A poster to the USMA site recently returned from a trip to the UK. From his posting I got the feeling the people of the UK would like to see the conversion completed and don't understand why it stopped right before the end. But, they just except the situation as it is, in other words have developed a sense of apathy. This sense of apathy doesn't mean they are anti-metric and pro-imperial, it means they feel helpless to do something to get the job finished.

I would think that if the conversion was completed the vast majority of people would accept it.

Here is the exchange: The other person's name is X'd out.




I was in the UK the past couple of weeks. Most interesting was the use of
"m" on motorway signs to mean "miles", as in, "A32 exit 1/2 m" ... a sign
only 500 mm from the exit would not be very useful.

UKMA is right, it's quite a jumble still. Friends over there said the
problem was not doing it all at once like the Australians did.

XX


Would you say your friends are typical citizens? Can we surmise from the
response of your friends that the majority of people in the UK would like to
see metrication completed? That they don't push it not because they don't
want it, because they just accept the present situation? So, if your
friends are typical of the majority they would have no problem seeing the
job done.

You may need to encourage them to do something and not accept the status
quo. If it is only the last bit that has to be done, their efforts would be

worth it to simplify their lives. Give it a go, mate!

Dan




No, they weren't complaining - they just treated it as part of life. Most
thought it strange that this last bit of metrication hadn't been done.
The feeling was that the country should just get it over with.

XX






Their feelings were -

- It should have been finished, but
- It's not high on their personal lists of things to be done.

XX

No - I don't think the British are anti-metric.

After all, most done use out of choice - just listen to a British person talking (tune in to any UK based radio station)

How many British would really be upset if the government announced they were going to finish the job? From the gist of the conversation I posted, it seems there really isn't much left to change.

<<< How many British would really be upset if the government announced they were going to finish the job? >>>

Only very very few would be generally upset - and most of them post on this board. But if the government fails to use a proper information campaign to counter the tabloids, then there will be a general feeling of scepticism.

<<<From the gist of the conversation I posted, it seems there really isn't much left to change. >>>

Road signs are really all thats left (plus related things like car speedometers etc, which would naturally follow) but this is by far the most important and it has to be said, most costly stage of metrication so in that sense there is still a long way to go.

By the way, there are still no firm plans to metricate road signs and no date has been set yet, other than that the government will consider it when half the population has been metric-educated (this will be within the next few years)

I think that moment in time has been and gone.

BTW - to suggest that roads and pints are the only thing left is falling into the trap of ignoring HOW THE PEOPLE talk and carry out their business.

But I'm not going over that one again.

<<<BTW - to suggest that roads and pints are the only thing left is falling into the trap of ignoring HOW THE PEOPLE talk and carry out their business.>>>

And you fall into the trap (again) that people somehow instinctively talk in miles, pints etc

They talk in miles because thats what they see on signs and on their speedometer, and in pints cos thats what they buy beer in!

And does your car measure how many feet you cover.

Oh, I forgot, you don't use "feet" so no one else could possibly be able to visualise 20 feet, could they?

;-)

Happy Birthday, btw.

<<<Happy Birthday, btw.>>>

Thanks!

<<And does your car measure how many feet you cover.>>

Mine does, but only to a resolution of 528' (176 yd, or 32 rods).
Since I forgot my x528 times table, I don't use it much.

Mine does 50 furlongs to the hogs-head and that's how I like it.

X-D

Steve suggested

"tune in to any UK based radio station"

Steve

Can you explain how to do that in imperial please? I can only find listings in things called "metres" and "kilohertz" or "megahertz"

Where I am,

Radio 1 frequency 98.9 megahertz, wavelength 3.06 metres
Radio 2 frequency 89.3 megahertz, wavelength 3.36 metres
Radio 3 frequency 91.5 megahertz, wavelength 3.28 metres
Radio 4 frequencies 95.6 megahertz & 198 kilohertz, wavelengths 3.14 metres & 1514 metres
Radio 5 frequency 909 kilohertz, wavelength 330 metres
Radio Scotland frequencies 93.7 megahertz & 810 kilohertz, wavelengths 3.20 metres and 370 metres

I agree that the wavelengths are not now as commonly used as the frequencies, but do you remember "247 Radio One" jingles in the early '70's or "275/285 Radio One" jingles when they split the wavelength? Did you ever think what "247" or "275/285" referred to?

Or was the use of metric forced upon us by Radio Luxembourg - aka "Fab 208" (metres)

X-D

Come on, now. Isn't this line of reasoning getting a bit absurd?

Those of us who like traditional measures are pragmatic (for the most part). We use what works best for a given activity. The only people who are disturbed by the appearance of units outside their official canon are the metric proponents.

Quarter Pounder Cheese Berenger: And: I just press a button.
;-)

In fact - at home I scan for Radio1 on Sky+.


"275/285 Radio One" jingles when they split the wavelength?"

As in, can I remember "Mike Read, mike read, 275 and 285, mike read, mike read, national radio 1"?

Yeah, just about.

It woke me up in preparation for School, so no I didn't ask what it mean't. Instead I got grumpy, put an attitude on and prepared my hair for about an hour (yes, I was a "New Romantic")

Even then I would press a button - but it would be more physical than electronic.

"Steve Wright in the Afternoon....."

Maybe I'm wrong, but I was only pointing out that (as far as I know) UK radio wavelengths have been expressed in metres since transmissions began. (1920's?)

Maybe Radio 1 really transmitted on 300 & 312 yard wavelengths, and were forced to give metric equivalents?

Remember, the use of metric in the UK has always required force - according to some crackpot report........

... market forces are generally considered to be benign. Political force, unless absolutely necessary, is generally considered to be odious. This is a basic axiom adhered to by most libertarian types. This is why you don't hear us complain about metric when it occurs "naturally". It is not a logical disconnect.

"Quarter Pounder Cheese Berenger: And: I just press a button."


Don't you mean the Hamburger Royale? That is the proper name in metric countries.

<<
Remember, the use of metric in the UK has always required force
>>

... and in the case of radio waves, that force is derived from an asciallating electric current.

PS - the electrical industry has always been metric - it was British scientists who saw to that.

Martin - I don't buy my electricity by the volt, watt, amp or anything.

I also didn't buy my radio station by the metre, yard, goat etc!

I did, however, have a Quarter Pounder with Cheese (hold the ketchup/mustard) from Macdonalds in lower early last week and have now been taught (from an unlikely source/sauce) that my country is not a metric country!

ROTFL!!!

X-D

You buy electrical energy by the joule. Look at the bill, it is there.

If you look at your bill you will probably see the words "per unit" or "per kWh).kWh = "kilowatt-hour". Kilowatts are as metric as they come, hours are a unit that is based on an SI unit (the second), that the BIPM have mandated for use in conjunction with SI. This has legal implications of course because in many countries where the local law requries "the use of SI". In those countries they do nothve to define all the terms used in SI, they merely refere to the BIPM publications on SI.

<<hours are a unit that is based on an SI unit (the second), that the BIPM have mandated for use in conjunction with SI. >>

Technically, they only "accept" hours not mandate them. They also "accept" the kilowatt-hour but only for electricity. The joule (it would need a prefix like mega-) would be a perfectly acceptable unit for the sale of electricity, natural gas, petrol, fuel oil, coal, and even food.

Martin - read my post again.

I do not, and never will, buy my electricity by the watt, volt, amp, etc etc.

Think about it.

Just like you don't buy gasoline by the litre either! Get over your problem, metric is here to stay!

Danny - when you switch your TV on do you work out how many watts it will use over the duration that you will watch it in order to calculate how much you will pay?

You need to read the text more "deeply" (ie to the "normal" levels of the rest of us"). This will avoid having to look like a complete plank.

Think about that the next time you put petrol in your scooter and get depressed.

;-)