Imperial or Metric system?

[roquefort]

I use either, what ticks me off is when the EU rules result in the prosecution of greengrocers who insist on selling their apples in pounds and ounces because that's what the customers want. And the latest insanity about having to buy eggs by the gramme rather than by the unit, ie egg.

 

Eggs are sold by unit and grade (even in Jack London's novels) - dunno what strange kind of fowls you have out there ^^

Eggs have always been graded by weight in the UK (and probably elsewhere), then placed in convenient-sized boxes for retail sale.

 

The proposal (for that is all it appears to be at the moment) is that the weight of the contents should be displayed on the packaging somewhere, just as in the case of all other foodstuffs.

 

It's just anti-EU nonsense..

 

 

(EDIT: Greengrocers are allowed to display imperial equivalents alongside the metric info. If they were allowed to sell in imperial exclusively, Weights & Measures inspectors would have to cater for two different systems when checking scales for accuracy. Just because the odd whackjob retailer wants to make a political or self-aggrandizing issue of this is no reason for them to have to do that).

[Lisnpuppy]

*clears throat and places tongue firmly in cheek*

 

Well I am just gonna lay this out. I am an American. I have managed to survive just fine for 38 years without knowing the metric system by heart. I can work with it when needed, understand it but can't convert at a moments notice. Why should I clutter my head with such when I can take 3 seconds and look it up somewhere telling me how many meters are in a mile or whatever. We all brush up on it come Olympic time.

 

Now seems to me in America....the scientist, physicist and all those types that need to know it...well they learn it and know it. No problem. I doubt our dropping "imperial" will make us any smarter as it is still the same old school systems that will be doing the teaching.

 

Fact is....if they really wanted America to go metric...it would in a heartbeat. How? Well....have all the sports begin talking meters instead of yards and America would learn fast enough...otherwise where would they be with their fantasy football or baseball?

 

_________________________________

 

Seriously....does it really matter that the US still uses Imperial as their everyday unit of measurements? What would knowing it add? Would it make us better drivers in France? No..because you people drive on the wrong side of the road (LOL) and American will just do what they want if they know a kilometer to mile ratio or not. There are different measurements for tons of things...foodstuffs have their own measurements at times. You still measure horses by hands then tell how many centimeters they are. There are still nautical miles and degrees for markers of large distances. I don't think anyone will die if they suddenly go to another country and have to measure their petro (gas) in litre instead of ounces.

 

So neither is better or worse...each have their purpose and either is the easiest to work in depending on what you learned growing up. Having standard metric or whatever for science and engineering is obviously a good thing...but everyday use....I got bigger fish to fry....all 5 pounds of them. :P

 

As for Americans and what did someone say.....Imperial Money? Does that mean if we had British Pounds or Euros? Or not metric countable money(based on 10, 100s?)? Because we have nickles and quarters and even pennies still....which come in handy on that 6% sales tax on things. LOL

 

Anyway..my

[Surenas]

...

Seriously....does it really matter that the US still uses Imperial as their everyday unit of measurements?

...

 

No, it doesn't. Actually here's nobody interested in the number of feet that are necessary to reach a meter and alike.

______

Seriously - everybody has their own taste. And that most people have the same, viz the metric, that's irreversible fate, no more, no less. I'm okay with it. No mission - no conflict.

[Harbringe]

Imperial is an evolved measuring system built upon the assessments of measure going all the way back to ancient times ,the most constant element by which to come a determination of what constituted any given measurement was the human form .So for thousands of years people used what was most easily understood in relation to themselves (pinch of salt ,cup of water ,foot etc etc).Metric is a measuring system designed for the industrial age and in a number of ways does not relate so easily to the basic human form.Yes metric overall is a superior system for an industrial/technological age but when brought down to a human level the imperial system still has its advantages.

 

In the end use whatever makes more sense to you.

[Balagor]

Here in DK we use both.

We use Inches for screen size, pipes, fasteners, screws and bolts. The latter can also be metric. We can have folding rules with both metric and inces on it. Tires for cars are Inches, but the gas for the same car is Litres. :blink: When we buy wooden boards, the boards are named in Inches; examp 1x4 ", but we pay by the Meter :blush:

My door is 2,20 m on the average. I could`nt tell in Feet & Inches

My PC screen is 24". I could`nt tell in cm

I weigh 85 kilos, I think it is 170 pounds.

My property is 1 acrer (we call it something else in Danish) = 4,840 square yards = 5000 square meters. If you have 2 of them you got 1 Hektar = 10000 Square meters = 2 Acres

Strange enough, even young people still have the expression " One pound of butter", which is also the standard factory size for butter ½ kilo=1pound.

[JimboUK]

I use either, what ticks me off is when the EU rules result in the prosecution of greengrocers who insist on selling their apples in pounds and ounces because that's what the customers want. And the latest insanity about having to buy eggs by the gramme rather than by the unit, ie egg.

 

Eggs are sold by unit and grade (even in Jack London's novels) - dunno what strange kind of fowls you have out there ^^

Eggs have always been graded by weight in the UK (and probably elsewhere), then placed in convenient-sized boxes for retail sale.

 

The proposal (for that is all it appears to be at the moment) is that the weight of the contents should be displayed on the packaging somewhere, just as in the case of all other foodstuffs.

 

It's just anti-EU nonsense..

 

 

(EDIT: Greengrocers are allowed to display imperial equivalents alongside the metric info. If they were allowed to sell in imperial exclusively, Weights & Measures inspectors would have to cater for two different systems when checking scales for accuracy. Just because the odd whackjob retailer wants to make a political or self-aggrandizing issue of this is no reason for them to have to do that).

 

Catering for two systems involves no extra work, checking weights and measures is the same no matter what units you use. I'm not sure why you have to refer to the bloke as a whackjob, you may not agree with him but insults does your case no favours at all, as long as he is honest with his weights then there should be no issue.

[AWarGuy]

Metric system is more accurate than the Imperial system.

[bben46]

@Awarguy: Neither system is more or less accurate than the other. The limiting factor is the device used to do the measuring, not the system of measuring.

 

On this I am speaking from experience as I do have training in metrology . No, not the weather guy and I did not misspell it. look here for definition: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metrology

[AWarGuy]

@Awarguy: Neither system is more or less accurate than the other. The limiting factor is the device used to do the measuring, not the system of measuring.

 

On this I am speaking from experience as I do have training in metrology . No, not the weather guy and I did not misspell it. look here for definition: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metrology

Ahh I see, which system do you prefer then?

[Surenas]

@Awarguy: Neither system is more or less accurate than the other. The limiting factor is the device used to do the measuring, not the system of measuring.

 

On this I am speaking from experience as I do have training in metrology . No, not the weather guy and I did not misspell it. look here for definition: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metrology

Ahh I see, which system do you prefer then?

 

It is not a question of accuracy of different systems, but of old limb (and time) systems to measure lenghts that express the former claimed role of man in the known universe versus a geo-mathematical derivation of the planet man is actually living on. In so far it is a question of cultural development of man in general caused by the main shift in modern life, the denationalization of religion and religious traditions in Europe of the late 18th century and, of course, individually taught cultural traditions till this day in special. Thus it is impossible to start with the post-modern metric click measure of the US Army only to end up with the same length measured in the beru (hours) of the long gone Assyrian army or perhaps even with the once divine deemed Ezekielan cubit (the biblical prophet Ezekiel, you know), at least for folks that have not yet lost their marbles.

Edited November 20, 2010 by Surenas