engineer, Region 4 > (585) 272-3372 > > > >>> On 7/7/2010 at 12:56 PM, in message > <[email protected]>, "Anthony O'conner" > <[email protected]> wrote: > > I don't know if anyone came across this, but it seems like another country > > is > > giving up on British imperial. It seems people in Sierra Leone > > associate imperial measurements with cheating. > > > > I wonder Sierra Leone's move will encourage Liberia to do the same. > > > > Does anyone know when Sierra Leone will begin to convert things like petrol > > > > pumps and grocery store scales, Weather reporting, etc? > > > > > > Does anyone know what is already metric in Sierra Leone? > > > > > > http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20100611/wl_africa_afp/sleonelawparliamentmeasur > > > > ement_20100611174708 > > > > > > > > S.Leone goes metric after 49 years > > > > > > Friday, 2010-06-11, 13:47 ET > > > > > > FREETOWN (AFP) * Sierra Leone's parliament has passed a law adopting the > > metric > > system of measurement after 49 years using the British imperial system, > > Trade > > and Industry Minister David Carew told reporters Friday. > > > > "The law modifies the weight and measures act of 1961 under which the > > imperial > > unit of measurement had been used and now adopts the universally accepted > > metric system," he said. > > > > "The law will enable us to get the correct measurement of foodstuffs and > > other > > commodities since measurement terminologies like pound and mile have been > > replaced with kilometres and kilograms." > > > > Many housewives, like Hawanatu Silla, welcomed the new law. > > "It will help to reduce cheating by market women and butchers who had used > > the > > pound measurement to defraud customers buying meat, cups of rice and other > > consumables." > > The law stipulated fines ranging from 300 to 6,000 dollars for defaulters > > including trade inspectors who cheat while using the metric system. > > > > Sierra Leone is the sole member of the three-nation economic organisation, > > the > > Mano River Union (MRU) which comprises Guinea and Liberia, that maintained > > the > > use of the imperial system of measurement, officials said. > > > > The metric system is the world's most common method of measuring units > > although > > is still not fully used by some countries, notably the United States. > > > > > > > > > ________________________________ Get a new e-mail account with Hotmail - Free. 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