31–40 of 210 posts
The last road sign I've seen in metric was one on I-95 northbound, just north of the I-26 interchange. Sadly, SC DOT changed it out a few years ago and now it just reads in miles. I understand there's a road in Arizona that is still signed in metric.
Recently I noticed the medical profession has come on board with cm/kilos for measurement which is pretty surprising since hearing inches/pounds is still fairly common.
Having grown up in the 70s and 80s I still find I float between the two fairly easily but I sure did find Scotland confusing last time I visited - as a metric country they sure do a lot of things non-metricy.
Good luck trying to change something that's part of a cultural identity. Irish are catholic not because religion is actually something positive, but because it's a contrast with the British church, and part of their cultural identity.
It's hard to "make people think" in the different unit system. I'm in the UK and people talk about sizes in feet and miles all the time even though the society is supposed to have switched to the metric system. There are places like on product labels where both units should be mandatory. Hopefully in a few generations people will gradually switch over.
We did fine! Even my grandma got accustomed quickly. Of course one could argue that is precisely because of the importance of a currency that we adapted so quickly...
It's interesting to note that all of the examples the article gives are caused by metrication - which forces conversions - rather than by problems using the customary units.
I don't see the point of a half-assed metrication, where everything remains the same size but is measured in centimeters. (Such that lumber is sold in lengths of 243.82 cm rather than 8 feet.) The US is already half-assed metric in a lot of places, with both customary and metric units printed on packaging when appropriate.
I guess the question is - what are the benefits of metrication that justify the massive expense required to convert?
The UK is supposedly metric most people still think and talk in imperial - most shops give both measurements. I think the EU gave up enforcing it. edit: sorry, by most people I mean people I know who grew up before metric was introduced.
In my mind, miles for roads is really the only standout left. I don't think of pint as a measure, but the name of a particular type of glass.
Outside of that I've just never found a practical use for the imperial system. It's bad enough trying to translate things to american and back, let alone trying to keep track of a US gallon being 4/5ths of an imperial gallon ..