Why Not Convert to Metric?

[Rod Sheridan]

Its not a well known point of knowledge, but one of the key issues that caused Britain to last week opt out of the EU was that the general population did not want to convert to metric currency! They are perfectly happy with their pounds, and pence and quid and what not and didn't want to be forced to convert to Euro's. Thats a fact.

Pat, the Pound no longer is 20 shillings or 240 pence, it's now 100 pence.......Rod.

[Rod Sheridan]

"we don't use weight in the metric system at the level of the average person, we use mass, (Kg)."

Precisely, Rod. Metric uses mass. Imperial uses lbs = weight = force. So, when I sell 400 lbs of liquid to my customers, but need to convert it to kg for the shipping label, and then gallons or liters to figure out how to efficiently package it, it's just a pain.

Oh, I agree, and as you can see I couldn't remember what the unit of mass was in the Imperial system.

The conversions in the Imperial system are a pain........Rod.

[Rod Sheridan]

Yeah the Ale Gallon!

Actually that could convert me back to Imperial

[Rod Sheridan]

I have a Hammer slider with a metric system installed on the fence. It's actually a much easier way to cut things and even build. Why haven't we simply adopted the metric system in the USA? It would prove much easier to figure fractions for those folks who are fraction challenged.

Rich, there you go again with your Don Quixote tilting at windmills approach to life..................Rod.

[Pat Barry]

Pat, the Pound no longer is 20 shillings or 240 pence, it's now 100 pence.......Rod.

Interesting! It's decimal but not metric then. Euro'S are metric money.

[Tom Stenzel]

The problem I have with metric is when the Canadien stations announce the temperatures in C, I don't know if I need shorts or a jacket.

-Tom

[Brian Elfert]

Its not a well known point of knowledge, but one of the key issues that caused Britain to last week opt out of the EU was that the general population did not want to convert to metric currency! They are perfectly happy with their pounds, and pence and quid and what not and didn't want to be forced to convert to Euro's. Thats a fact.

In all the media coverage about the British referendum I don't recall hearing that being forced to change currency was ever mentioned. I did hear having to take in migrants as a major issue among other things.

[Stewie Simpson]

Its not a well known point of knowledge, but one of the key issues that caused Britain to last week opt out of the EU was that the general population did not want to convert to metric currency! They are perfectly happy with their pounds, and pence and quid and what not and didn't want to be forced to convert to Euro's. Thats a fact.

Pat; that's not fact; that's fiction. You need to do your homework.

[Tony Zona]

Since the base of the metric system is as arbitrary as it is in imperial, compromise. Let there be ten inches in a foot, and maybe 100 divisions to the inch. Viola! No nasty fractions.

And it may keep all those anti-metric people happy, too, by staying with the words "inches" and "feet."

[Stewie Simpson]

Here's a real fact.

Of all the countries in the world, only three backwaters still use the archaic Imperial system of weights and measures: Liberia; Myanmar; and the USA.

[Rich Riddle]

Further confusing me is that the F150 in the driveway has both metric and SAE nuts and bolts and apparently no rhyme or reason as to where the place them.

[Gerry Grzadzinski]

I haven't seen an imperial fastener on an american vehicle in 20 years. All of my wrenches are metric, and they fit every bolt I've ever had to remove.

The combination of the insistence on staying with bizarre fractions with the demonstrated inability of 85% of the population to manipulate those fractions defies any semblance of logic or sense.

Those same 85% won't be able to understand metric decimal places either.

[Chris Parks]

So many reasons to not convert but all the countries that have converted all had the same reasons and still managed to stumble through the conversion. The biggest problem Australia had was when the currency changed and no one was sure how to count it or if they were getting paid too much or not enough. It really was a shock when I opened my first pay packet and found I did not have a clue how much should be in it.

[ron david]

Problems I have w/ metric:

- not related to human scale / experience for me — I know what four inches is roughly, but ~10cm doesn’t register w/ me
- not easily divisible by thirds, sixths, 12ths, &c. — and if I want even divisions for smaller units, I’ll dig out a graphic design ruler w/ PostScript point/picas (72/inch) — wouldn’t be so bad if CAD programs made it easier to use fractional measurements in metric
- too expensive to replace my favourite brass bound rule: http://www.jimbodetools.com/Near-Min...le-p42665.html

That said, I use it for some projects, esp. those where I want to match dimensions, and or cut out w/ a CNC, and I use metric when jogging the machine or doing CAM.

I bet that you can work quite easily with a dollor though even as it is not divisible ny thirds. sixths, 12ths etc.
ron

[Stewie Simpson]

Those same 85% won't be able to understand metric decimal places either.[/QUOTE]

Gerry; that's a bit of a sad indictment of our modern education system.