topic Re: Only three countries in Community Spirit

Only three countries

martinw-48 — Sun, 28 Jul 2019 12:37:03 GMT

Haven't adopted the metric system.
USA
Liberia
Burma
Burma is converting
Gerald Ford signed into legislation in 1975 metric conversion but it is voluntary
About time they joined the rest of the world

Re: Only three countries

martinw-48 — Sun, 28 Jul 2019 12:39:30 GMT

http://mentalfloss.com/article/50160/years-ken-butcher-was-sole-employee-us-metric-program

Re: Only three countries

springyzone — Sun, 28 Jul 2019 21:33:58 GMT

I guess as one of the biggest economies in the world, the US has not felt a pressing need to convert for the convenience of others.

If you look at Australia and UK, I think you'll find that most older people, and I don't mean decrepit old either, are perfectly familiar with terms such as feet and inches, who feel quite at home if told a baby weighs in at 7lb, who have a clear mental image of what a day of 90F feels like etc

So we're walking around, able to work reasonably comfortably in both systems.

But that's because we were forced to.

I read the article and how the people using the petrol station felt cheated as they couldn't convert. It reminds me of here. I remember that for 2 years, on the TV weather report each night after the news, the reporter would predict the temp for the next day-in both C & F.

Two years.

After that, it was reported in C only. I was fairly young at the time but I recall the rude awakening I felt because while it was reported in both, I had only really taken notice of the F. But we learnt to deal with it and built up our knowledge over time.

I doubt the young ones today can do it in reverse.

Americans find it extremely hard, even when simple ball park conversion are explained to them. That's because they don't use them often enough to remember them. They don't have to.

They don't want to convert, it wouldn't be a popular move, we won't see it happen until they absolutely have to.

I'd say a lot of them would be proud to be different. They are very patriotic you know, much more so than your average Australian.

Re: Only three countries

lyhargr_0 — Sun, 28 Jul 2019 22:58:44 GMT

UK may have converted for some of it but they still use miles NOT kms

Springy I had a giggle at your post. My 82 yr old neighbour still uses miles and will tell me she received so many points of rain. I dont know what she uses for weights, length etc, not game to ask her 🙂 She is a quite intelligent lady, she just refuses to change lol

Re: Only three countries

tasfleur — Sun, 28 Jul 2019 23:56:34 GMT

I always use the imperial system when designing and constructing my art quilts, but when it comes to purchasing the fabrics, it has to be by metric measurement in Australia of course, but imperial for USA fabric.

It's become second nature to me to use both systems automatically all the time even when cooking .. I don't know why, but I would find it hard to only think in just one system, it has to be both thought equally ..

Re: Only three countries

jetho1680 — Mon, 29 Jul 2019 00:04:46 GMT

Some beaches are named in miles, like 7 or 14 mile beach, as are some creeks etc.

Car wheels are still measured in inches.

TVs are in mostly measured in inches.

I have a nephew named Miles, would be silly to call him 1.60934 kilometers.

Eggs should not be sold in a 12 pack because that is a dozen.

Re: Only three countries

tasfleur — Mon, 29 Jul 2019 00:08:32 GMT

"I have a nephew named Miles, would be silly to call him 1.60934 kilometers"

Re: Only three countries

martinw-48 — Mon, 29 Jul 2019 02:11:38 GMT

Yes wheels are in inches but only the internal diameter of tyres is in inches.
Sidewalls and width of tyres is in metric.
Aircraft refueling is now in metric worldwide I believe due to an aircraft crashing due to a mix up between US gallons and litres.
I can convert miles to kilometres in my head having a 1970 Falcon but chains, furlongs and that I have no idea.
I do remember the change from the teacher bashing me with the yard ruler and then the metre ruler.
I just love those old angry women for that

Re: Only three countries

myoclon1cjerk — Mon, 29 Jul 2019 04:42:26 GMT

I go back that far I still use cubits. 😄

Re: Only three countries

domino-710 — Mon, 29 Jul 2019 04:45:16 GMT

@myoclon1cjerk wrote:
I go back that far I still use cubits. 😄

So - how are you coming along with the Ark. lol

Re: Only three countries

tasfleur — Mon, 29 Jul 2019 04:52:06 GMT

"I go back that far I still use cubits"

Re: Only three countries

domino-710 — Mon, 29 Jul 2019 04:53:00 GMT

@domino-710 wrote:
@myoclon1cjerk wrote:
I go back that far I still use cubits. 😄
So - how are you coming along with the Ark. lol

Just a small favour - could you cancel the visas of the Mynah Birds & the Snails.

Re: Only three countries

lyhargr_0 — Mon, 29 Jul 2019 04:54:48 GMT

@domino-710 wrote:
@domino-710 wrote:
@myoclon1cjerk wrote:
I go back that far I still use cubits. 😄
So - how are you coming along with the Ark. lol
Just a small favour - could you cancel the visas of the Mynah Birds & the Snails.

'n the hairy ones with eight legs

Re: Only three countries

domino-710 — Mon, 29 Jul 2019 04:56:42 GMT

Sorry - the birds - the snails - & anything with more than 4 legs. TIA.

Re: Only three countries

lyndal1838 — Mon, 29 Jul 2019 06:22:33 GMT

In the early 80s my young 20s daughter and a friend went touring in the USA driving a Kombi.

Neither daughter nor friend had ever used the imperial system so it came to pass that they were caught speeding in Texas.

As the driver, my daughter was quite prepared to pay the expected fine immediately it was issued. But no, she was arrested, her drivers licence and passport both confiscated and she spent the night in the local lockup. The next morning she was escorted by 2 armed officers (in handcuffs) to the local court house. When the fine was issued the 2 officers escorted her to the bank then back to the courthouse to pay the fine.

In the meantime her friend was left to fend for herself. She had no idea of accommodation in the area as they were not planning on staying there. She asked the police for advice and let's say they were less than helpful.

As she left the building a young girl handed her a slip of paper with an address and told her to go there. It turns out that she was a civilian employee with the police who had heard everything going on, Her parents happened to own a caravan park. They took her in like she was a family member, invited her to dinner and refused all payment.

What a difference in treatment.

Re: Only three countries

zanadoo_56 — Mon, 29 Jul 2019 07:10:04 GMT

@tasfleur wrote:
I always use the imperial system when designing and constructing my art quilts, but when it comes to purchasing the fabrics, it has to be by metric measurement in Australia of course, but imperial for USA fabric.

It's become second nature to me to use both systems automatically all the time even when cooking .. I don't know why, but I would find it hard to only think in just one system, it has to be both thought equally ..

I was taught the imperial system at school. When I left school and went to TAFE everything was metric. I knew so little about the metric system that I didn't know millimetres were smaller than metres in the first place. 🙂

I used to make my own clothes - originally I would buy the fabric in yards but then it changed and I had to think in metres. Now it's a mix. I do crafts and I can order items in metric or imperial measurements, seams and edging are stitched in metric but I still measure hems in inches. LOL Added to that is the confusion of using centimetres. In the building world you only use metres and millimetres (I was a draftsperson for many years) but crafts also use centimetres. I find myself converting small measurements to millimetres.

It all takes me back to when shops in Canberra virtually went metric overnight. I remember standing in the butcher shop wondering how many chops would I get if I ordered a kg rather than a pound. I hadn't a clue.

I still remember all the imperial measurement tables I had to learn at school. Someone in this discussion mentioned furlongs. I don't know how a furlong translates to a km but I do know that 8 furlongs = I mile so maybe someone can work it out from there. 😉

I think because America still hasn't made the change, it's an advantage to be able to think in metric and imperial when it comes to purchasing from US. But just in case I can't be bothered dealing with the maths of converting I still keep an old ruler, sewing tape measure and a 5m builders tape measure handy - all of which have measurements in metric AND imperial.

Re: Only three countries

*kazumi* — Sun, 04 Aug 2019 07:00:17 GMT

people who have problems understanding the metric system can just order 10 sausages rather than pound. But the Imperial system is so cumbersome; in metrics everything is in multiples of 10.
Did not America lose a space probe/rocket because somebody made calculations in Imperial instead of metric?

Re: Only three countries

ecar3483 — Sun, 04 Aug 2019 12:05:29 GMT

@domino-710 wrote:
Sorry - the birds - the snails - & anything with more than 4 legs. TIA.

I see.. How very Orwellian of you... Four legs good, more legs bad... ha ha...

🙂