2001-12-23
2 L soda, 35 mm film, 100 mm cigarettes are viewed more as trade names then
actual measurements of something.
Give someone a 2 L pop bottle and a pail and ask them to fill the pail with
5 L of water and see how many people would figure out that the 2 L bottle
filled full twice and a third time half full would get you 5 L. Giving
someone a pack of 100 mm cigarettes and asking him/here to measure out 500
mm; how many would be able to figure out that laying 5 cigarettes end to end
would accomplish the requirement?
If our speedometer/odometers were in kilometres, and these units were spoken
on a regular basis, they would sound just as normal.
Any time someone tells you "You're in America..." , you can remind them
that is the very reason you choose to use metric. And it won't hurt to
mention that such a person must be anti-American. Using outdated
measurements that no one else uses and intimidating others to do so, only
holds this country back. When a business wants to produce metric goods and
services, the last place they will come is to the USA, thinking that
anti-metric America could not produce a quality metric product. So, when
your 15-20 $/h is exported, and you now have to work for 7-8 $/h, remember
that on your way to the poorhouse, that your anti-metric attitude is the
fault. I for one have no intention of following your path or supporting
your choice, so I refuse to speak FFU and will forever use metric. Case
closed.
John
----- Original Message -----
From: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: "U.S. Metric Association" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Sent: Sunday, 2001-12-23 09:34
Subject: [USMA:16782] Re: Fw: Watches [Yahoo! Clubs: Metric America]
In a message dated 2001/12/22 16:12:54 Eastern Standard Time,
[EMAIL PROTECTED] writes:
<< For the most part, Americans are measurement illiterate. It is easy to
say
most Americans support FFU, but more realistic to say they are just
familiar
with the unit names... >>
In the Middle-Atlantic US, most people under forty are either mildly for or
mildly against metric. Few care much either way. They also have the odd
habit
of "metric/yardic propriety": two liter Pepsi, 100 meter watches, seven
centimeters of dilation and 100mm cigarettes are "normal," while "I gained
five kilos [colloq.]" or "It's eight KILometers to Philly" are "weird."
Nonetheless, only rarely do I get the "You're in America..." crap, usually
from morons who flunked both math(s) and civics, anyhow.
{This is a plaintext e-mail generated on an obsolete version of AOL — Randi}
