I would say you could consider the USA to be metric if:
. Road signs were in m and km . Speedometers were in km . Weather on TV, radio and newspapers gives wind speed in km/h and temperatures in Celsius . The scales in grocery stores, delis, etc. were in g and kg only . When you go to the doctor, you are measured in kg and m/cm/mm only, and that's how you know your measurements* . When a new baby is born, the birth announcement indicates g and cm, not lb/oz and in . Real estate is described in m2 . When describing distances, people say how far away something is using m and km, not ft/yds/miles . Kids in school are not taught colonial units and when they grow up, have no idea what they are Carleton *Today I went to my urologist. The nurse did not measure me but asked for my height and weight. I told her 1.79 m and 98 kg (yeah, it's going down slowly). She had no trouble with that. My old-school GP practice, though, does have difficulty - they have a computerized system but the menu asks for ft/in and lb only. I'm not very cooperative with them . From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of John M. Steele Sent: Monday, June 18, 2012 06:29 To: U.S. Metric Association Subject: [USMA:51713] Re: United States transition to SI We are neither 100% metric nor 100% Customary. We are either "semi-metric" or "all screwed up." I would propose the country can't be considered fully metric until the following is true. Metric measure is either required or allowed, on a standalone basis, for all measurement purposes. Customary is never required nor acceptable on a standalone basis. Dual is allowed, but the Customary is only supplemental information. --- On Mon, 6/18/12, Edward Schlesinger <[email protected]> wrote: From: Edward Schlesinger <[email protected]> Subject: [USMA:51712] United States transition to SI To: "U.S. Metric Association" <[email protected]> Date: Monday, June 18, 2012, 12:01 AM I wonder with most of not all countries in the world that have completed Metrication, or in transition of use of the SI System, is the United States considered a non-metric country? Knowing of United States history of being a co-signer of the Metric Convention and our slow transition and sometimes opposition to Metrication, shared with the United Kingdom, is it considered a metric country? -- Sincerely, Edward B.
