I'm just back from my holiday in Ireland and I've tried something out.
I asked 20 Irish men and women in a pub in Dublin how many fluid ounces are in 1 pint, and NO ONE knew !
Here at home I tried the same at the local pub (I tested 5 people), and again, no one knew.

How can you reasonably keep on claiming that the imperial system is an easy system?

HAve you EVER hear of someone going to a pub and ordering 20 Floz of beer!

That was REALLY stupid, mate!

Note how many irish butchers/greengrocers ONLY HAD IMPERIAL measures in Ireland?
Good eh?

BTW did you convince those Irish folk to buy their beer in litres from now on?

Hmmm?

No, I didn't think so.

When you left that pub they must have muttered "t**ser!"

LOL!

"Have you EVER heard of someone going to a pub and ordering 20 Floz of beer!"

That's not the point! I just want to show you that the average man in the street doesn't fully understand the imperial system, whereas everybody that uses the metric system knows perfectly how many millilitres are in a litre for example. That's all.

"Note how many irish butchers/greengrocers ONLY HAD IMPERIAL measures in Ireland?"

All supermarkets are fully metricated, but often the imperial measures are indicated too. About 50% of the local butchers and greengrocers sell by the pound.

"BTW did you convince those Irish folk to buy their beer in litres from now on?"

ALL beer is sold in METRIC measures, but in the pubs "pints" are still "pints", and not half a litres.

"When you left that pub they must have muttered "t**ser"!"

No, I don't think so. We had a rather interesting conversation.

"That's not the point! I just want to show you that the average man in the street doesn't fully understand the imperial system"

Yes they do! People don't need to interchange the measures though! All of us say yards and all of us say miles but has anyone really said "2 miles 350 yards" while knowing the yardage of a mile? YOU ARE USING THE IMPERIAL SYSTEM LIKE THE METRIC SYSTEM (ie wrongly) They are 2 different systems with two different usages

"...knows perfectly how many millilitres are in a litre for example"

Yeah? Quickly now- how many square metres in half a hectare? How many centilitres in 2.5 litres? Take 4 tonnes, remove 300 grammes at half a kilo and substract 2000 milligrams - what do you have left? Did you honestly work that out without doing some arithmetic in base 10 or not even knowing? Not clever really!

"All supermarkets are fully metricated, but often the imperial measures are indicated too. About 50% of the local butchers and greengrocers sell by the pound."

With the utmost respect - that's bol****s - Did you *really* go to Ireland? The local butchers and market stalls (actually on the street side in Ireland) are EXCLUSIVELY in imperial. This is in Dublin - the capital of Ireland! Out in the sticks you won't here the word "gramme" for love nor money!

"ALL beer is sold in METRIC measures, but in the pubs "pints" are still "pints", and not half a litres."

You are, once again, talking rubbish! I currently work in the drinks industry and I used to work in the entertainment industry. Draft drinks are sold by the (number of) pints or by the (number of) gallons!!! Where on earth do you get your facts? You regularly post your hopes on these boards rather than get the facts. Before championing your cause at least phone someone you know that works near or in the industries you know so much about. Repeat - don't just post what you HOPE to be true! It looks silly at best.

"No, I don't think so. We had a rather interesting conversation."

Did you tell them that Ireland was fully metricated? What else did you teach them?

P.S. Do you happen to remember what was inscribed on the side of their "half litre" (LOL) glasses that they served the guinness in?

You live in a pure fantasy land!

["The local butchers and market stalls (actually on the street side in Ireland) are EXCLUSIVELY in imperial."]

Maybe you only see what you WANT to see ? My personal experience is that it's about 50-50. But, then again, I didn't spend all of my time in shops...
Oh yeah Steve, you're right: there are 5 "metric shops" in Dublin and it was just a coincidence that I picked them all out!

["ALL beer is sold in METRIC measures, but in the pubs "pints" are still "pints", and not half a litres."
You are, once again, talking rubbish! I currently work in the drinks industry and I used to work in the entertainment industry. Draft drinks are sold by the (number of) pints or by the (number of) gallons!!! ]

You get me wrong. What I meant was: all beer that you buy in shops is sold in METRIC measures. Beer on draught is sold in imperial measures.

["No, I don't think so. We had a rather interesting conversation."
Did you tell them that Ireland was fully metricated? What else did you teach them?]

Do you really think that metrication is the only thing I talk about ?

"P.S. Do you happen to remember what was inscribed on the side of their "half litre" (LOL) glasses that they served the guinness in?"

Yeah, it said "PINT" in capitals, and that's about the only thing that I really like about the imperial system: a pint of beer. Although I prefer "Australian 600ml pints" (LOL)

"Maybe you only see what you WANT to see "

Well I work in Dublin so the taxi takes me past an awful lot of butchers etc, fortunately they display their wares in the window - easy to read!

"Oh yeah Steve, you're right: there are 5 "metric shops" in Dublin "

The major supermarkets show metric, its true to say.

"You get me wrong. What I meant was: all beer that you buy in shops is sold in METRIC measures. Beer on draught is sold in imperial measures."

Ok, I see. However there has been a resurgance of "pint cans" recently.

"Do you really think that metrication is the only thing I talk about ?"

Surprise me.....

Steveh wrote: "However there has been a resurgance of "pint cans" recently."

Indeed, that's true for the UK.
But as far as I know (and have seen) that's absolutely not the case in Ireland.

Irish distance signs are lovely. On the main roads, around 90% of signs are now in kilometres - and it's been necessary for Eire to add 'km' to the distances since otherwise there would be confusion with the mile (no metric distance signs on the continent have 'km' after them).

Down the 'B' roads and minor roads, around 90% of the signs remain Imperial. For some destinations it is possible to watch the distances go up and down like a yo-yo as one passes first an Imperial sign, then a metric one, then another Imperial one and so on.

Very Irish!

Tony Bennett

I too noticed that most of the "N" roads in Eire were metric while local roads still had a fair share of Imperial (or should I say non-metric) signs. However, the metric signs were all new while the non-metric signs were showing signs of age and are probably due for replacement soon.

I also noticed some km/h road signs at the airport and in a car park at a tourist attraction. They are getting there slowly.

BTW

Paddy: "Seamus, did you hear about the Brits"
Seamus: "No Paddy, tell me about the Brits"
Paddy: "Seamus - these Brits, they are too stupid to understand the metric system".

The approach to Dublin (that's the capital city of Ireland to those who think all Irish people are called "paddy" or "seamus") airport has huge 30 MPH signs leading to it, and away from it.

All speed limit signs in Dublin (that's the capital city of Ireland to those who think all Irish people are called "paddy" or "seamus") are in mph.

All Irish people "say" miles and mph, and they are not thick - just like the British - they will understand the metric system.

I think Ireland ought to switch places with Iceland.