Why does the US not go Metric?

I was taught the metric system in grade school in the early 80's. It wasnt hard to learn but it never went beyond that. I never questioned why nor did I care.

reply to post by kyred


Farenheit readings are more precise than Centigrade

That is the only part of your statement I agree with.
Apart from temperature, which in celcious really isnt metric, the rest of the metric system is so much easier to learn from scratch than any other system.

And I think even the yanks would rather say they were doing 160kph rather than 100mph

[edit on 25-6-2010 by virgom129]

reply to post by virgom129


I understand what you are saying... and a part of me agrees. But old habits die hard.

Here, if I am talking to someone and tell them that an agricultural sprayer will cover 200 sq feet...they know what I am talking about. Otherwise, I'm just wasting time.

I work at a farm store and we sell power equipment...chain saws, lawn tractors, etc. Much of what we sell comes in CCs....like 120cc power water pump. Everybody wants to know how much HP or horse power it has... and they will not buy it if they don't know either.

Honda has a good name, but you get a Briggs and Stratton motor with 18.5 HP...it'll sell everytime.

reply to post by AlreadyGone


Yeah but thats just old ideas.. The US has had 40 years to change the education system but chooses not to...

I just wonder why.. Americans are as smart as us here in Australia so why not change to a universally accepted better system?

I don't think the US is really that alone in those feelings, I use both systems tho for most personal calculations I use the imperial system, My height in feet and inches, my waist and chest in inches, my weight in stones, I drive in miles, and drink my pints

If an American tells me their weight in lbs or European tells me their weight in kgs it leaves me scraching my head and reaching for a calculator

In my work life I use mostly metric measurements...

I think we use both systems just to confuse everyone

I like the following quote from George Orwell on the English view of efficency

One has only to look at their methods of town planning and water supply, their obstinate clinging to everything that is out of date and a nuisance, a spelling system that defies analysis, and a system of weights and measures that is intelligible only to the compilers of arithmetic books, to see how little they care about mere efficiency.

44 years later...

Aus went metric in 1966. I have every single stamp since then.

We use both metric and imperial for things like drill bits, tools, bolts.

I don't mind either/or, and when I bought my house the boundary fence was measured in chains!!

Also add though, we have ten fingers and toes, so metric would be easier to learn, maybe.

MM

reply to post by virgom129


As I originally said...we don't want to. And...we don't have to. And the government can't make us do it...and nobody else will either.

There...your answer in a nut shell.

Come on. Isnt it so blatantly obvious? Missing this one is like not ducking when you slap yourself in the face.

Its the name. Imperial. The US does not want to lose its Impire or its Imperor. We are the last Imperial Government on this rock and by golly gosh, we are going to claw inch by freaking centime....inch to keep it that way.


Seriously though, in engineering, we learned both. Some things are more precisely measured in metrics others imperial. Just like angle measurements look prettier in a standard mathmatical whole/fraction layout, you can not beat the precision of decimal.

The military is very much into the metric system. We learn to target in meters, not feet. I was a mechanic and at least half of the tools we used daily were metrics.

Even my current job has charts on the wall converting both ways and I have to constantly do conversions from one to the other.

Its not as bad as it was, mostly because of all of the foreign imports, from cars to appliances to the desk chair that I am sitting in right now. That has actually pushed the US to learn the metric system. Of course, the US Weights and Measures office still wouldnt dare let a liter of your metrics pass through their 1/16" doorway.

Originally posted by loner007
reply to post by virgom129

 

err the UK is still Imperial. Even though people at school are taught the Metric system UK still have miles and uses imperial weights like pounds and quarter pounds. WE still use imperial measures like Inches feet and yards. We went metric ages ago but the people in the UK well a good majority are so thick the government had to bring back the old system.

I disagree that the UK is 'still Imperial'. Think back to the somewhat high profile cases of prosecution for market traders who still sold in pounds and ounces. AFAIK it is still illegal to sell in imperial weight, although products can be found that carry the imperial weight on the packaging in addition to the metric.

Petrol is only sold in litres. Milk is sold in litres (but sometimes in pint quantities). Every pre-packaged product in the supermarket will have it's weight listed in metric. And as far as I know you cannot buy a quarter of sweets - it is usually 100g.

There are exceptions, of course. You can still buy a pint of beer. Distances ARE in miles, and speed limits in miles/hour. We all speak of our car's mpg (miles per gallon), but manufactures have to state litres/100km in their sales brochure.
performance figures no longer reflect 0-60mph, but 0-62, as it equates to 100km.

So no, we are not 'still Imperial', but it sure will be a long time before we all think (as in brain) as if we are not.

Tyre (or tire in U.S)sizes in OZ are still in inches and also some natural green substance is still sold in ounces and pounds although smaller amounts are grams .It makes no sense to me .This is why we need a one world government, run by another world.

You cannot get a degree in the USA without using metric.

I was taught metric WITH imperial my entire life.

Maybe the non-Americans need to learn two languages as well and use a conversion chart?

I prefer knowing both systems.

Why do you wish to only know 1?

Study time!
"Metric and Imperial Conversion Charts and Tables"
convert.french-property.co.uk...

Use this and all of these silly arguments about metric vs imperial will die peacefully. Thanks.



[edit on 25-6-2010 by muzzleflash]

reply to post by MissMegs


Do Tasmanians have ten fingers and toes??



Just kidding...Like South Australians are proof that Tasmanians can swim...

reply to post by virgom129


Simple.

Metric system is for pussies.

God darn communists!

[edit on 25-6-2010 by Point of No Return]

reply to post by Point of No Return

Yeah that makes a lot of sense .How long did it take you come up with that post? Cats cant even count and they couldn't give a rats anyway.

reply to post by Point of No Return


Simple.

Metric system is for pussies.

God darn communists!


Yah think???

I think the easiest system to learn is the best system...
The US just hasn't adjusted to that idea yet.

That's pointless guys cmon now.

Just learn conversion and we will all be fine.

Open your mind to learn new ways to do things.

I myself, try to cover as many bases as I can in life. And I like knowing someone else's language.

Either side of the Metric vs Imperial argument you are on, you are being bias and ignorant.

Way to speed up your learning curve ?

reply to post by virgom129

I think the easiest system to learn is the best system... The US just hasn't adjusted to that idea yet.

My point exactly!



I'm from Europe myself.

reply to post by wheresthetruth


lol, love the humour...
May take a few generations but the US one day will come. kicking and screaming, into the modern world.

And make it easier on their kids.....

Ten years after the francs, we still can't count in Euros (most of the people still need to do the conversion to get an idea of a price), so I assume it is the same for americans with the metric system.
But Euro is a scam.

[edit on 25/6/2010 by jeanne75018]

reply to post by 12voltz


Lol, relax dude.

You're not the only sarcastic bastard.