going metric

[laurence2]

the uk metric association wants the uk to change the imperial road signs to metric as this confuses a number of people

they say the uk officially operates in metric measures, {i don't, i'm 44 years of age and not a convert yet}. its also says that converting to metric would make it easier to calculate fuel consumption and enable more finely tuned speed limits { what a total load of tosh}.

even neil kinnock has had is 2 pennies worth and said its a great idea as with the olympics {2012] it would assist the rest of europe.

ps, just one small problem the goverment are against it and have no interest in changing it, your views please

[WoWo]

Personally I couldn't give a hoot either way, but it seems pointless spending the vast sums it would involve just to keep a few people happy for 2 weeks in 2012.

[madein1978]

Its just more eurocrat/new labour piffle, I've came to expect no less!

[Drusilla1S]

We should have gone fully metric when we changed our currency over thirty years ago. It drives me crazy that my generation were taught the metric system in school and yet so many measurements still require conversion. Crazy!!

[Loosehead]

Firstly we are not officially metric, we have had the metric system pushed on us by anti British Europhiles but that' doesn't make it official. Metric is great for science and engineering but that doesn't mean it should be forced on us for day to day usage. The governement will use metric when it suits them, petrol for example can now be hiked up 4.5 times quicker than when it was in gallons. Why is it easire to calculate fuel consumption? It's simple arithmetic regardless of the units, itdoesn't matter if it's mile per gallon or light years per gallon.

Secondly we did not change currency in 1971 we changed the sub division of the pound that's all.

Thirdly why do we have so many enemies within who won't be happy until all eveidence that this country ever existed is buried in the socilaist block of the EU?

Fourthly why have garages started using the comma as a decimal point instead of a dot? Yes they are you check next time! Yes I know the EU does that, yada yada yada.

Please someone save us from this Euro nightmare, some brave politican somewhere with the balls, please I don't care what party just save us.

[sp1814]

I was taught metric at school and 'think in metric' for some things, but not others. I suppose I'm bi-metrical (ho ho).

Personally, I think distances should be measured in miles because 90 miles from London to Nortampton sounds like a short distance, and 144 kilometres sounds too far.

[VINNY100_2]

My local pub's a mile away..from my doorstep to the the pub's doorstep.Now if you think im going to walk 1.609.kilometers..think again...are drink at home instead....(:)

[sp1814]

Vinnie

Another problem is that sat at home, you'd be drinking 2.84 litres of Carlsberg, rather than five pints. And that just sounds wussy.

[Trojanfarce]

Surely the only people confused by our road signs are European tourists (or gangsters)? so why can't we ask Europe to change their confusing signs so that we don't run out of petrol whilst on holiday?

Oh, and everything that Loosehead said.

[Drusilla1S]

How dare you suggest I'm an enemy within, Loosehead, just because I disagree with you.

I love this country as much as anyone else, but don't wallow in past imperial glories and winge endlessly about the good old days like one of Harry Enfields, 'Old Gits'.

I want my daughters', who are French by the way, to enjoy life in a prosperous, forward thinking and free society within the EU and not be restrained by the petty xenophobia they may well experience from some circles as they grow up in this country.

[Loosehead]

Well Drusilla If you want a ".... forward thinking free society" then the last thing you want is the socialist, protectionist, anti Europe, corrupt EU. The EU is the most anti European Entity in history.

Remember for evil tyo truiumph all it takes is for good men to do nothing.

[flashpig]

YES! We will SMASH these evil kilometres with all our imperial might!

[Drisgirl]

I just dont get metric.The Yanks dont do metric either do they?My children get frustrated with me cos they are metric.

My mum was speaking about my niece at the weekend and said she was now 3'and one centimetre.It is all a bit confusing.

I personally think we should just bite the bullet and convert.We would all soon learn it.

Its like decimalisation and the smoking ban and other things which escape me - we just got on with it or we will (smoking).

[Drisgirl]

O forgot about the Euro - we Brits must be the only people in Europe who stand with our cash convector when on holiday.If the whole of the EU or whatever can get on with it then so should we.We are so frightened of change (myself included)

[sp1814]

Actually, old money (shillings and all that) makes absolutely no sense to me. It just sounds overly complicated.

However, think of my height in feet and inches, but my weight in kilos.

The running machine at my gym measures in kilometres, but whatever I run, I have to mentally calculate into miles.

I think what I'm trying to say is that...well...we're in a transitional generaion, and in 100 years, our great grandchildren will think we were just being quaint.

[Loosehead]

So drisgirl, you want to give fiscal control of our country to a bunch of unelected foriegn bankers so you don't have to change money when you go on holiday, just so we know.

[flashpig]

I don't see what the problem is. Miles don't feel inherently British, and they don't feel any better than Kilometres. It is piffle because it doesn't matter.

If anything I think I would prefer kilometres, once I have gotten used to it. I know how far a millimetre is, a centimetre is, a metre is, 100 metres, a kilometre. A mile means absolutely nothing to me, apart from being about 1/110 of the distance from London to Bath.

I don�t KNOW how big a foot is apart from working it out from metres. I think there's 3.3 to a metre. I don�t know how long a yard is, I don�t know how many yards to a mile. The only way I understand a mile is that it�s about 1600 metres.

I don't see what the point is in changing it, but I don't see what the problem is. Most people I know work in metric, apart from with milk, beer, height, large distances and marihuana.

I think you�re being paranoid about these enemies within. There�s more to the country than road signs.

[LazyGun]

I am in my 40s, and I have no problem with metric for certain types of measurement.... temperature, currency, scientific measurements etc.

But... I still think of my height and weight in feet and inches and stones and lbs; I always have to mentally convert Kg to Lbs when I am food shopping for it to be meaningful, I refer to pints and half pints when out drinking.

Temperature I am ok with, unless its a really really hot day... then I think in fahrenheir for some reason :)

And of course, driving and speed... I always think in terms of MpH rather than kmH, and get quite confused when I am driving in europe.

I guess it would make sense to have one standardised system of measurement, but please wait till I am dead b4 implementing it! ;)

[pilotlight]

This posting takes me back to when the powers that be decided to "go metric" with copper pipe sizes. All plumbers / heating engineers ( including me ) going into their merchants asking for -- 10 feet of 22 millimetre please !

[undercovers]

at the moment the amount of money needed to change everything doesn't seem worth the small benefit of the change ... but in principle i would agree with the metric association. But then again i have nothing against the EU and broadly suppor its aims and initiatives - as do you EU haters when you think the machinery might work in your favour. anyway this isn't really another post for the "old guard" to slate the EU yet again so i shall try not to get pulled in! (i'll prob manage it for about 4 more posts and then be back with my euro loving ways!!)

[Drisgirl]

loosehead-fine you know I was using that as an example of how people adapt to change.

pilot light - that is so funny- I think whether there are dissentors - it make sense for us to go metric -as I said the generation coming up already are.So therefore its going to happen anyway.