(snip)
> Perhaps we need to back off and clarify a few things so we are all on the
> same page.
>
> What do the list members want a metric mandate to do?
What I would like a metric mandate to do:
As of specific date(s):
All speed limits on US roads would be posted in km/h.
All new cars sold in the US would have metric speedometers
and odometers (no ifp units).
All distances on highway road signs would be posted
in metric only.
All goods sold by businesses must be advertised, priced
and sold in metric units with no dual labelling allowed.
This means gasoline priced by the liter, meat priced per
kilogram, television screen sizes advertised in cm, newly
constructed homes advertised in m2, clothes sized in cm.
All new installations of water and gas meters must be
metric. Existing meters can remain in ifp, but if replaced,
they must be replaced with metric meters.
All new property survey's for real estate purposes must
be drawn using metric distances. Existing surveys
remain valid.
All legal documents must use metric only. Driver's licenses
that list height, would use cm, birth certificates would officially
use cm and kg for height and weight.
Weather reports would give temperatures in Celsius, measure
precipitation in cm, and use kPa for pressure.
Certain historical or traditional names and measurements
can be kept. Chicago can keep it's Magnificent Mile.
US Football can still have a 100 yd field.
Private advertisements can still display ifp. An ad in the
classifieds saying that a someone has a 24" television
set, would be legal, or a sign saying a garage sale
is 2 miles down the next road, would also be legal.
I would not want a required hard conversion of all products.
(That would happen over time, without having to mandate it).
Once people get used to paint sold in liters, it would make
more sense to sell 4L cans rather than 3.78 L cans, but
that would happen as people become more accustomed
to metric, and as the industry matures.
This is, of course, not an end all list, but it's what I think
a metric mandate should include.
Stephen Gallagher
