I would imagine that the car was still LHD (something with a bit of a cachet in 
Japan, and certainly not illegal, unlike Australia, for example). The 
speedometer if it complied with Japanese legislation would have been metric – 
but the same speedometer as used in Canada would satisfy that requirement. The 
big question, did lighting systems comply with Japanese legislation – amber 
turn signals front and rear, side ‘repeater’ turn signals (also amber), and 
headlights that were oriented to the left on low beam?

From: Kilopascal 
Sent: Saturday, May 25, 2013 5:11 PM
To: U.S. Metric Association 
Subject: Re: Wishful thinking

Was the speedometer metric?  Was the car right hand drive?  

From: John M. Steele 
Sent: Saturday, 2013-05-25 12:03
To: Kilopascal 
Subject: Re: Wishful thinking

Well, metrication is led by multi-nationals.  So the question is whether any 
multi-national is American (sure) and whether any of their products are ONLY 
for the American market or are all products for world-wide sales.

Relatively few of their products would ONLY be for the American market.  One 
obvious example is the Big Three and full-size pickups, SUVs, and large cars.  
All their intermediate and compact product is intended for world-wide 
(generally local) production and sale.  The large product is made and sold 
domestically (some buyers may export it to their home country.  I had Japanese 
suppliers pick me up, in Japan, in a Lincoln Town Car)



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
From: Kilopascal <[email protected]>
To: U.S. Metric Association <[email protected]>
Sent: Sat, May 25, 2013 11:37:40 AM
Subject: Re: Wishful thinking


Well, those things will never be done quickly as long as those in control are 
fighting any effort.  Errors result due to improper education.  The teaching of 
metric in the schools world-wide needs to concentrate as much on proper usage 
and symbols in harmony with the BIPM rules as they do in teaching the size of 
the units and the structure of SI.  

Those rain drops that everyone gets excited about are not resulting from 
American efforts.  It can be all attributed to outside usage. If you see a 
metric product in a shop it is because it is either imported or if domestically 
produced is metric sized for the world-wide market.  The label may show USC in 
the US, but that label is easily replaced with a non-USC compliant label for 
the country or region it is sold in.  

Can anyone provide me with one example of a metric product in recent times that 
was due to an American effort and intended solely for the US market?  

Yes, I agree that metric opponents deliberately create symbol errors in their 
attempt to make metric look disorganized.  

As for a rainstorm, I see a long term draught ahead.   



From: John M. Steele 
Sent: Thursday, 2013-05-23 08:49
To: Kilopascal ; [email protected] 
Subject: Re: Wishful thinking

I have to disagree, at least in part.  Sure I agree a flood of metric-only net 
contents, metric signs on roads, and metric in weather forecasts is more 
important.  However, those things need to be done correctly; if riddled with 
metric usage errors, it may be worse, and hold back metrication efforts.  (The 
effect of those errors may be a specific goal of AP, ACWM, and the like)  The 
weather is one of those public information things, so is Wiklipedia.

The media and other sources of public information need to be encouraged to
1) Use metric and only metric
2) use metric correctly

Jim's effort in correcting Wikipedia is not by itself going to make metric a 
reality in the US.  It is just one raindrop, but every flood is just a bunch of 
raindrops.  If Jim thinks that is one of the useful pressure points, who am I 
to argue with him?  We will need to apply pressure at a large number of 
pressure points to metricate the US, and no single pressure point will be able 
to claim responsibility for the success (if we manage to make it occur, at 
all).  We need a rainstorm, but no single raindrop should be discouraged.



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
From: Kilopascal <[email protected]>
To: [email protected]; U.S. Metric Association <[email protected]>
Sent: Wed, May 22, 2013 8:55:09 PM
Subject: Re: Wishful thinking


I always get a chuckle when I read some of the posts to the USMA listserver.  
The one today by Jim Frysinger would be laughable if it weren't so sad.  He 
actually believes that a few drops of metrication is a wonderful thing.  What 
he fails to realise is that none of the metrication gains in the US were the 
result of American actions.  It all came about because of the flood of imports 
of metric products from China and the EU.

http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/msg41815.html

Correcting symbol errors in Wikipedia is not progress.  Progress is when you 
pull up to the petrol pump and the unit of sales is in litres, or when you turn 
on the weather report and it is in degrees Celsius.

Grant it, there is an increasing number of products in the grocery stores that 
are appearing in rounded metric sizes.  One of the latest is fruit juices 
appearing in 1.75 L cartons.   This may have a lot to do with demands from the 
export markets.  Consumers in neighbouring metric countries don't want to see 
silly 3.78 L or 1.89 L nonsense.  

One thing supporters need to understand about drops is they evaporate very 
easily.  We can die of thirst waiting for the next drop.  We need a flood and 
nothing short of a flood is going to accomplish anything.



--------------------------------------------------
From: <[email protected]>
Sent: Tuesday, 2013-05-21 23:44
To: "Kilopascal" <[email protected]>
Subject: Wishful thinking

> To all those who believe that given enough time voluntary metrication
> will take place think again. America legalised the use of metric system
> in 1866 and is nowhere near that goal and will not be much further in
> another 100 years at its present pace. 
> 
> -- 
>  
>  [email protected]
> 
> -- 
> http://www.fastmail.fm - The professional email service
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