Brought up in the UN thread, I think its a valid question. Maybe some of the americans here can enlighten me on why the US doesnt change to the metric system.

we don't convert because we're all educated in feet and inches early in school and it just sort of sticks with us... Besides, the places like the trucking industry would be ruined if there was suddenly a conversion... then again all americans could walk around with calculators i suppose...

<font color=orange>I work in the civil engineering field in the State of Tennessee. Two years ago the Tennessee Department of Transportation mandated that all highway engineering projects would be done in metric. What they found was that project cost increased by 20 to 50% due to lack of understanding. They were charged more by engineering firms to design projects and they were charged more by contractors. There were so many problems that they ended up scrapping the mandate after a year.

I personally have no problem with the metric system. I think it's much easier to design with. One of the problems I personally faced with TDOT's decision was that while TDOT was designing in metric, the utilities companies that I worked for, refused to change to the metric system. So I had to work between two different systems when doing utilities relocations due to a highway project.
Now that, I found confusing!

The only way I'd be for a metric system in the US is if we changed everything in one day and that IMHO will never happen.</font>

here is the original post

quote
<font color="cyan"> "Plus you will have to get rid of that ridiculous British system of units and adopt the base 10 metric system."

I feel this could be a thread of it's own Oh the joyous day of the U.S. finally becoming integrated with the rest of the world.

Wellard.. Born in 64, taught the metric system from kinder garden to collage, raised in a metric world, laughed at all the oldies hanging on to the old abacus era measurements. Fulfils is ambition of working on aircraft at the so-called cutting edge of mechanical knowledge. Then.. Urm sorry lads that will be a imperial spanner you need, throw away your metric stuff, mr. Boeing don’t agree with all this new fandangle modern stuff. </font>

end quote

Are the americans the only country left on this planet still using imperial measures? if someone knows, what do they use in most african or asian countries?

[ 02-28-2003, 11:14 PM: Message edited by: wellard ]

What is really crazy about the whole thing is that in the late 60's early 70's we had to learn the metric system and how to convert American to metric. They put us through hell throughout high school because this was the wave of the future and the USA was going to convert "totally" to the metric system by 1975. Now, 27 years later, I can't work on my car without 2 sets of tools because both systems are used for parts. I know the metric system and my kids don't. Life is funny that way. :D

can someone explain why, in the uk which has gone metric, road distances are given in miles, speedometers are im mph, and speed limit signs are in mph?
just curious... [img]graemlins/1ponder.gif[/img]

To answer the debate simply...you have to many people like me.....Redneck Hillbilly is the correct term.....

I guess it's hard to abandon standards for measurement once you've grown up with them. I can imagine that these are not the only areas in which imperial standards are still being used. I work in metal trades and, like so many other trades, i have to have two sets of bits for every tool. Many of the parts used in the machinery i create come from the US so as long as they retain their old fashioned standards ;) :D , we will be forced to follow.

Because we're not *fully* metric ;)

It's only in the last couple of years that shops have switched to kilos and grams instead of pounds and ounces. We still have miles on roadsigns and car speedos. Causes me no end of joy cos my Lambretta is an Italian import and has the speedo in kmph. I can picture the scene if I'm pulled over for speeding, the police officer will ask me 'do you know what speed you were doing?' and I'll have to start converting...

Also beer is still sold in pints, although every other liquid is sold in litres or ml. We'll probably keep pints for beer, and eventually switch to km for distances.

I would not worry to much about being pulled over for speeding Epona [img]tongue.gif[/img] [img]graemlins/laugh2.gif[/img]

*cheap shots are the most fun* [img]graemlins/hehe.gif[/img]

Just say "no"... that'll stump 'em... or at the very least they will tell you so you won't need to convert...

I understand there are other countries - for example Surinam was still in imperial a couple of years ago. When the American Company I work for decided that reconciling multi-national data for bench marking and process improvement was getting too difficult what with the metric based Australian division outgrowing the imperial based Atlantic division they made the brave (and surprising) move to switch the company basis to metric.

That sure makes things easier for me, rather than having to convert gallons per minute (US gallons of course) to kl/h or BTU's and horsepowers to something meaningful ;) . One thing I should chase up, but there were rumours that Suriname may have switched to metric at the same time my company made the switch - well I suppose they are the major source of employment in the country - but that is packing a whole lot of influence if the swap was made at the same time [img]smile.gif[/img] .

I get a chuckle about the metric debate - I am reminded of that secret society that Homer joined in the Simpsons [img]smile.gif[/img] - and in that song they sung while chugging their beer was the line :

"Who keeps the metric system down
We do - we doooooooooooo :D "

Since then I always picture there is some secret society in the US somewhere working actively to distract people from sitting themselves down and thinking about whether in fact the metric system could have some upsides. Maybe it is similar to the MIB movies - they keep tabs on the country, and if they catch the scent of some pro metric movement they send the guys around with the flashing pencils to erase peoples memory [img]smile.gif[/img] .

As to the topic - I would think it would be a nice thing to have measures and units standardised across the world. Do I think the US are going to change - not anytime soon - they are happy, so we should leave them be.

[ 03-01-2003, 08:12 AM: Message edited by: Davros ]

Yes and no ... LOL [img]graemlins/laugh.gif[/img] I just can't properly answer any "yes or no" question ! ;)

For the sake of efficiency, that would be nice if they did - I remember spending a hell of a time converting the scale of documents from paper centimeters to PC screen where a pixel was defined as an inch divided by some really absurd number. ;)

But ... it would be a dull world indeed if everyone on it understood precisely each other all the time ... where would there be space for imagination then ? ;)

I just LOVE reading about inches and feet and yards and miles and pints and gallons. It is like entering into a different place, really. I just reread "Tortilla flat" recently. It just wouldn't be the same if they were not be drinking gallons and pints. Really. [img]smile.gif[/img]

Like Antryg, I was taught the metric system intensively in school, assured that it was the wave of the future, and then ... everyone just bugged out and forgot about it. I think it was the basic conservatism of the American people, who still resent Daylight Savings Time. I still will talk to patients about something 10 mm wide, which is convenient for things like lesion size, and get blank stares. "Uh, that's a little less than half an inch." Comprehension dawns. ;)

I also had to learn the metric system is school(this sure brings the OLD FARTS out :D ). Why didn't the US switch in the late 70's and early 80's like they had planned. It was a secret CIA/NSA/DoD plot of world domination we want to keep the rest of you guys guessing as to what we're talking about and while you're doing the math to convert imperial to metric we can strike ;)
Basicly the US consumer said NO, I don't want a liter of coke I want a quart. and here the comsumer is right.

[ 03-01-2003, 01:00 PM: Message edited by: John D Harris ]

<font color=orange>John D., one thing I have always found funny is we buy cokes (Soft drinks for the rest of you other people. We in the south call all soft drinks cokes.) in liters! In bottles at least. If it comes in a can, it's in ounces. That just goes to prove that consumers can change though.

I always wanted to buy my beers in pints. Wish we did that here in the states! Makes me think of The Lord of the Rings movie when the hobbits are in Bree and Merry comes back with a pint and Pippin says "They come in pints? I have to have one!". I want to move to Middlearth! </font>

i never have figgured out why the us doen't convert myself i mean metric makes more sence then immperial measurement. For example convertions are at least seemingly random in immperial. Where as in metric they are all a standerd convertions ie from mm to cm to yrds to km ect ect i mean i have to look those same convertions up usually when doing homework. I guess the us is just to lazy and stubern to change its ways.

Yes, Most of the countries are using Metric and it would be easier for the US to trade with foreign countries. After all, the Metric system is more suitable for science (IMO).

Brain FART there Sir Taliesin I meant to say 16oz and 500ml ( not Quarts and liter). Well at my age the grey matter hard drive skipps every once in a while ;)

In England there was a massive furore over a few traders that still sold their stuff in pounds and ounces if that was what the customers wanted. They sold in metric measures too. I'm pretty sure that someone somewhere eventually took them to court and fined them.

Weird that no one ever saw fit to take McDonalds to court for selling halfpounders etc.....they still do. One rule for one....

EDIT. Dunno if the US should change to metric or not. Be careful if you do, crafty are these governments. An hypothetical example....You pay $3 per gallon of fuel. Suddenly you pay 75c a litre, nearly 5 litres to a gallon....ahem.

[ 03-01-2003, 03:13 PM: Message edited by: Charlie ]

There are several good reasons not to go metric. First metric threads on screws suck. They strip easier and usually take more turns to seat a bold or screw. Metric distances wind up using larger number to describe a location. Actually Nautical miles is a better system. And one final thing...base 10 sucks for computers. Better number systems for computers is binary, octal or hexidecimal. And NONE of them French!!!!!!

Because we're not *fully* metric ;)

It's only in the last couple of years that shops have switched to kilos and grams instead of pounds and ounces. We still have miles on roadsigns and car speedos. .... Also beer is still sold in pints, although every other liquid is sold in litres or ml. We'll probably keep pints for beer, and eventually switch to km for distances.</font>[/QUOTE]Exactly. There is wide belief that the British pint (which is, IIRC, not the same as the pint here in the states) will always be a pint. Some things are sacred. I mean, what you call your glass of beer? ;)

Globalization market forces dictate that it would be cheaper for everyone to be on the same measurement system in the long run. The initial cost in the US, both on the education side and on the re-engineering side would be expensive, but it would be more economical in the long run.

Yes, US and British pints and gallons are different I believe.
I still remember the monetary change over from pounds shillings and old pence to decimilisation here in Britain. The shillings have gone but we still got the pounds (most important) and some new pence. I was too young to understand if it was good or bad.
I guess on the metric side it's best if globally we're all playing on a level pitch.

http://img.ranchoweb.com/images/lady...arliespint.jpg

A British Pint. A beautiful pint, a pint amongst pints, the pinnacle of pints....my pint.

Problem with metricitry is you don't get a pint. Look boys...is she not irresistable.....ahh the beauty of a non metric pint.

You may think eight pints makes a gallon....it don't. It makes you fall over and slurrp yer worms. ;) So much easier to forget metric with a few pints inside you.

To have a pint = 1 pint = many pints indeed. :D

[ 03-01-2003, 08:38 PM: Message edited by: Charlie ]

Didn't the US officially switch to the metric system in the 70's? ;)

A repeated question

Are the americans the only country left on this planet still using imperial measures? if someone knows, what do they use in most african or asian countries?

OK - I started to respond then re-read and noticed your comment was directed only at computers. The "emotion" of your response made it look like you were applying this to all things, wheras evidently and most sensibly you are not.

Ceratinly for science and currency, the decimal system makes much more sense - that is unless you want to reinvent your currecy based on the "Octo-dollar". :D

And the anti-Gallic flavour with 7 exclamation marks - added nothing to the discussion that I could see and just lacked class.

Still, this is a metric v Imperial discussion (not decimal v binary) - and Wellard, I gave you the name of a country - Surinam ;)

Check your PMs Davie [img]smile.gif[/img]

I must have been a good boy in a previous life - SMOOCH [img]smile.gif[/img] - thanks Kung-Fu Gal ;) .

<font color = lightgreen>Yes, the US should change to the metric system because the metric system is so simple. To this day, if you say "acre" I get lost trying to figure out just how much area that covers, but if you say "hectare" I get a much clearer picture. It would also be convenient not to have to carry around conversion factors in my head. [img]graemlins/petard.gif[/img]
Sadly, though, even after years of education in the traditional units of measurement most high-school kids still couldn't tell you how many feet, much less inches, are in a mile.

By the way, six packs of carbonated beverages are now being sold in 500mL bottles instead of 16 fluid ounces. The same is true for bottled water, but milk is still strictly pint, quart, half-gallon, and gallon.</font>

[ 03-02-2003, 06:22 PM: Message edited by: Azred ]