Everything Is Metric Measurements On Tv Now

[dave50]

Every time i watch a program on TV about healthy lifestyle, being over weight or whatever, everything is in metric measurements, especially people's weight or height. I find it meaningless and cannot relate to it. I want to know in stones and pounds and feet and inches. At least they could give it in both imperial and metric. It is very annoying. The BBC are the worst culprits typically.

[gingejbee]

....and the Imperial system is meaningless to me....and expressing everything in two different systems is even more confusing......

[hc4361]

Strange how a new born baby's weight is still given in pounds and ounces :)

[gingejbee]

^^^baby's weights are measured metrically and converted to Imperial for those who are clueless about metric measurements....

[Guilbert53]

For years all children in school have been taught the "new" metric system.

Surely it is not too difficult for you to learn the new system, after all you must have had to get used to Decimal currency.

Or do you still work everything out in pounds shillings and pence?

[maggiebee]

Good grief, we went metric years ago and imperial measurements are no longer taught in schools.

[bhg481]

How many people know the fuel consumption of their car in either miles/litre or KM/litre without working it out?

[Zacs-Master]

Shocking ain’t it, I mean we’ve only had 47 years to get used to it!

[Islay]

My!! only 47 years Zacs!!

[dunnitall]

The only reason I can and do go back to pounds, shillings and pence to sometimes convert.... is to see just how much we are being ripped off buying something now to then. I have to agree with Dave for some of the things, I have metric calcs in a lot of things but find weight and height difficult to compute. Oh well, it takes all sorts lol.

[maggiebee]

Agree dunnitall, I do that too. Still ask for a pound of mince in the butcher's. Think a lot of us have just got used to using both systems.

[bhg481]

maggie //Still ask for a pound of mince in the butcher's// Even the French refer to 1/2 a kilo of fruit as une livre (a pound).

[andres]

Wonder if we will go back to Imperial when we Brexit?

[dave50]

i do understand metric and I know how to convert but there are some aspects of British life where imperial measurements have always been quoted such as people's weight, height and also miles and mpg but the BBC is so in thrall to metric measurements in all things that they dont want to know about any traditional imperial measurements that are still used every day by millions of people.

[New Judge]

“....and the Imperial system is meaningless to me....and expressing everything in two different systems is even more confusing......”

So what's the answer, then?

How long does it take to add "or eleven stones eleven pounds" to "your ideal weight should be 75 kilograms."? And how difficult would it be for you to ignore the last part?

“How many people know the fuel consumption of their car in either miles/litre or KM/litre without working it out?”

And it wouldn’t do you much good even if you did (at least when looking for a new car). Manufacturers now quote an almost meaningless “Litres per 100km” figure. Very handy.

Yes, the BBC is the worst perpetrator. It now uses almost exclusively metric measurements. I’ve even heard them say something like “there’s an 8 kilometre tailback on the M20 approaching Dover”. This is despite no vehicle first registered in the UK having, fitted as standard, a speedometer or odometer having its primary calibration in kilometres (because the vehicle would not receive “type approval” from the Vehicle Certification Agency) and no speed limit or distance sign in the UK displaying anything other than miles (because it is illegal to do so).

The BBC has an obligation to provide its information so it is of use to all its users, not just those who started school after about 1970.

And another thing: why do hamburger joints still sell “quarter-pounders”? Could it be that a “0.1134 kilogrammer” doesn’t quite have the same ring about it? Why do most restaurants still offer an “8 ounce fillet steak”? Why not one of 227grammes (or whatever they determine the nearest round number - more likely 200 than 250)?

[bednobs]

and why are mens trousers sold in waist/leg sizes in inches?

[vulcan42]

B&Q have an interesting system with their boards, length and width in metric and depth in imperial.

[fiction-factory]

What was wrong with bushels and chains and pecks and gills?

[Mamyalynne]

I'm still working in Ells and Cubits - as they are approximate they are very forgiving.

[maggiebee]

As an aside, once taught basic (very) maths to adults. One told me that she never used imperial measurements and was taught only metric at school. All OK until I asked her how tall she was and what shoe size she took................

[maggiebee]

Ha ha FF - I sing a song to my grandkids - I love you a bushel and a peck, a bushel and a peck and a hug around the neck.