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[DJ-Pfulio]

Last time I was in the UK, I recall the speed limit signs where all in MPH.
Yep: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Road_speed_limits_in_the_United_Kingdom

Some Brits hate having to use metric measurements for liquids and weights too.

Read that Canada made the switch to metric at the same time the USA was supposed
to do it in the late 70s. Enough people in the USA complained and lobbied to
stop that. Just think how much easier our lives would be today if they'd let the
metric system come?  Travel to everywhere in the world except a small group of
UK-affiliate states where we could just talk English anyway.

BTW, as an engineer, I much prefer metric units of measure over imperial. The
calculations are easier.


On 01/26/2016 05:31 PM, Alex Carver wrote:
> "Standard" is more a recent adjective because it was originally Imperial
> (and still sometimes is called that) since the measurement system came
> from England until a redesign of the Imperial system in the 1800's
> changed a few definitions so now it's the US Customary Units.
> 
> It's only now "standard" because that's what the US standardized for its
> own use and is most common here -- if it's not common it's not
> "standard".  Of course that pretty much applies in any country because
> it would have no meaning elsewhere, there are "standards" everywhere.
> 
> There are also many places where the US doesn't use "standard".  Puerto
> Rico sells gasoline in liters and measures distances in kilometers (but
> the speed limit is MPH).  The other territories are similar but that's
> all because of their own histories of colonization.
> 
> There's also still places that use the current British Imperial system
> (still close enough to the US units) and that would be some of the
> current or former of the Commonwealth realms
> 
> On 2016-01-26 14:12, Edward Holcroft wrote:
>> I always smile at the thought that "standard" = what America uses, and
>> "metric" = what the rest of the world uses. As an immigrant raised on the
>> metric system, I wonder if I'll ever be smart enough to figure out this
>> "standard" system of measurement.
>>
>> And you're right, the fact that it's all mixed up helps nobody.
>>
>> ed
>>
>> On Tue, Jan 26, 2016 at 3:39 PM, William Bagwell <rb211 at tds.net> wrote:
>>
>>> On Tuesday 26 January 2016, Jim Kinney wrote:
>>>> So did the coffee packers. Used to be a 1lb package that turned into a
>>>> 12oz package at about the same price.
>>>> We don't use metric now because the auto industry yelled it bankrupt
>>>> them to convert. Hmm. Didn't we bail out a few? Don't they all use
>>>> metric now anyway? My "Made in the USA" Saturn Vue has lots of metric
>>>> bolts.
>>>
>>> Absolutely despise working on cars that are mixed! Foreign cars are metric
>>> and antique Detroit iron is standard, but many modern American cars are
>>> both
>>> and require two sets of tools. <muter, muter son of a duck!>
>>> --
>>> William