I use it all the time...for work. The main reason I see for not using it in the US, generally, is a kilometer isn't big enough in a country the size of the US. It just doesn't make sense.
Right now about 1/2 of the things I use daily are in metric measurement anyway. Would just be simpler to have changed. When I was in HS we were told the change was coming and I learned to work with both systems. Metric really is easier.
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You’d be surprised how many folks can’t read a tape measure. Fractions give them the blues.
I wouldn't be surprised at all. And that is probably the best argument for going metric. It is much easier to work with.
A humorous story:
The park supervisor at one of our state parks had a gentleman come into his office to report that his elderly wife had fallen on a park trail, had injured her leg and needed to be carried out. Trying to get some idea of how much help he'd need he asked the gentleman about how much his wife weighed. He replied, "about 100". Thinking 100 lbs he only got one other person to assist him as they got a basket and other first aid gear. It turns out the couple were visiting from Germany and his wife weighed about 100 kg. Or closer to 220 lbs.
For volume, I really do prefer metric. Gallons, cubic feet, cubic yard, acre feet ------ there's just no rhyme or reason. Metric has some great equivalencies; a cubic meter of water is a (metric) ton. That's handy. But a .3L beer or a 12 oz can? Well, 12 oz is bigger, so that's obviously better.
For distance, I couldn't give a rip. Inches and feet work great in timber construction, and I definitely prefer it to metric. Never could cut a 2x4 to the exact millimeter. Miles and feet work fine on the road -- and there's inherent beauty in the "mile a minute" concept in estimating the time of arrival.
For temperature -- metric all the way. 0 makes sense, body temperature is a whole degree, and 100 makes sense.
I use it all the time...for work. The main reason I see for not using it in the US, generally, is a kilometer isn't big enough in a country the size of the US. It just doesn't make sense.
Russia is a lot larger than the US and they use it. It's just larger numbers.
For volume, I really do prefer metric. Gallons, cubic feet, cubic yard, acre feet ------ there's just no rhyme or reason. Metric has some great equivalencies; a cubic meter of water is a (metric) ton. That's handy. But a .3L beer or a 12 oz can? Well, 12 oz is bigger, so that's obviously better.
For distance, I couldn't give a rip. Inches and feet work great in timber construction, and I definitely prefer it to metric. Never could cut a 2x4 to the exact millimeter. Miles and feet work fine on the road -- and there's inherent beauty in the "mile a minute" concept in estimating the time of arrival.
For temperature -- metric all the way. 0 makes sense, body temperature is a whole degree, and 100 makes sense.
If we end up fighting the Russians we may have no choice but to switch. Their navy uses gradians vs. degrees, so if they steer anything between 360 and 399 we can't follow them.
I use it all the time...for work. The main reason I see for not using it in the US, generally, is a kilometer isn't big enough in a country the size of the US. It just doesn't make sense.
The kilometer just just fine for measuring the distance to the Moon or Mars. I works fine in China and Russia. How does it fail in the US by being too small?
I build roads for a living. Back about 20 years ago, we were informed the U.S. was changing to metric. We had metric plans and everything. It was quite the disaster. One hurdle I recall was the cost to replace all the road signs in the country. Short of that, I don't recall hearing exactly why that plan was scrapped.
Why didn't we go full mandatory metric and should we? I wish we had done it years ago. It would be second nature by now.
What say ye? Only three countries don't fully use the metric system in the world, US, Burma and Liberia. We are not in very good company.
You must be a liberal Snowflake. Why do we need to emulate any other country?
I don't know if he's a commie but I do know the metric system is just one more step in the commies one world order and a way for the US to lose a little more of it's identity.
Think about how it would change building construction. As far as I know all building material currently such as lumber, drywall, plywood and such is bases on frame work of 16 and 24 inch center. What sizes do they use for construction in the metric world?
For volume, I really do prefer metric. Gallons, cubic feet, cubic yard, acre feet ------ there's just no rhyme or reason. Metric has some great equivalencies; a cubic meter of water is a (metric) ton. That's handy. But a .3L beer or a 12 oz can? Well, 12 oz is bigger, so that's obviously better.
For distance, I couldn't give a rip. Inches and feet work great in timber construction, and I definitely prefer it to metric. Never could cut a 2x4 to the exact millimeter. Miles and feet work fine on the road -- and there's inherent beauty in the "mile a minute" concept in estimating the time of arrival.
For temperature -- metric all the way. 0 makes sense, body temperature is a whole degree, and 100 makes sense.
Now, all we need is metric time......
Dutch,
I once worked in a job that required us to use milliliters or grams (depending on the substance of course) per gallons per minute flow. That made sense, eh?
Honestly, for me it's no big deal. I already use a decimal system for money, a sexigesimal (base 60) system for time and compass work, tire sizes are all friggen mixed up, and perhaps most importantly for Homer Simpson, a duodecimal (base 12) system for eggs and donuts and BEER.
Reloading might be nicer too with a decimal system too.
I think someone needs to come down from the sky (Heaven?) and straighten this crapola out. One system would sure be nice.
Geno
PS, for baking/cooking it sure would be nice to not have to use teaspoons, tablespoons, cups and fractions thereof (liquid and dry), and the infamous "pinch" and "dash" . Some grandmas' recipes might even include that precise measurement the smidgeon.
Why didn't we go full mandatory metric and should we? I wish we had done it years ago. It would be second nature by now.
What say ye? Only three countries don't fully use the metric system in the world, US, Burma and Liberia. We are not in very good company.
One of those three countries put a man on the moon, no country on the metric system has done that.
Carter tried to get us to switch to the metric system and he screwed up everything he touched, that's enough reason right there.
It's just a straight conversion to go from metric to imperial so it's an easy way to spot the dumbasses that can't switch between the two.
And if you can't read a tape measure you're a fuggin' retard and should pay someone to do your work for you.
Nobody knows how to do fractions anymore...add, subtract, multiply, divide...It's all some sort of secret code to them. It went the way of cursive writing and learning history and geography.
When I was in grade school I remember the teachers telling us we would be on the metric system by high school. I started 1st grade in 1980. Ain’t happened yet (metric conversion. Lol).
Canada tried to go full metric in 1975–why was that? Because our largest trading partner announced that it was going full metric by 1980. I tried to tell the local politicians that it was never going to happen. I told them cattle ranchers out west sold their beef by the hundred wieght—and Midwest farmers sold corn at 56lbs per bushel and even the West Virginia coal miners sold coal in long tons not metric. I’ve had to live for the last 40years under both systems—the hardest thing to get used to was temperatures—what the hell is 12C anyway. The way I do it is to double the 12 to 24 and add 32 to it = 56 F —not exactly but close enough.
There are two types of countries in the world, the one that put a man on the moon, and those that use the metric system.
You think NASA scientists wouldn't have used the metric system in their calculations? I suppose the Russkies wouldn't have used the metric system either to put the first man into space.
Nothing to fear, the metric system is simplicity itself. Mind you, when I catch an 8lb rainbow trout it's sounds a lot better than saying it weighs 3.6827Kg.
Originally Posted by shrapnel
....Metric is based on a unit of measurement, dollars are based on cents (a derivative of century) not based on 39.38 inches...
Learning our system vs. metric forces the brain to work harder. I wonder if anyone has done research to find out if this lead to slightly better brain development, or helps with thinking outside the box? It could be part of the reason why the U.S. lead the world in invention and industrial development.
Seems to me we should go metric because we're already half and half, which is more difficult. The Army uses clicks. Bullets are 5.56mm, not .223 inches. Mortars are 81mm. Liquor comes in 750ml bottles. Don't know about the moon program in 1969 but space calculations are mostly metric now.
Metric makes sense for electronics or any other time you are using huge numbers. In machining not so much. I can convert and do just fine but just try to find metric nuts, bolts or tooling anywhere around here and you'll end up as nuts as Nancy Pelosi. Even threading on a metric lathe is a pita.
As for cartridges everything is crazy because some are designated by bore diameter and some are designated by groove diameter. Even the metric countries suffer. Go ahead and try to chamber a 9mm Makarov in a 9mm Luger. For many years now we have existed just fine with the imperial system here and we can produce anything we are required to to whatever tolerance required. Metric countries are not so capable. Metric equivalent imperial bolts and nuts are hit and miss. A metric bolt from China may or may not fit a metric nut from Japan or UK. Before WWII Britton and Germany were Whitworth and that's another story.
I build roads for a living. Back about 20 years ago, we were informed the U.S. was changing to metric. We had metric plans and everything. It was quite the disaster. One hurdle I recall was the cost to replace all the road signs in the country. Short of that, I don't recall hearing exactly why that plan was scrapped.
I was a Survey Crew Chief back when Arkansas tried to convert. It was no problem (mostly) for surveying but the rumor that I heard was that they could not get the culvert and steel people to go along. At one time I had all of the stuff in my trucks to do a survey either way, foot or metric, plus inch tapes for bridge widening jobs. On a bridge widening, you had to measure the existing bridge in inches so they could compare the old plans to the "as built" measurement. Most of my crew had trouble using the inch tapes as they had used tenth tapes for years and been told that only whores and carpenters uses inches. Try getting all the measurements to come out to the same as EDM shot distances and trying to find the bad measurement when it don't. miles
It’s just numbers. Shooting elevations is in hundredths, like 3” equals .25. 6”equals .50 9” equals .75. No big deal once you get over not liking it. It’s easier really!
Don't go metric like we did in 1977. Trudope #1 wanted us to be like France. Cost billions every sign scale and so on has to be changed. Still causes a lot of confusion. Most people still talk and use imperial measure. Country was surveyed in miles same as United States. I remember the debate United States had about going metric several years ago. Thank goodness you were smart enough to stay Imperial. It was forced on us. I'm a farmer do you know how much it pizzez me off when every chemical label is in metric and french ? EVERYONE converts that metric BS back to imperial even the young farmers.
Think about how it would change building construction. As far as I know all building material currently such as lumber, drywall, plywood and such is bases on frame work of 16 and 24 inch center. What sizes do they use for construction in the metric world?
That's whats done here. 2x4 and 4x8 sheets of plywood. F metric
You have to make up your mind. First you say you should have one system, which you then say is miles, then you say to listen what Brazos said. Brazos referred to using the measurement of a foot, not a meter. You can't have it both ways...
Originally Posted by milespatton
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I think someone needs to come down from the sky (Heaven?) and straighten this crapola out. One system would sure be nice.
Dunno if there are any others but I-19 from Tucson to Nogales Arizona is signed in metric. They wanted to keep the Mexicans happy I guess. Near as I can tell I-19 begins in Tucson and ends at Nogales for whatever that;s worth. You go to my local Walmart and probably half of Nogales Sonora are there shopping. Gets a bit interesting at times. Paul B.
I always found it funny that the military uses metric system for their weather forecasts, but standard (statue miles)for weather observations when stateside. Civilian sector is all standard measurement in the US. Working as a contractor now, we used meters, but our Eastern European military that work with us, all want to used kilometers for everything.
I use it all the time...for work. The main reason I see for not using it in the US, generally, is a kilometer isn't big enough in a country the size of the US. It just doesn't make sense.
Russia is a lot larger than the US and they use it. It's just larger numbers.
Well, heck, if the Russians do it, we should to.
First, we'll starve 20-30 million of our own citizens...
Since 1893, the internationally adopted metric standards have served as the fundamental measurement standards of the United States. Our non-metric units have been defined in terms of these metric standards ever since.
I use it all the time...for work. The main reason I see for not using it in the US, generally, is a kilometer isn't big enough in a country the size of the US. It just doesn't make sense.
Russia is a lot larger than the US and they use it. It's just larger numbers.
Well, heck, if the Russians do it, we should to.
First, we'll starve 20-30 million of our own citizens...
That is a good point.......Should we start with the cities or just registered Democrats?
Since 1893, the internationally adopted metric standards have served as the fundamental measurement standards of the United States. Our non-metric units have been defined in terms of these metric standards ever since.
Jerry
I have to agree, that is funny. It seems to me that all the distances I see on roads are miles, all building materials are in feet and inches, annual rainfall is measured and recorded in feet and inches, altitude is measured by feet or miles, the amount of water in a lake is measured by acre/feet...on and on
I would guess, you get your measurements and information from people that drive Subarus and Volvos...
I don't want to push 1 for English on the phone or change to metrics to suit other countries
If this is what the country wanted they should have said so when the use of metric was proposed. Initially the US said they would adopt metric then reneged a short time later. The inability to keep your word is one reason the US is distrusted by much of the world. Flame away.
Building materials is probably one of the hardest parts of the conversion. Plywood sheeting is currently 4x8. Metric dimensions dont fit that easily. If we go metric, we have to build the odd ball stuff that allows us to match what is in use everywhere else already, and build new sizes so that eventually the old stuff will be phased out. Pipe culverts for roadways... a 36" diameter culvert would not match up to a 1 meter culvert, so we would have to produce both... which is expensive, duplicates machinery and storage space etc. Its too expensive to make the switch, not to mention how confusing it would be for this generation as we suffer through all of the things not fitting right when repairs need to be made to things.
The metric system is very nice and we would all like it if we could start over that way. One of the nicest is the simple conversions from units of volume to units of weight (using water) etc. Its a better system than we are using now.
Since 1893, the internationally adopted metric standards have served as the fundamental measurement standards of the United States. Our non-metric units have been defined in terms of these metric standards ever since.
Jerry
I have to agree, that is funny. It seems to me that all the distances I see on roads are miles, all building materials are in feet and inches, annual rainfall is measured and recorded in feet and inches, altitude is measured by feet or miles, the amount of water in a lake is measured by acre/feet...on and on
I would guess, you get your measurements and information from people that drive Subarus and Volvos...
If you want some more humor, look up the definition of a mile:
Seems to me we should go metric because we're already half and half, which is more difficult. The Army uses clicks. Bullets are 5.56mm, not .223 inches. Mortars are 81mm. Liquor comes in 750ml bottles. Don't know about the moon program in 1969 but space calculations are mostly metric now.
Used to come in fifths. You're getting gypped out of 7.08236 mL nowadays.
I don't want to push 1 for English on the phone or change to metrics to suit other countries
Bingo!!!!
Originally Posted by Valsdad
Originally Posted by IndyCA35
Seems to me we should go metric because we're already half and half, which is more difficult. The Army uses clicks. Bullets are 5.56mm, not .223 inches. Mortars are 81mm. Liquor comes in 750ml bottles. Don't know about the moon program in 1969 but space calculations are mostly metric now.
Used to come in fifths. You're getting gypped out of 7.08236 mL nowadays.
Use feet for lumber, common measurments we use. Go decimal for precision stuff. It is hard to get people to change on small stuff. Autos are retooled all the time so things can change easily. My brother worked auto body, and for a couple years Cadillac was metric on one side and American on the other until they used up all the screws.
40 years ago I worked in a gear shop. We made 11 1/2 and 14 1/2 degree gears as much as 20 degree. 11.5 was absolete after WW1, 14.5 was supposed to be phased out during WW2, we still make them and use them.
Our U.S. system of measurement is another way we differentiate ourselves from the rest of the world. It is another small way to keep our sovereignty. Our rebellion made us different and we need to keep it that way.
Australia converted to metric back in the mid 60's, yet if you buy wheels for a car it's still the old system, ie, 17x8 or 16x7. Go figure! Even with shooters velocity is still referred to in fps as opposed to m/s.
It all boils down to decimals. You are going to deal with decimals with either metric or imperial. It would be catastrophic to change our entire country to metric and pretty stupid just to appease the other countries that chose metric. By the way how is plywood and lumber bought and used in metric countries? We can get along fine in machining with conversions. Both systems have precise standards so what's the beef?
The Brits also had another measurement system called "Whitworth". Try and work on one of these cars with a metric or SAE set of tools...
Never had to work on anything "Whitworth". Looking it up, I saw this on Wiki:
British Morris and MG engines from 1923 to 1955 were built using metric threads but with bolt heads and nuts dimensioned for Whitworth spanners and sockets.[9] In 1919 Morris Motors took over the French Hotchkiss engine works which had moved to Coventry during the First World War. The Hotchkiss machine tools were of metric thread but metric spanners were not readily available in Britain at the time, so fasteners were made with metric thread but Whitworth heads. [10]
We turned the foot into the metric system and made base 10
No matter how you slice it, a foot is not any part of the metric system, it is 12 inches...
Actually, the US uses two different versions of the foot: the "international foot" and the "survey foot". They aren't quite the same, but each is, as a matter of US law, defined by reference to the metre.
We turned the foot into the metric system and made base 10
No matter how you slice it, a foot is not any part of the metric system, it is 12 inches...
Actually, the US uses two different versions of the foot: the "international foot" and the "survey foot". They aren't quite the same, but each is, as a matter of US law, defined by reference to the metre.
Keep it up you commies, you may have yourself convinced that feet, inches, yards, miles and American units of measure are metric, but you are wrong and need to go to Europe if you want the metric system so bad...
I was a young lad when Canada went to metric and even today I think of some things in metric and some still in imperial.
Weight - Pounds and ounces and grains (I'm 180 lbs) Height - feet and inches (I'm 5' 6 1/2") Distance - Kilometers and meters except when sighting in hunting rifles or measuring group sizes then it's in yards and inches Temperature - always as metric Celcius Pressure - always in pounds per square inch Land measurement - always in Acres Speed - Always in Kilometers per hour Volume - mostly in liters - except when talking about 45 gal drums and 5 gallon pails Fuel Economy - miles per gallon (U.S.)
![[Linked Image]](https://i.imgur.com/9nJlC97.jpg)
It just loses something in translation. 
I suppose the Russkies wouldn't have used the metric system either to put the first man into space. ![[Linked Image]](http://i.imgur.com/jntQivh.jpg)
![[Linked Image]](http://i.imgur.com/E528624.jpg)