Package size reductions happen all the time, but BWMA, given their nature, will only emphasize when something like that happens during a metric switch. There will always be unethical companies that will take advantage of confusion resulting from a unit switch, but that will be a vast minority. If you look at a relatively recent event of similar magnitude, the adoption of the Euro in a number of EU countries, it was a smooth transition, with very little fraud. There was a lot of upfront preparation and consumer education, which ultimately made for a successful switch. If only we could accomplish that with metric here.
Remek On Nov 26, 2007 8:26 PM, Carleton MacDonald <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > The BWMA claims that metrication will lead to package size reductions > without a reduction in price; the ice cream makers seem to have done that > nicely all by themselves with no attempt at changing the units of measure. > > Carleton > > -----Original Message----- > From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf > Of Remek Kocz > Sent: Monday, November 26, 2007 20:06 > To: U.S. Metric Association > > Cc: U.S. Metric Association > Subject: [USMA:39787] Re: Burma still using English units, it seems > > I'd venture a guess that the US dairy industry is a major source of > resistance to metrication. Outside the occasional attempts at 3 L > milks, all sizes of milk and related products have stubbornly been > sized in customary measures. The recent size reduction of ice-cream > is a perfect example: from 2 quarts to 1.75 quarts. It could have > just gone to a metric amount, like 1.6 or 1.5 L. > > BTW, from what I've seen in Canada, dairy is predominantly metric, > with 1 L, 0.5 L, and 250 mL milk containers. > > Remek > > On Nov 26, 2007 4:30 PM, Paul Trusten <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > > > But, have we "got metric milk?" I need to push more for quarts of milk > in > > the U.S. to be changed to liters, which, after all, are a bit larger--54 > mL > > larger, to be exact. Half-gallons could become 2-liter sizes. Anyone who > has > > ever bought 2 L of soft drink without incident shouldn't be miffed by 2 L > of > > milk. And, larger sizes? I guess 3 L and 4 L could be around the corner. > > Attached is a picture from an Aldi grocery store near Sydney, Australia, > > showing some milk sizes. > > > > > > > > Nat Hager III wrote: > > > > Same with me. In terms of liquid measure the US is pretty much > metricated. > > I buy 2-Liter soda, Liter-and-a-half of wine, 700 mL water, half-liter > > mouthwash, 750 mL shampoo, 1.75 L OJ, 3-Liter detergent (never mind its > only > > 2.95L), 1.65 L ice cream (never mind its also labeled 1.75 Qt), etc, etc. > > > > Also toilets are 6L/flush, which I notice this morning they're reducing to > > 5L (never mind the AP reports as 1.3 Gal) > > > > Nat > > > > > > Countless experiments have shown that people tend to see what they are > > looking for. Let's imagine tourists in Burma who are trying to fend for > > their needs. They are going to be on the lookout for something that > > seems familiar and that speaks to them in a language they understand. If > > they are typical American tourists they can tell you of the many places > > where they saw familiar units being used and that they don't recall any > > other units. If they are tourists from almost any other country, they > > will assure you that they saw zillions of metric indications and few, if > > any, non-metric units. > > > > We see this often in the U.S. I've had folks swear up and down that they > > never see metric units used anywhere and then I have them read the > > contents indication on their can of pop or the nutrition information on > > their snack package. Indeed, sometimes I've asked people to read me what > > the label claims to be on the 500 mL bottle of water and they just read > > me the number of pints and floozies shown in parentheses, skipping right > > over the "500 mL" that appears first. Yes, they realize that those > > "other" units are metric. However they didn't "see" them until then and > > if they had seen them earlier it didn't register long enough to create a > > memory of that. > > > > I've had beginning students in Physics who, during our first lab which > > is on metric unit familiarization, would wave their rulers in the air > > and proudly tell us that the college bookstore sells only "inch rulers". > > I would ask them to tell me what's on the other edge of that ruler and > > they are amazed at what suddenly appears there--namely centimeters. They > > truly had not "noticed" the metric scale on those rulers. > > > > I'm on the lookout for metric usage, so I see it quite often in the U.S. > > Pat Naughtin has seen them here quite often as well, but he's a "metric > > tourist" over here, so his eye gravitates to units with which he's > > familiar. Non-metric people who live here rarely "see" what we see. > > Actually they do see those metric units, but they don't notice them and > > the experience does not register. > > > > Jim > > > > Ezra Steinberg wrote: > > > > > > Well, I would certainly take your direct observations as gold, Michael. > > > > I guess I don't undestand why the folks who posted replies to my query > > on the Thorn Tree site would say otherwise. > > Since it's a site for world travelers to help each other with questions > > and issues, I assumed the posters were recent travelers to Burma, > > themselves. > > > > Ah, well ... let the confusion begin! ;-) > > > > Cheers, > > Ezra > > > > ----- Original Message ----- From: "Michael Payne" > > > > <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > > > > > To: "U.S. Metric Association" <[email protected]> > > Sent: Sunday, November 25, 2007 8:09 AM > > Subject: [USMA:39765] Re: Burma still using English units, it seems > > > > > > > > > > This contradicts my direct observation while I visited Burma in 1997, > > speedometers in cars I drove in were km/h and speed limits were > > (according to my driver) km/h but written in the local Burmese > > numerical script which was undecipherable to me, I asked out driver > > what the speed limit was, he told me the answer as ** km/h. I did see > > a Gas (Petrol) station with very old pumps that displayed in Imperial > > Gallons. The Burmese just seem to accept what's thrown at them, I > > doubt they import vehicles exclusively from the US, we have sanctions, > > so they come from neighboring countries which are exclusively metric, > > would not do much good to have mph speed limits when every car in the > > last 30 years has only km/h on the speedometer. If some piece of > > equipment comes from the US despite sanctions, they'll probably accept > > it as is. Fact is sanctions by the US against Burma are probably > > leading to less US units being seen there on any equipment. > > > > Michael Payne > > > > > > ----- Original Message ----- From: "Ezra Steinberg" > > <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > To: "U.S. Metric Association" <[email protected]> > > Sent: Sunday, 25 November 2007 06:15 > > Subject: [USMA:39764] Burma still using English units, it seems > > > > > > USMA folks: > > > > I posted a couple of queries on a well-known travel site (Thorn Tree) > > that seems to get a lot of traffic from Europeans. > > I asked about the metric vs. Imperial situation in Burma (Myanmar) and > > Liberia, the two countries often cited aside from the USA as still > > using mostly Imperial. > > > > No replies about Liberia (and I may not get any), but I got several > > quick replies about Burma. These confirm that on road signs and in the > > street Imperial is used exclusively. > > > > Not earth-shattering news, to be sure, but at least it's up-to-date > > first-hand information from recent visitors there. > > > > Ezra > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > >
