UK Should go fully Metric

Will2911Will2911 Posts: 464
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In my opinion the UK should go fully metric. I think it would be much better for the country and much simpler to use once people had adapted.

I personally despise Imperial measurements and find them illogical and old fashioned. Whereas metric is a scientific and logical system which uses simple units and is far more precise then the archaic Imperial system.

So the UK going fully metric would include the following things:

Beer and Cider being sold by the decilitre

Kilometres replacing Miles, yards being replaced by metres, inches by centimetres etc.

Shops being forbidden to use Pounds and Ounces.

Think about it, the new £1 coin means that vending machines will have to be adapted at an estimated coat of £100m, so why not spend that money on something useful instead of an unnecessary new coin and convert all road signs to metric
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Comments

  • LostFoolLostFool Posts: 90,623
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    Yep, let's go for metric time. 60 minutes in an hour and 24 hours in a day is so antiquated.

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metric_time

    But, seriously, what is wrong with using whatever unit is the most suitable for the context? I have a science degree so I'm fluent in SI, but there are times when the Imperial measures are just more useful. Being conversant in both is a benefit.
  • Will2911Will2911 Posts: 464
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    LostFool wrote: »
    Yep, let's go for metric time. 60 minutes in an hour and 24 hours in a day is so antiquated.

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metric_time

    But, seriously, what is wrong with using whatever unit is the most suitable for the context? I have a science degree so I'm fluent in SI, but there are times when the Imperial measures are just more useful. Being conversant in both is a benefit.

    When is imperial ever useful? Other European countries use only Metric and don't need imperial, so why do we.
  • Iqbal_MIqbal_M Posts: 4,079
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    I agree with you, but for another reason. The reason being is that in schools (at least when I was at school in Scotland (1990-1997 in primary school and 1997-2003 in secondary school)) I was taught using metric measurements, so when in day-to-day life some people using imperial measurements was very confusing.
  • Jean_DanielsJean_Daniels Posts: 5,031
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    i remember when we first changed to decimal i was taught in pounds/shillings/pence,i felt sorry for older people who just didnt get it at all,
  • solenoidsolenoid Posts: 15,495
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    It's funny how Europhiles are dismissive of the great British ability to be bi-unitised.
  • LostFoolLostFool Posts: 90,623
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    Will2911 wrote: »
    When is imperial ever useful? Other European countries use only Metric and don't need imperial, so why do we.

    A pint of beer is better than half a litre ;-)
  • Will2911Will2911 Posts: 464
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    solenoid wrote: »
    It's funny how Europhiles are dismissive of the great British ability to be bi-unitised.

    I don't like the term Europhile in reference to British people. British people are Europeans themselves...
  • BrooklynBoyBrooklynBoy Posts: 10,595
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    Britain should do what the majority of people in Britain want to do and not make changes based on what other countries in Europe do.
  • smudges dadsmudges dad Posts: 36,989
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    Will2911 wrote: »
    When is imperial ever useful? Other European countries use only Metric and don't need imperial, so why do we.

    The length of a cricket pitch is one chain. Civilisation would disappear without cricket, therefore we need to keep imperial measurements.
  • gemma-the-huskygemma-the-husky Posts: 18,116
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    While we are at it, lets change precious metals to metric instead of carats.
    Stop thinking in cars doing mpg, change all the signposts.

    Then lets disassemble everything with a screw in it, and check the thread size. Iexpect there are a lot of imperial screws even in contentinental europe.

    Finally, are you going to tell the US?
  • PrestonAlPrestonAl Posts: 10,342
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    Will2911 wrote: »
    ... and is far more precise then the archaic Imperial system.

    Why is that then?
  • LateralthinkingLateralthinking Posts: 8,027
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    Will2911 wrote: »
    In my opinion the UK should go fully metric. I think it would be much better for the country and much simpler to use once people had adapted.

    I personally despise Imperial measurements and find them illogical and old fashioned. Whereas metric is a scientific and logical system which uses simple units and is far more precise then the archaic Imperial system.

    So the UK going fully metric would include the following things:

    Beer and Cider being sold by the decilitre

    Kilometres replacing Miles, yards being replaced by metres, inches by centimetres etc.

    Shops being forbidden to use Pounds and Ounces.

    Think about it, the new £1 coin means that vending machines will have to be adapted at an estimated coat of £100m, so why not spend that money on something useful instead of an unnecessary new coin and convert all road signs to metric

    It can do what it likes in that regard.

    I won't be changing my language to fit.
  • gemma-the-huskygemma-the-husky Posts: 18,116
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    Will2911 wrote: »
    In my opinion the UK should go fully metric. I think it would be much better for the country and much simpler to use once people had adapted.

    I personally despise Imperial measurements and find them illogical and old fashioned. Whereas metric is a scientific and logical system which uses simple units and is far more precise then the archaic Imperial system.

    So the UK going fully metric would include the following things:

    Beer and Cider being sold by the decilitre

    Kilometres replacing Miles, yards being replaced by metres, inches by centimetres etc.

    Shops being forbidden to use Pounds and Ounces.

    Think about it, the new £1 coin means that vending machines will have to be adapted at an estimated coat of £100m, so why not spend that money on something useful instead of an unnecessary new coin and convert all road signs to metric

    The precision thing. How is me being 6 foot tall less accurate then 1.83 metres?
  • BrokenArrowBrokenArrow Posts: 21,665
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    Will2911 wrote: »
    When is imperial ever useful? Other European countries use only Metric and don't need imperial, so why do we.

    Well, peoples height is meaningless in metric, I mean what is a 6 ft person in metric?

    and what about weight, 12 stone has meaning, when you lose a stone on yur diet, it has meaning, metric doesn't.

    You see there are no milestones in metric and that is a problem.
  • gemma-the-huskygemma-the-husky Posts: 18,116
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    Well, peoples height is meaningless in metric, I mean what is a 6 ft person in metric?

    and what about weight, 12 stone has meaning, when you lose a stone on yur diet, it has meaning, metric doesn't.

    You see there are no milestones in metric and that is a problem.

    Thats a daft observation. If it made sense, than dropping from 60kg to 55 or 50 is a milestone.

    A long jump of 9m or a long jump of 29ft is a milestone.

    Its just familiarity with the system. In the uk, a babys birthweight of 7lbs 4 is more meaningful than one of 3.2kgs. Thats all.
  • BrokenArrowBrokenArrow Posts: 21,665
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    Thats a daft observation. If it made sense, than dropping from 60kg to 55 or 50 is a milestone.

    A long jump of 9m or a long jump of 29ft is a milestone.

    Its just familiarity with the system. In the uk, a babys birthweight of 7lbs 4 is more meaningful than one of 3.2kgs. Thats all.

    25Kg has meaning because that is bag of sand.

    The only other worthwhile sand measure is a ton.

    But yeah, who wants to weigh a baby in Kg, ridiculous idea !
  • rusty123rusty123 Posts: 22,872
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    I quite enjoy being 6ft 2 and a half inches tall and 17 and a half stone thanks all the same
  • jenziejenzie Posts: 20,821
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    guess it's too difficult for you to use two set's of numbers then .....
  • TRIPSTRIPS Posts: 3,714
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    Thats a daft observation. If it made sense, than dropping from 60kg to 55 or 50 is a milestone.

    A long jump of 9m or a long jump of 29ft is a milestone.

    Its just familiarity with the system. In the uk, a babys birthweight of 7lbs 4 is more meaningful than one of 3.2kgs. Thats all.

    The thing is with Decimal coinage you still have the pound as a yardstick so the change over was very easy. 50p. ten bob. you at least had a rough idea. anything higher and it was still in pounds so no problems.
    If someone says to me he is 1.91 meter's tall. am not really sure if he's a midget or a basketball player as there is no yardstick for a comparison.
    Same with weight and distance, yes. metric without doubt is the better system but a whole generation will find it hard to change, that's the problem.
  • MTUK1MTUK1 Posts: 20,077
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    Will2911 wrote: »
    When is imperial ever useful? Other European countries use only Metric and don't need imperial, so why do we.

    Oh for goodness sake. What a boring world if we are all the same.
  • gemma-the-huskygemma-the-husky Posts: 18,116
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    TRIPS wrote: »
    The thing is with Decimal coinage you still have the pound as a yardstick so the change over was very easy. 50p. ten bob. you at least had a rough idea. anything higher and it was still in pounds so no problems.
    If someone says to me he is 1.91 meter's tall. am not really sure if he's a midget or a basketball player as their is no yardstick for a comparison.
    Same with weight and distance, yes. metric without doubt is the better system but a whole generation will find it hard to change, that's the problem.

    2m is a basketball player. 6 foot 7
  • MeicYMeicY Posts: 2,585
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    It's not just cost of making new signs etc, it's infrastructure. Who is going to change all the road signs to KM and kph? Who is going to change railway signs (speed signs and distance markers) for train drivers? Who is going to convert traffic cameras and signal boxes? Who's going to pay for the manufacture of new-sized drinks glasses when all the half-pint and pint glasses will be redundant? Who's going to tell old Bill his tankard is too small? Will a yard of ale be illegal?

    I think this is all an over-hysterical reaction to the Rolf Harris verdict. The OP obviously thinks that three feet = one yard is evil because of Jake the Peg.
  • Iqbal_MIqbal_M Posts: 4,079
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    MeicY wrote: »
    It's not just cost of making new signs etc, it's infrastructure. Who is going to change all the road signs to KM and kph? Who is going to change railway signs (speed signs and distance markers) for train drivers? Who is going to convert traffic cameras and signal boxes? Who's going to pay for the manufacture of new-sized drinks glasses when all the half-pint and pint glasses will be redundant? Who's going to tell old Bill his tankard is too small? Will a yard of ale be illegal?

    I think this is all an over-hysterical reaction to the Rolf Harris verdict. The OP obviously thinks that three feet = one yard is evil because of Jake the Peg.

    That did not stop the Irish from switching to metric measurements a few years ago.
  • Jellied EelJellied Eel Posts: 33,091
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    TRIPS wrote: »
    If someone says to me he is 1.91 meter's tall. am not really sure if he's a midget or a basketball player as there is no yardstick for a comparison..

    He's 2 and err.. a bit yards tall. But if we go all French.. I mean metric there would be no yardstick anyway. And meterstick doesn't exactly roll off the tongue.
  • anndra_wanndra_w Posts: 6,557
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    We should be fully changed to metric now. When I started school in 1989 we only learned metric. We didn't learn inches, stone or pounds so why are we still using them. When I see signs for yards I don't have a clue what they're on about. Use metres God sake! Theres no value in using the old fashioned system so ditch it. It would be more useful and practical to use the same system across all of Europe.
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