Metric limits and signs
Discussion
Think it wouldn't happen, especially with Brexit going on at the moment. It would cost a lot of cash, all cars would need their dashboard converting etc etc. A council did try to do it once with a single sign until someone complained and they said it was an "admin" error and the sign got changed from metres to yards.
Road signs on the M23 and others of that era have distances to services etc shown in thirds of a mile. No coincidence that two-thirds of a mile is pretty close to one kilometre, so come the revolution simply swap the imperial signs for metric ones, et voila!
Not going to happen though.
Not going to happen though.
It astounds me that even though the country decided to convert to using metric units in 1965, most people still seem happy to dither around with Fahrenheit, inches, pounds and pints, rather than just make a change.
There are a few metric equivalents that do not work for me - litres/100km instead of mpg, for example, but, in the main, the conversion should have been easy.
The Worboys Ctte in 1970 envisaged a gradual change in road signs to metric units - it just shows that Brexit was only the final showdown, there has been a lot of resistance to change for a very long time.
I know from French and Dutch friends that our units (as well as handedness) are completely baffling to them and I guess forms a huge resistance generally for continentals coming and driving over here.
There are a few metric equivalents that do not work for me - litres/100km instead of mpg, for example, but, in the main, the conversion should have been easy.
The Worboys Ctte in 1970 envisaged a gradual change in road signs to metric units - it just shows that Brexit was only the final showdown, there has been a lot of resistance to change for a very long time.
I know from French and Dutch friends that our units (as well as handedness) are completely baffling to them and I guess forms a huge resistance generally for continentals coming and driving over here.
TGTiff said:
I refuse to use metric!
If it was up to me we would still have 220 pennies in a pound!
Oh the irony of someone championing the old monetary system - And then instantly getting the old monetary system wrong! If it was up to me we would still have 220 pennies in a pound!
It really does highlight why we went to the far simpler metric system for money!
flashbang said:
Think it wouldn't happen, especially with Brexit going on at the moment. It would cost a lot of cash, all cars would need their dashboard converting etc etc. A council did try to do it once with a single sign until someone complained and they said it was an "admin" error and the sign got changed from metres to yards.
Why would every car needs it’s dash converting? Every car I have owned has had mph and kmh on the speedo. rdjohn said:
It astounds me that even though the country decided to convert to using metric units in 1965, most people still seem happy to dither around with Fahrenheit, inches, pounds and pints, rather than just make a change.
There are a few metric equivalents that do not work for me - litres/100km instead of mpg, for example, but, in the main, the conversion should have been easy.
The Worboys Ctte in 1970 envisaged a gradual change in road signs to metric units - it just shows that Brexit was only the final showdown, there has been a lot of resistance to change for a very long time.
I know from French and Dutch friends that our units (as well as handedness) are completely baffling to them and I guess forms a huge resistance generally for continentals coming and driving over here.
I am 33 so I guess I have grown up with a blended mix of imperial and metric units. I can probably imagine the imperial equivalent of most metric measurements but, as rdjohn says, there are some that i just can't get my head around. There are a few metric equivalents that do not work for me - litres/100km instead of mpg, for example, but, in the main, the conversion should have been easy.
The Worboys Ctte in 1970 envisaged a gradual change in road signs to metric units - it just shows that Brexit was only the final showdown, there has been a lot of resistance to change for a very long time.
I know from French and Dutch friends that our units (as well as handedness) are completely baffling to them and I guess forms a huge resistance generally for continentals coming and driving over here.
I still of think of fuel consumption in mpg, and would need to google a litre/100km equivalent, for example, but I think about measurements in terms of metres (except distances, which are in terms of miles, and height of people in feet / inches).
Temperatures are in centirgrade, except for hot foreign places where I instinctively understand that 90+ Fahrenheit is hot. Can't think in terms of lbs / oz though
tinnitusjosh said:
I am 33 so I guess I have grown up with a blended mix of imperial and metric units. I can probably imagine the imperial equivalent of most metric measurements but, as rdjohn says, there are some that i just can't get my head around.
I still of think of fuel consumption in mpg, and would need to google a litre/100km equivalent, for example, but I think about measurements in terms of metres (except distances, which are in terms of miles, and height of people in feet / inches).
Temperatures are in centirgrade, except for hot foreign places where I instinctively understand that 90+ Fahrenheit is hot. Can't think in terms of lbs / oz though
Nope! Everyday temperatures are in Celsius. (Or Kelvin if you are being truly scientific)I still of think of fuel consumption in mpg, and would need to google a litre/100km equivalent, for example, but I think about measurements in terms of metres (except distances, which are in terms of miles, and height of people in feet / inches).
Temperatures are in centirgrade, except for hot foreign places where I instinctively understand that 90+ Fahrenheit is hot. Can't think in terms of lbs / oz though
Pica-Pica said:
tinnitusjosh said:
I am 33 so I guess I have grown up with a blended mix of imperial and metric units. I can probably imagine the imperial equivalent of most metric measurements but, as rdjohn says, there are some that i just can't get my head around.
I still of think of fuel consumption in mpg, and would need to google a litre/100km equivalent, for example, but I think about measurements in terms of metres (except distances, which are in terms of miles, and height of people in feet / inches).
Temperatures are in centirgrade, except for hot foreign places where I instinctively understand that 90+ Fahrenheit is hot. Can't think in terms of lbs / oz though
Nope! Everyday temperatures are in Celsius. (Or Kelvin if you are being truly scientific)I still of think of fuel consumption in mpg, and would need to google a litre/100km equivalent, for example, but I think about measurements in terms of metres (except distances, which are in terms of miles, and height of people in feet / inches).
Temperatures are in centirgrade, except for hot foreign places where I instinctively understand that 90+ Fahrenheit is hot. Can't think in terms of lbs / oz though
I get that 30 degrees C is a warm day, but 303.15 K doesn't readily spring to mind, nor 273.15K when one says that it's freezing outside!
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