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| Subject: UK should ditch miles | |
Author: Jim (Canada) | [ Next Thread |
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] Date Posted: 14:44:53 01/07/05 Fri One thing that bothers me when I travel in the UK is why they keep to miles per hour on the roads. Britain has gone mostly metric with degrees Celsius, kilogrammes, litres, etc, but they keep miles on the roads. This is ridiculous. It's time to get rid of this anachronism and change the roads to kilometres. If you go metric, you should complete it. Britain was already committed to going metric in 1965, a full eight years before entering the EEC. Canada, Australia and New Zealand have all switched to kilometres with no problems, so should the mother country. Driving over the border from Canada into the USA, you go from kilometres in Canada into miles in the USA, so suddenly the speed limit goes from 100 to 65! The USA is now the only country in the world which has refused to go metric and has stuck entirely with the old measures, including degrees Fahrenheit and gallons. You buy your gas in gallons in the USA and in litres in Canada. If we are going to have a federation, this is going to have to be sorted out. I can guarantee you that the dominions are not going to switch back to miles, and so they should not. Our entire younger generation now thinks exclusively in metric, including kilometres, and the same is happening in Britain. Britain needs to catch up by going to kilometres. Our federation is going to have to be a world trader, so it will have to use metric. When Canada switched from miles to kilometres in September 1977, km stickers were placed over the existing miles signs. It was cheap and fast. People got used to it quickly. British cars have had kilometres as well as miles on the speedometers for many years and many British people drive on Continental Europe. This change has to happen soon - it's inevitable. Besides, driving at 100 instead of 60 sounds more powerful! Get with it Britain - start using kilometres. [ Next Thread | Previous Thread | Next Message | Previous Message ] |
| [> Subject: Ireland is doing it this month | |
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Author: Lurker [ Edit | View ] |
Date Posted: 15:04:36 01/07/05 Fri www.gometric.ie [ Post a Reply to This Message ] |
| [> [> Subject: Any idea how much it's costing? | |
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Author: Dave (UK) [ Edit | View ] |
Date Posted: 15:27:35 01/07/05 Fri [ Post a Reply to This Message ] |
| [> Subject: It will probably happen | |
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Author: Dave (UK) [ Edit | View ] |
Date Posted: 15:07:02 01/07/05 Fri I'm sure it's on the EU ToDo list for Britain somewhere down the line. I think the cost considerations have thus far prevented it. Despite Britain's diminutive size compared to Canada and Australia, Britain probably has as many, if not more miles (km) of roads than these countries put together. I'm not sure the sticker approach would work very well with the amount of rain we get. I agree that we probably should do it in the end as our schizophrenic attitude to measurement here is quite bizarre at times. However, here is the proviso: we change to kilometres, and Canada drives on the correct side of the road, not the side Napoleon made you drive on all those years ago. Although we technically “went metric” many years ago, I have heard amusing stories from engineers, where factories started producing nuts, bolts and suchlike in sizes such as 25.4 mm, which bore an uncanny resemblance to an inch. What would we do with our milestones though? [ Post a Reply to This Message ] |
| [> [> Subject: Napoleon never ruled Canada | |
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Author: Jim (Canada) [ Edit | View ] |
Date Posted: 16:34:30 01/07/05 Fri Quebec was conquered by the British in 1763, more than twenty-five years before the French Revolution. Napoleon had nothing to do with Canada. Nova Scotia was conquered by the British much earlier and Newfoundland was always British (English since 1497). Canadians actually did drive on the left initially, like the rest of the Empire, but the Canadian Automobile Association (which I work for) urged the country to switch to the right in 1924 in order to attract American tourists who would drive over the border. The Canadian Government complied. Since then, with so much trade and tourism across the border, it makes sense for Canadians to drive on the right. US tourists tend to drive into Canada as Canadian tourists drive into the US and being on the same side made sense. The Americans have more cars than us anyway! However, as I pointed out, they still have to deal with the difference of miles in the US and kilometres in Canada. The stickers on the signs worked well with all the rain and snow that we get in Canada, so I can't see a problem with it in Britain. As the stickered signs wore out, they were replaced with brand new signs in kilometres. There are none of the original stickered signs left now - they have all been replaced. [ Post a Reply to This Message ] |
| [> [> [> Subject: I know - I was being flippant... | |
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Author: Dave (UK) [ Edit | View ] |
Date Posted: 16:49:21 01/07/05 Fri It was a joke based on the alleged source of driving on the right - a left handed swordsman and all that... [ Post a Reply to This Message ] |
| [> Subject: km | |
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Author: Joel (UK) [ Edit | View ] |
Date Posted: 15:16:26 01/07/05 Fri >Our entire younger generation now thinks exclusively in >metric, including kilometres, and the same is happening >in Britain I can't think of a single time when I've heard anyone (of any age) I know use kilometres instead of miles in conversation. You are correct about younger people using metric for other measurements (temp., mm, cm, metres) although I talk to people who have never been taught imperial units in school that still use them - they part of many common phrases. [ Post a Reply to This Message ] |
| [> Subject: Oh dear. | |
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Author: Ed Harris (London) [ Edit | View ] |
Date Posted: 16:21:14 01/07/05 Fri I agree that our attitude is schizophrenic. We have had this debate about Commonwealth weights and measures before on this forum, and I believe that I mentioned my favourite absurdity: we can only find out a car's performance in miles per gallon, but then, when we buy it, we take it to the petrol station and can only by the stuff in litres. It involves a good deal of mental gymnastics at the pump to work out how many litres one needs in order to do a 200 mile journey if one's car does 35 miles to the gallon. But, as I also said at the time, metric measurements have made very little headway here. I know no-one who knows the distance from home to work in metres, or their height in centimetres, or buy their beer in millimetres or whatever. Even our law-enforced metricisation in shops is a joke: we can now buy milk in units of 0.568 litres, which works out at - you guessed it, exactly one pint. Sweet shops sell sweets in units of 0.938 kilogrammes, which works out as - you guessed it again - exactly one quarter of a pound, as before. Buying shots in bars is also fun: they are now sold in however-many-it-is decilitres which works out at - ooh, what a surprise - exactly a fluid ounce. So what do we have? Stupid numbers for familiar sizes which are so much more easy to express in the conventional, imperial way of measuring (i.e. units of one pint, one inch, one ounce etc, rather than units of 0.0984323452345 of centi-wotsits) that no-one has bothered to make the mental adjustment. We only use these ghastly French measurements when we are forced to, or if we are science students or work in technologies. Never in conversation. The only thing is that people have started to use this celcigrade nonsense when talking about the weather, because of the BBC's forecasts. Even still, many people - and not just older people - can't work in centius. I can't, and I left school only four or five years ago. I know that the Telegraph never gives the weather forecast in anything but Fahrenheit, and if it did I would start getting my weather from the Herald Tribune. I agree that we should have on or the other and not try to have both. But I for one would keep the present system, which others in the Commonwealth would no doubt call the 'old' system. If we ever change, I'm taking the brain drain (ah, self-delusion!) to the USA faster than you can see Green Card. Counting in tens is inefficient, illogical and inconvenient, and I'm not having any of it. Oh, say, can you see, by blah-blah, blah, blah, blah... [ Post a Reply to This Message ] |
| [> [> Subject: We have ten fingures and ten toes, therefore decimal must be the most efficient for counting | |
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Author: David (Australia) [ Edit | View ] |
Date Posted: 13:46:40 01/09/05 Sun [ Post a Reply to This Message ] |
| [> [> [> Subject: Fingers* | |
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Author: David (Australia) [ Edit | View ] |
Date Posted: 13:55:15 01/09/05 Sun Australia has gone completely metric and I am part of a generation who has grown up without the imperial system. In my opinion it is the most effiecient system. It is generally much easier to divide by ten (eliminating a zero), than dividing by any other number. There is also no need to operate two different systems for science and general-use. Nevertheless, some elements of the imperial system have remained in Australia, most people still measure their height in feet and inches rather than in centimetres. Over time, you will probably find drink sizes adjust to the change in system. I have never come across a 523.67ml bottle of milk in Australia. Sizes are all nice and tidy in either litres or millilitres. [ Post a Reply to This Message ] |
| [> [> [> [> Subject: Fingers... | |
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Author: Dave (UK) [ Edit | View ] |
Date Posted: 16:02:56 01/09/05 Sun Funny you should mention fingers, as each finger (excluding the thumb) has three segments, which I believe is where the imperial base 12 came from... [ Post a Reply to This Message ] |
| [> [> [> [> [> Subject: I don't count on my fingers anyway | |
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Author: Ian (Australia) [ Edit | View ] |
Date Posted: 16:33:02 01/09/05 Sun [ Post a Reply to This Message ] |
| [> [> Subject: Centiheit | |
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Author: Nick (UK) [ Edit | View ] |
Date Posted: 16:29:38 01/13/05 Thu 'many people - and not just older people - can't work in centius. I can't, and I left school only four or five years ago' I left school 15 years ago and I 'learnt' both metric and imperial, which in practice means I am totally confused and don't really understand Imperial once we get beyond simple every day measurements, but tend to talk and think in Imperial much of the time. What I have done quite unconsciously though, I suppose, is to choose the aspects of both systems that best work for me. I therefore count in the following measures: Distance: mm, cm, feet, yards/metres, miles Weight: lbs, stones, kgs Temperature: Centigrade (in winter), Fahrenheit (in summer). (my temperature scale thus jumps about 40 degrees between cold and warm weather!) Volume: pints, litres Say I'm barmy if you like, but it sort of works for me, and I'm not willing to be told by anyone what I must or mustn't use. Particularly not the EU! [ Post a Reply to This Message ] |
| [> Subject: Metric is easier to work out | |
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Author: Davey [ Edit | View ] |
Date Posted: 16:24:18 01/07/05 Fri "We only use these ghastly French measurements when we are forced to" What about the ghastly imperial measurements? How many yards in a mile? 1471? 1606? Some completely illogical number. At least metric makes sense and you can calculate it. Unless that is, you're a member of the Dozenal society. [ Post a Reply to This Message ] |
| [> [> Subject: Eh? | |
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Author: Ed Harris (London) [ Edit | View ] |
Date Posted: 16:31:54 01/07/05 Fri 1760 yards in a mile. Four inches in a hand, three hands in a foot, three feet in a yard, 220 yards in a furlong, and eight furlongs in a mile. Easy as pie. I defy you to divide a kilolitre or something by three or six or eight. A yard, on the other hand, is easy. A third of a yard is a foot, a sixth is six inches, an eighth is four and half inches. All finite numbers. And all based on something physical and tangible rather than a certain number of multiples of wavelengths of light bouncing off sodium at a certain temperature in a vault in Paris. When you can show me one of those on a plate with watercress round it, I'll convert to metric that minute. Until then, I'm 5'11", 11 stone 13 lbs, and it's a mild and not-too-chilly 45 degrees outside with high winds of about 60 mph. Dammit. [ Post a Reply to This Message ] |
| [> [> Subject: I prefer Metric | |
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Author: Jim (Canada) [ Edit | View ] |
Date Posted: 16:39:31 01/07/05 Fri I was brought up as a child in the Imperial Units (Canada had the Imperial Gallon while the US has its own American Gallon), however, we went Metric in the later 1970's when I was still in High School. I learned it easily and now I think entirely in Metric. You can get used to it. [ Post a Reply to This Message ] |
| [> [> [> Subject: I'm sure we could... | |
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Author: Ed Harris (London) [ Edit | View ] |
Date Posted: 16:46:10 01/07/05 Fri ... But I doubt that we will ever get the opportunity to put it to the test. The imperial system has become a talisman of our independence and distinctiveness which it never was before. Read up on the Metric Martyrs from a few years ago: their case suddenly transformed the debate from one about how we buy our carrots into a debate about national identity. You're about five years too late to win Britain over to metricity with the old things-are-going-that-way-get-with-the-programme argument. [ Post a Reply to This Message ] |
| [> [> [> [> Subject: Well then it's too late for the dominions - they are already mectricated | |
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Author: Jim (Canada) [ Edit | View ] |
Date Posted: 16:57:59 01/07/05 Fri [ Post a Reply to This Message ] |
| [> [> [> [> Subject: Metric Martyrs | |
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Author: Dave (UK) [ Edit | View ] |
Date Posted: 17:00:46 01/07/05 Fri Whatever happened to them anyway? Are they all behind 3cm bars now? [ Post a Reply to This Message ] |
| [> [> [> [> [> Subject: Kilolitres - Just Say No. | |
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Author: Ed Harris (London) [ Edit | View ] |
Date Posted: 17:18:12 01/07/05 Fri I think that they were all fined a large number of pounds (in hundreds, I imagine) and their scales confiscated and they were obliged to replace them with metric ones. Many of them only bring them out for their six-monthly local authority inspections. One of the martyrs spoke at a rally I went to in London a while back, and, along with the Australian Monarchist League bloke and, of course, the wonderful Chris Gill and Teddy Taylor, was the best speaker there. What he says about the EU, in his broad geordie accent, makes Nigel Farrage sound like Michael Heseltine. [ Post a Reply to This Message ] |
| [> [> [> [> [> Subject: Irish conversion | |
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Author: Jim (Canada) [ Edit | View ] |
Date Posted: 17:22:14 01/07/05 Fri With Ireland going over to kilometres per hour, am I correct in assuming that this is just the Republic? Is Northern Ireland, as part of the UK, remaining in miles per hour, the same as Great Britain? If so, you will get a situation the same as the Canada-USA border. [ Post a Reply to This Message ] |
| [> [> [> [> [> Subject: It is only in the Republic | |
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Author: Lurker [ Edit | View ] |
Date Posted: 17:26:07 01/07/05 Fri BTW distance signs have already been metric for years now, while they remained in miles on the North [ Post a Reply to This Message ] |
| [> [> [> [> [> Subject: Metric martyrs | |
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Author: Curnoack [ Edit | View ] |
Date Posted: 20:16:30 01/07/05 Fri What about the THOUSANDS who have died fighting for their countries right to independence? Don't read about them in the Little England Daily Mail do you? Fascist tabloid rag. [ Post a Reply to This Message ] |
| [> [> [> [> [> [> Subject: And what about the THOUSANDS of Cornish people who died fighting for the British Empire? | |
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Author: Roberdin [ Edit | View ] |
Date Posted: 20:09:11 01/09/05 Sun [ Post a Reply to This Message ] |
| [> [> [> [> Subject: A bit rich for you to talk about national identity | |
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Author: Curnoack [ Edit | View ] |
Date Posted: 20:11:29 01/07/05 Fri "The imperial system has become a talisman of our independence and distinctiveness which it never was before. Read up on the Metric Martyrs from a few years ago: their case suddenly transformed the debate from one about how we buy our carrots into a debate about national identity" You guys have no right to talk to us about national identity... you have tried to wipe out the Cornish and now you don't even recognise us as a nation except as lebensraum for your Londoners. Hypocrites. Kernow bys vyken! [ Post a Reply to This Message ] |
| [> [> [> [> [> Subject: Mebyon Kernow | |
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Author: Jim (Canada) [ Edit | View ] |
Date Posted: 20:55:20 01/07/05 Fri Curnoak, I actually wrote to the leader of the Mebyon Kernow and explained our FCS ideas to him. He was very supportive. He liked the idea of a self-governing Cornwall within a wider Commonwealth Federation, where the domination of England is reduced because of the inclusion of the overseas countries. So I understand your frustration, but don't be too hostile, because the leader of your movement is quite keen on our idea. [ Post a Reply to This Message ] |
| [> [> [> [> [> Subject: Toll din Curnoak | |
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Author: Ed Harris (London) [ Edit | View ] |
Date Posted: 00:58:35 01/08/05 Sat I don't wish to be unkind, but have you ever considered any form of professional counselling? Your deranged level of hostility does not seem normal to me. If you can translate "My next-door neighbour's dog has stolen the lemon-meringue which I would have given to my brother's wife's mother for her ninetieth birthday had she not been diagnosed with pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcaniconioisis" into Cornish in fewer than two minutes, I will recant all objections to your Cornomania, but frankly I doubt that you can. To coin a phrase, futue te ipsum et caballam tuam. If you ever again post on this website then I will not. Serious and good-natured discussion of a shared objective is what I started posting for, not three-quarters deranged abuse, and if the forum is susceptible to this sort of nonsense then it is not for me, and I shall devote my talents and wealth to more conventional movements. Victory for you, I think. Kyj dhe-ves, ty wokki. Re'th kijyewgh hwi. [ Post a Reply to This Message ] |
| [> [> [> [> [> [> Subject: Negative Contributions | |
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Author: Nick (UK) [ Edit | View ] |
Date Posted: 10:13:05 01/13/05 Thu I'm sorry you feel that way but I'm glad you don't seem to have acted on your threat. Your contributions would be missed. It isn't necessary for anyone to debate with individuals with whom they have no wish to debate. Simply ignore topics and they will quickly disappear from the forum. I understand your frustrations - they are regularly voiced by people at one time or another, but personally I believe freedom of speech is a paramount value we should defend, and although I don't think it applies in totality to this forum, I want to encourage as many interesting and different contributions as possible. If individuals descend to the level of spamming this will be dealt with. [ Post a Reply to This Message ] |
| [> [> [> [> [> [> Subject: Your brother's wife's mother was a miner? | |
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Author: Archie [ Edit | View ] |
Date Posted: 16:06:02 01/14/05 Fri " "My next-door neighbour's dog has stolen the lemon-meringue which I would have given to my brother's wife's mother for her ninetieth birthday had she not been diagnosed with pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcaniconioisis" Perhaps if you can translate meringue and pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcaniconioisis first. Presumably this mother was a miner, because they're the ones to get that disease. [ Post a Reply to This Message ] |
| [> [> [> [> [> [> [> Subject: Actually... | |
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Author: Roberdin [ Edit | View ] |
Date Posted: 16:09:14 01/14/05 Fri Pneumonoultramicroscopicsailicovolcaniconioisis is in fact an entirely fictious disorder. ;-) [ Post a Reply to This Message ] |
| [> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> Subject: Yeah, but... | |
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Author: Ed Harris (London) [ Edit | View ] |
Date Posted: 01:06:09 01/15/05 Sat ... it's a very cool name for a disease, fictitious or not. Rather like 'distemper' and 'melancholia'. [ Post a Reply to This Message ] |
| [> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> Subject: Not as good as... | |
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Author: Roberdin [ Edit | View ] |
Date Posted: 20:13:23 01/15/05 Sat Not as good as 'Hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliophobia' - meaning 'fear of long words' [ Post a Reply to This Message ] |
| [> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> Subject: Er? | |
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Author: Ed Harris (London) [ Edit | View ] |
Date Posted: 00:41:43 01/16/05 Sun I knew that "sesquippedalophobia" meant an irrational fear of long words, but your version sounds like an irrational fear of long words and river horses, from the Greek constituent parts. Mind you, I am a great fan of 'phobia' words. If you're ever in the Science Museum in Kensington, there's a whole section of them somewhere, and some of them are fantastic. Agyrophobia (fear of streets or crossing the street) and cherophobia (fear of gaiety) are two of my favourites. Soceraphobia (fear of in-laws) is also fun. [ Post a Reply to This Message ] |
| [> [> Subject: Imperial system sucks | |
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Author: Curnoack [ Edit | View ] |
Date Posted: 20:09:25 01/07/05 Fri "I defy you to divide a kilolitre or something by three or six or eight. A yard, on the other hand, is easy. A third of a yard is a foot, a sixth is six inches, an eighth is four and half inches. All finite numbers. And all based on something physical and tangible rather than a certain number of multiples of wavelengths of light bouncing off sodium at a certain temperature in a vault in Paris. When you can show me one of those on a plate with watercress round it, I'll convert to metric that minute. Until then, I'm 5'11", 11 stone 13 lbs, and it's a mild and not-too-chilly 45 degrees outside with high winds of about 60 mph. Dammit." What's the imperial system based on? The body measurements of some inbred royal mutant with webbed feet and six limbs! People only like imperial because they're used to it, a bit like the inbred monarchy of England that is forced on Cornwall. [ Post a Reply to This Message ] |
| [> [> [> Subject: Curnoak, I agree with you on your opinion of the Imperial system of measurement | |
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Author: Jim (Canada) [ Edit | View ] |
Date Posted: 20:51:16 01/07/05 Fri [ Post a Reply to This Message ] |
| [> [> [> [> Subject: What? | |
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Author: Ed Harris (London) [ Edit | View ] |
Date Posted: 01:03:08 01/08/05 Sat You agree that the imperial system is as it is because of massive royal in-breeding, and that those royals are forced upon Cornwall by a corrupt colonial government? I give up. You're all nuts. [ Post a Reply to This Message ] |
| [> [> [> [> [> Subject: Ed, don't give up... | |
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Author: Dave (UK) [ Edit | View ] |
Date Posted: 02:08:14 01/08/05 Sat Ed, I understand your frustration at times, but don’t desert the forum because a few individuals try to stir up some trouble. So, a cat is cast amongst to pigeons from time to time - surely the best way to deal with this going forward is to ignore it. Boy, I’m getting awfully restrained in my old age. It was always going to be the case that an internet forum will attract many differences of opinion, to put a polite term on it. We had to expect this after our brief exposure in the mainstream domain of Wikipaedia (or whatever it’s called). This forum would lose a great deal if you discontinued your posting. I don’t think we will get very far with our aims if we fall at the first hurdle. Those who have witnessed the entertaining, if not entirely productive debates I have engaged in over the last few days will know that I have been lambasted for having the audacity to question the role of certain languages in Scotland, and indeed for stating that the language I, and most Scots use is English. Rather than being grateful for some local insight, I am contradicted by the provision of increasingly bizarre rationale for such misconceptions. If, on the other hand, I had known from the outset that the debate would descend into politically motivated personal attacks, then my natural apathy to the subject of language would have prevailed, and I would not have bothered to respond in the first place. My postings are aimed at encouraging debate, and yes, I am prone to the odd wind-up on occasion. However, if I am wrong on the issue of my own language, in addition to those of my family, friends, colleagues, business contacts, and the bulk of people I come into contact with in a daily basis, then my experience of life from the beginning has been characterised by many contiguous coincidental aberrations. As Curnoack states, I don’t dispute that there are many across Scotland, the UK and Europe who would wish to lynch me. However, I dismiss this, as one thing I do know is that most societies who have resorted to, or who have quietly endorsed the lynching of those who disagree with them, have certainly not earned their place in the history books amongst humanity’s finest. However, I do not let this curb my enthusiasm for this society and its members, whom quite frankly, we need as many as we can get. I never forget the reasons I am here, and that we are lucky to have like minded people from across the commonwealth here too. I am equally proud to be Scottish, British and Commonwealth citizen. I do not see these things as mutually exclusive. I’m a unionist (both UK and FC) I believe that the marriage of Scotland and England has proved to be one the most successful and productive in the world, which has borne many children across the world that most people on this forum would agree, are fundamentally good eggs. Sure, the United Kingdom is not perfect, but is any marriage? I believe that this marriage is in danger, and we need some polygamy to spice things up, and continue the creative, scientific, political and economic genius that the British nation has hitherto produced. Here’s to the FCS… [ Post a Reply to This Message ] |
| [> [> [> [> [> [> Subject: I never said that | |
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Author: Jim (Canada) [ Edit | View ] |
Date Posted: 15:58:27 01/10/05 Mon I don't agree with Curnoak's anti-English rantings, I just agree that the Imperial system is outdated and that metric is better. Other than that, I am pro-English (obviously). [ Post a Reply to This Message ] |
| [> Subject: metric is best for science, imperial is best for poetry | |
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Author: Ian (Australia) [ Edit | View ] |
Date Posted: 20:01:47 01/07/05 Fri I'm part of the transitional generation in Australia: some things for me are still imperial, but most are completely metric, as long as we are talking about measurements. If we are talking about metaphors, than I'm afraid metric serves no useful purpose at all. Is it plausible to believe that Pete Townshend would have written "I can see for kilometres and kilometres" if he had been living in a metric country? Sorry, no. "I can see for miles and miles" makes sense and will stay that way. On the other hand, I have no desire at all to do scientific calculations where I am required to express velocity in furlongs per fortnight. [ Post a Reply to This Message ] |
| [> Subject: Oh Jim! | |
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Author: Paddy (Scotland) [ Edit | View ] |
Date Posted: 22:43:09 01/07/05 Fri The UK has had dual usage of the metric system and the Imperial system since 1880 (or so). From that date people were legally free to trade in either of the systems. Previously in the UK people were taught both metric and imperial at school but now, quite absurdly, even though the mile and the pint are in fact every-day measurements school children are not taught what a pint is, not even that it corresponds to 568 ml let alone 20 fluid ounces. Given that even after many years of metrification (?) the traditional measurements are still used and are still popular why "should" we change? I say that since the two systems ARE used, they should BOTH be both taught in British schools and the traders should have the CHOICE of which measurement to trade in. Builders of machine-parts etc... will use metric, banana-merchants will deal with imperial. That is what the market will decide. There is no evidence that being all-metric would do us any good/be of advantage to us and we may potentially loose a part of ourselves. I see no advantage in making metric prefered dictatorially over any other system. If one system is prefered, it will be used more. If some fellow wants to sell me a bunch of bananas in pounds from the same set of scales that his father used to sell bananas from then I'm fine with it. Equally, if some chap wants to sell me the same product in kilogrammes then fine too. In the event of an FC forming, I should like to see the two systems being taught across the FC and similar enlightened choice of usage. I have no problem with the UK going to kilometers for the sake of an FC, but apart from that I would see it as a friendly gesture to the EU that would probably be interpreted the wrong way. Initially, I feel it should be a local issue whether the UK uses kilometers or whether Canada continues to persist with its most unnatural practice of driving on the right. Doesn't this sound a lot more reasonable? p.s. If anybody seriously thinks that the system of 12 is unusable and that the system of 10 is the only practical system then I ask you to consider what time it is right now. [ Post a Reply to This Message ] |
| [> [> Subject: I agree that Canada driving on the perverse side of the road is more of an issue than having a quick pint down the pub | |
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Author: Ian (Australia) [ Edit | View ] |
Date Posted: 18:20:52 01/08/05 Sat [ Post a Reply to This Message ] |
| [> [> [> Subject: driving on the left | |
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Author: Andrew(Canada) [ Edit | View ] |
Date Posted: 20:49:55 01/08/05 Sat i agree that Canada should switch to driving on the left hand side of the road, but i also think it would be very expensive to change all our road systems which have been designed for driving on the right...i dont know, i'd like to see it happen, but i think there would be a lot of opposition to it because of the cost. [ Post a Reply to This Message ] |
| [> [> [> [> Subject: Just think... | |
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Author: Dave (UK) [ Edit | View ] |
Date Posted: 21:10:36 01/08/05 Sat If you drove on the correct side of the road, It would become a lot less enticing for Canadians to drive those awful American 4 wheel drive things, than to drive proper cars such as the Japanese Evos (alias Playstation cars) or the British Lotus Elise or Ariel Atom through the Rocky mountains. From my experience, there were no Mounties present to enforce those ridiculous speed limits anyway… [ Post a Reply to This Message ] |
| [> [> [> [> [> Subject: Or Australia's Holden Commodore (currently Brazil's best selling imported luxury car) | |
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Author: Ian (Australia) [ Edit | View ] |
Date Posted: 21:49:37 01/08/05 Sat [ Post a Reply to This Message ] |
| [> [> [> [> [> Subject: ah yes, the Commodore | |
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Author: Andrew(Canada) [ Edit | View ] |
Date Posted: 07:58:56 01/13/05 Thu yes the Evo and the Commodore, both well known, at least by me anyway...i would love to see Holden or Vauxhall in Canada...but if they got the Monaro to be left hand drive for the US, why cant they do that for there other cars for Canada [ Post a Reply to This Message ] |
| [> [> [> [> [> [> Subject: Holden plans... | |
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Author: Ian (Australia) [ Edit | View ] |
Date Posted: 10:28:36 01/13/05 Thu It seems the Holden plant in Melbourne produces something like 14 models (much higher than the 4 or 5 produced by other car plants in Australia) and they have plans to transfer production of some models to the US - including the Monaro, which will apparently be sold there as if it were a Pontiac. That should open up the possibility for sales to Canada too. [ Post a Reply to This Message ] |
| [> [> Subject: I don't agree | |
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Author: Jim (Canada) [ Edit | View ] |
Date Posted: 15:54:15 01/10/05 Mon Sorry folks. I appreciate your views, but I am adament that the UK should switch to kilometres. Canada could not drive on the left, it would be too confusing at the border. We will have to make an exception here. Gibraltar is in the same fix. They are very loyal and very British but they drive on the right because of their border with Spain. [ Post a Reply to This Message ] |
| [> Subject: Mon Dieu - it's already happening! | |
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Author: Dave (UK) [ Edit | View ] |
Date Posted: 00:04:09 01/16/05 Sun According to our EU treaty obligations we will have to adopt metric road signs eventually. However, the present government position is that the status quo will remain until "the majority of road users have been educated in metric". This would mean around 2010. However, in the meantime, and in spite of this assurance, behold Britain's metrication by stealth. Metric sign creep   Convert these "imperial" signs to metric and see what you get!!!    Don't have nightmares! [ Post a Reply to This Message ] |
| [> [> Subject: Too late... | |
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Author: Ed Harris (London) [ Edit | View ] |
Date Posted: 00:42:54 01/16/05 Sun The nightmares have already started. Don't turn out the lights. [ Post a Reply to This Message ] |
| [> [> Subject: Ja, it's coming | |
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Author: Ein European [ Edit | View ] |
Date Posted: 14:55:32 01/16/05 Sun Of course, and if HM's government takes too long it risks being sued by some continental lorry driver or tourist. You can't expect people to learn all sorts of silly obsolete measures just in order to be able to exercise their right to free travel and commerce inside the EU. [ Post a Reply to This Message ] |
| [> [> [> Subject: what right to free travel? | |
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Author: Ian (Australia) [ Edit | View ] |
Date Posted: 15:21:12 01/16/05 Sun Either the UK has mysteriously signed up to those parts of the Schengen agreement that relate to frontiers and thus abandoned its border controls, or Ein European is talking through his bockwurst. [ Post a Reply to This Message ] |
| [> [> [> [> Subject: Not quite | |
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Author: Ein european [ Edit | View ] |
Date Posted: 15:59:36 01/16/05 Sun Nein, the Schengen agreement exclusion means that the UK keeps the "right" to have border posts and monitor travel documents, but can't stop citizens from other EU states from entering the UK and indeed setting up residence there, provided that they have proper identification (and not even a passport can be requested, if that EU national comes from a state which issues id cards and he prefers to use it). [ Post a Reply to This Message ] |
| [> [> Subject: Metrication is in keeping with the Commonwealth | |
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Author: Jim (Canada) [ Edit | View ] |
Date Posted: 16:43:52 01/17/05 Mon Metric conversion in Britian started before joining the EU. Canada, Australia and New Zealand (and others) have gone fully metric with kilometres on the signs with no trouble. If Britain switched to kilometres (as I think they should), it would be in keeping with the Commonwealth as well as Europe. [ Post a Reply to This Message ] |
| [> Subject: Metric Time - just say no! | |
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Author: Dave (UK) [ Edit | View ] |
Date Posted: 17:33:12 01/16/05 Sun It's the future - beware!  Stop it before it's too late! [ Post a Reply to This Message ] |
| [> [> Subject: Didn't the French already try this? | |
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Author: Roberdin [ Edit | View ] |
Date Posted: 17:43:22 01/16/05 Sun And you need to stop playing in Photoshop ;-) [ Post a Reply to This Message ] |
| [> [> [> Subject: I like photoshop, leave me alone ;-) | |
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Author: Dave (UK) [ Edit | View ] |
Date Posted: 21:36:39 01/17/05 Mon [ Post a Reply to This Message ] |