Third world undeveloped countries that metricate seldom will follow a 5 or 10 year plan. They change with the new as the old wears out. Seeing your visit was 30 years ago this year I'm sure any remnant mile signs would have its numbers faded long ago due to weather as well.
Outside investors or contractors will often build their own infrastructure and may put up their own distance and speed signs. They may also do road work where it benefits them. If Africa ever develops like China and India then there will be no question as to the completion of metrication there. ________________________________ From: Martin Vlietstra <[email protected]> To: U.S. Metric Association <[email protected]> Sent: Thu, July 8, 2010 2:04:15 PM Subject: [USMA:48106] Re: S.Leone goes metric after 49 years I traveled across Ghana in 1980 and saw a number of signs that read “ Ghana goes metric on 1 September 197*” (Unfortunately part of the sign was missing due to weather, so I can’t tell you the year). The road signs themselves were a mixture of metric and imperial and the potholes in the road were awful. A week after I left, there was a coup d’etat. This might explain things in the real Africa . If we want a real measure of the progress of metrication, we should limit our comments to OECD countries. ________________________________ From:[email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Stephen Humphreys Sent: 08 July 2010 18:54 To: U.S. Metric Association Subject: [USMA:48104] Re: S.Leone goes metric after 49 years That's exactly what I mean Carleton! Controversially I would suggest that there are no countries on the edges of that barometer. They're all somewhere in the middle to the sides. I would also suggest that even if a govt is metric then mass usage of measures one way or another must be a good identifier for that. What people say in life must have some say over roads, booze and cheese :-) I would not put America that far at the non-metric end and similarly I would place the UK not that far from the US (on the inner side, of course). Many attributes make up a country - it would be like saying that the US is a socialist country because Obama wants an NHS (after all, every single one of you voted for him eh?) ________________________________ Date: Thu, 8 Jul 2010 16:36:06 +0000 From: [email protected] CC: [email protected] Subject: [USMA:48099] Re: S.Leone goes metric after 49 years To: [email protected] 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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