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| Subject: metric is best for science, imperial is best for poetry | |
Author: Ian (Australia) | [ Next Thread |
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] Date Posted: 20:01:47 01/07/05 Fri In reply to: Jim (Canada) 's message, "UK should ditch miles" on 14:44:53 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. [ Next Thread | Previous Thread | Next Message | Previous 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 ] |