The Metric System and the US... thoughts?

[The Bruce]

As I'm sure a number of you know, there was a big push back in the 1970s to get the United States onto the metric system (to include using Celsius versus Fahrenheit). Obviously, that petered out very quickly because of push-back from the public. Since then, I've seen several instances where stretches of newly paved interstate highway (and some State roads) have converted over to the metric system (my own Interstate 19, for example).

The last time I checked, there were only three or four other countries that haven't gone to the metric system (or Celsius) as their primary system of measurement. Why?

What are your thoughts, pro or con?

Personally, I'm a fan of moving over to metric. Sure, it'll be a little confusing for those of us that grew up under the current system, but the younger crowd will get just as easily accustomed to the new system as we did the old one. Plus, we could get rid of a bunch of conversion charts that would be rendered useless (no need for conversion charts on a system based on the number 10).

 

[Mudfoot]

It started when I was in school. I was surprised that it lost traction at the time.

 

[Lil'Yeshua]

Going metric,it's unamerican. However,my vehicle's fasteners are all metric and most of my tools are metric. I'd prefer 60 mph vs. 89 kph(whoopie!) some of my company's state jobs require that we have the yardage and data in metric.
Our government/parents would have to teach our kids metric along side of standard measurements and then make a total switch over to metric.
Personally I don't like the metric system except for my tools.

 

[The Bruce]

Going metric,it's unamerican. However,my vehicle's fasteners are all metric and most of my tools are metric. I'd prefer 60 mph vs. 89 kph(whoopie!) some of my company's state jobs require that we have the yardage and data in metric.
Our government/parents would have to teach our kids metric along side of standard measurements and then make a total switch over to metric.
Personally I don't like the metric system except for my tools.

Um, well, since Americans never had their own system to begin with, wouldn't it be moderately neato if they simply got onboard to what 99% of the rest of the world was doing?

You know, there was a time in human history when all numerical calculations of time and space were done in this ancient thing called Roman Numerals (yes, Roman Numerals MCVLIII). We don't use this system to any real extent anymore because Arabic numerals greatly simplified things (that, and the fact that the Romans hadn't yet developed the concept of zero). Likewise, the metric system simplifies things over the English and Imperial systems (which almost nobody uses anymore). So why hang onto it? Some strange devotion to fractional math? I'll sit around a camp fire and reduce, add, subtract, multiply, and divide fractions with the best of 'em, but I don't understand the point of doing so if it isn't necessary (ask your parents about the long-abolished practice of doing addition, subtraction, multiplication, and long division using Roman Numerals -- it'll make your mind bleed).

http://www.rainbowresource.com/products/031093.jpg

Come on, kids, grab your abacus and let's start crunching numbers!

 

[Lil'Yeshua]

I had to learn fractions(hate it)back in my school days. Learning metric shouldn't be too hard. There would have to be a common frame of reference in order to comprehend it. Still don't like 89kph(Whoopie!)instead of 60mph.

 

[w9cll]

When mesureing things I tend to use the metric system over ours, I find it easier.

 

[dx31353]

Smart people use the magical system.

 

[Brake Weight]

I've been in the international oil patch for several years now and can go either way for the most part. Pressure units are the worst.

And, it is unAmerican.

 

[Lil'Yeshua]

Actually,I prefer using a metric ruler. Got my mm's&cm's down pat. Things are greatly simplified using my metric wrenches and sockets.
I've been watching YouTube Air Crash Investigation videos. One video in particular was about Canada's commercial jet industry at one time was converting over to kilograms especially when refueling commercial jet airliners. A mistake was made in that one airline company refueling personal didn't do the right math and only refueled one jet with half as much fuel resulting in the famous 'Gimli Glider' incident.
Gimli Glider - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x1...glider-deadly-glide-miracle-flight_shortfilms

 

[Rick330man]

Eurosnobs and others like to trash Americans for lack of culture and tradition. Well, we have our culture and it has gotten us pretty far...every inch of the way...

Embedded therein lie witicisms which are both fundamentally American and fundamentally sound. For example, the age old American adage: "Give him an inch and he'll take a foot." Words of wisdom and simplistic beauty, indeed, that are as prophetic and pragmatic today as they were in 1776. Saying: "Give him 2.54 centimeters and he'll take 30.48" loses quite a bit in the translation. To the metric police, it might suggest that you suffer from organic brain injury which causes arbitrary, illogical and irrational thought processes. There's no logical relationship between the figures...unless you go uniquely American.

Isn't the metric system the unit of measurement preferred by oppressive governments like Iran, Russia and North Korea? Each is on the metric system. Count me out.

Isn't it enough that we've embraced soccer? What next? Should we start driving on the wrong side of the road?

I say "no" to the metric system.

 

[Road Squawker]

...Isn't it enough that we've embraced soccer?...I say "no"...

you mean that boring game that is played with a deformed football?:thumbdown: is a "nil" metric?

 

[Brake Weight]

you mean that boring game that is played with a deformed football?:thumbdown: is a "nil" metric?

That's rugby and there's a lot of hugging in that game.

 

[space cowboy]

well, since the US sucks at math, and the metric system is mathematically simpler:wub:, I'm surprised we haven't switched over long ago.

but if we did, we'd have to change all the mile markers along the highway.:glare:

:blink:
tough choice.

 

[JCH]

Yall can have that metric crap, I like my feet, miles, inches, yards, chains, rods, and finding 6 11/16ths end wrenches when all you need is one 3/4.

 

[Captain Kilowatt]

Going metric,it's unamerican. However,my vehicle's fasteners are all metric and most of my tools are metric.

How in the name of God is it unamerican? It's not baseball or apple pie.

I'd prefer 60 mph vs. 89 kph(whoopie!)

So would I since 60 mph is 96.5 km/hr and is thus faster than 89 km/hr. Actually using the metric system for speed should appeal to CBers running amps and such as it means dealing with larger numbers to describe the same thing thus they will think they are going faster than they really are. I suppose then someone will start a discussion about Dosey versus Bird speedometers.

Our government/parents would have to teach our kids metric along side of standard measurements and then make a total switch over to metric. Personally I don't like the metric system except for my tools.

No different than most of the rest of the world including us back in 1973. Nobody ever lost an eye or was killed over it.