01-06-2002 00:57									#1
	America And The Metric System Remove this text

One thing I have never understood is America's continued insistence on using its own intricate system of feet, pounds, gallons, and degrees Fahrenheit, which no one in the rest of the world understands. Why is America the only major country not to have went metric? What reasons are there for this absolute bizarreness?

Can someone, preferrably an American, explain?

	01-06-2002 01:00									#2
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Why would we want to be like you?

	01-06-2002 01:01									#3
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if i remember correctly, america wanted to distance itself from Europe in every way possible early on. Washington spoke of isolation and everything

anyway, they picked the English system for some stupid reason and now on my physics tests i have to remember how to convert miles to kilometers. stupid english system.

other people say "america does it because it can".

i'll be waiting to see who says that

	01-06-2002 01:05									#4
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Lol, I know going to America was so confusing.

Err, so it's gonna be 78 degrees today, is that hot?
Right, do I want a 30 oz. (correct me if i'm wrong here, I think that's the standard size) can of coke or do I want something larger?
Hmmm, petrol costs $xxx to the gallon, so it'll cost how much to fill my car?

	01-06-2002 01:06									#5
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Didn't we have an almost identical thread a week or two ago?

	01-06-2002 01:08									#6
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Hey if we go Metric, will the rest of Europe give something back and go English?

	01-06-2002 01:09									#7
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We do use the metric system for specific tasks, of course. And our Texas Instruments scientific calculators can convert between the two systems quite sufficiently for us.

Besides, when you do 120 on a US highway, you really feel the speed!

quote: posted by the Chowmeister Didn't we have an almost identical thread a week or two ago?

The Apolyton motto. Sticky it!!

	01-06-2002 02:29									#8
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IIRC, metric was officially introduced by Napolean. The U.S. was on the other side of an ocean, so our isolation kept us from seeing its advantages. It wasn't until after WWII that we began bumping up against it.

The reason we haven't switced over is that, in order to go metric, we would have to completely retool and recalculate--new tool boxes, replacement parts that don't fit the English-sized machines and buildings, new, recipes, and how far is it now to San Francisco?

What was it, 10-20 years ago, we tried easing over, i.e. having everything labelled in both metric and English. What we should have done is to say, as of ___ date, everything is metic. Doing a slow switchover is like trying to climb into a swimming pool of ice water one millimeter at a time. It can't be done. People were frustrated and raged at their Congressmen. So much for going metric.

	01-06-2002 02:39									#9
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Almost all houses etc. are based upon 4x8 ft. pieces of material. It is too late to change now. We are not going to start calling plywood 1.2648x 2.5296's now.

	01-06-2002 02:49									#10
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At least America is consistent in it's use of the imperial system (the British name for the English system). Britain itself is a mish-mash of the imperial and metric systems: I'm 6 feet tall, weigh 12 stone and live 3 miles from the nearest town, but my driveway is about 12 metres long and it's 8 degrees celsius outside. And this is how the British measure all these things.

	01-06-2002 03:16									#11
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Yep, they tried, didn't work.
People are always more comfortable with what they're familiar with.

What I find amusing, is the iritation it causes some poeple. It's worth keeping it for that alone.

Get over it.

RAH

	01-06-2002 03:24									#12
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I remember this being debated about three years ago here.

One of the better arguements was that the foot is a really nice unit of measurement and that the decimeters and meters are either too small or too large for many things. Someone fired back saying that we all could just have a unit called "30 Centimeters," which would defeat the whole purpose of the metric system.

Another is that you are far more likely to go about a mile a minute than a kilometer a minute for extended periods of time.

	01-06-2002 03:28									#13
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Yeah but it's no problem to go 2 km a minute

	01-06-2002 03:28									#14
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Canada used the imperial system not long ago. We have been able to change.

My grandparents still think in terms of feet, miles, fahrenheit, ect... but everything works in metric now, and it's what is tought at schools.

	01-06-2002 03:53									#15
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It's easier for America not to convert. When China surpasses America as the world's economic superpower, America will not have the power to stay imperial. The switch will just happen.

	01-06-2002 05:23									#16
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I don't care. Britain managed to swap to metric, and a decimal currency system, and people dealt with it.
Americans just cant take the change

	01-06-2002 05:43									#17
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Menu costs... it is big money to switch.

	01-06-2002 05:50									#18
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quote: Originally posted by Apocalypse I remember this being debated about three years ago here. One of the better arguements was that the foot is a really nice unit of measurement and that the decimeters and meters are either too small or too large for many things. Someone fired back saying that we all could just have a unit called "30 Centimeters," which would defeat the whole purpose of the metric system.

That is moronic.

	01-06-2002 05:51									#19
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Yes, that is moronic.

I like my explination... so much simpler .

	01-06-2002 05:58									#20
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The reason America doesn't switch to metric is because our country is run by idiots.

	01-06-2002 06:05									#21
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quote: Originally posted by rah Yep, they tried, didn't work. People are always more comfortable with what they're familiar with

We changed 30 years ago. It wasn't that big a deal. I never knew Americans were so math-deficient...

	01-06-2002 06:06									#22
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Canada has the mental capacity to work with both imperial and metric, Americans do not.

It's that simple.

	01-06-2002 06:09									#23
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eg. NASA's Mars screwup. Case in point...

	01-06-2002 06:22									#24
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I think it also has alot to do with the cost of changing. Why the hell switch to liters when we get more from a gallon? Wont retailers take advantage of our temporary confusion to jack up price for things like Gas? Sorry maybe your right we americans dont like to change. But then again, can you blame us? We arent asking you to switch to our system.

quote: Originally posted by Goingonit It's easier for America not to convert. When China surpasses America as the world's economic superpower, America will not have the power to stay imperial. The switch will just happen.

Assuming the situation a few miles to the south doesnt boil over and end up sending a cloud of radiation over ****hai.

Not that I think they could overtake us anyway. Potential is one thing, doing it is another.

	01-06-2002 06:24									#25
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no thats fucked up. I said Shanghai.....why did it ****?

	01-06-2002 06:26									#26
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You probably said Shaghai.

	01-06-2002 06:27									#27
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Foreigners are more worried about it than Americans are it appears. So like rah stated, that is all the more reason not to change.

	01-06-2002 06:32									#28
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So? Whats so taboo about Shag?

	01-06-2002 06:35									#29
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It means **** in British .

	01-06-2002 06:36									#30
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quote: Originally posted by faded glory So? Whats so taboo about Shag?

hint: has nothing to do with this