Discussion»Statements»Rosie's Corner» "Imperial System" of measurement. Per an Ansermugger that's what Americans use. The rest of the world uses the Metric System. Why don't we?
But why weren't toolings set up metrically? The folks who left England to come to the "new world" grew up on metrics right? When was it invented? I don't get it Ele. Thank you for your reply.
We declared independence from Great Britain, went to war with them twice, dropped the u that follows the o, reversed the r and the e, replaced the -ise suffix with the -ize suffix and started driving on the right instead of the left but apparently the King's foot was just that good!
This post was edited by Livvie at May 5, 2018 3:06 PM MDT
What? A foot fetish? That's a new one on me Liv. Well it makes as much sense as anything else I guess. Thank you for your reply and Happy Saturday. That would account for the stereotypical woman loving shoes then? I'm not one of 'em. I prefer barefoot or sandals. Some guys have lots of shoes too don't they? :)
Here's why I wouldn't want to choose it---I wouldn't want to have to learn another language either.
Confusion A change to the metric system would confuse most Americans, who do not know how to use the metric system in day-to-day applications. Every application, from measurements to temperature to weights, requires a completely different formula to change from English measurement to metric. Without a quick reference, the awkward transfer will complicate even the most simple of daily transactions, such as buying gas, which would be measured in liters.
Expensive The expense of the U.S. changing over to the metric system translates into changed measurements on all packaged products, starting with food. The change would also impact housing and lot sizes, the measurement of temperatures with the new use of Celsius, and the change of mileage and speed signs. The far-reaching implications of the costs would even include vehicle production as the industry switched from miles per hour ratings to kilometers per hour.
Custom Americans, and people in general, resist change and this applies to the adaption of the metric system as well. Americans seem to embrace the philosophy that the English system works fine and has served us well for hundreds of years. Why should we fix it if it's not broken? We have used the English system since the founding of our country, although history bears out the efforts to implement the metric system in the U.S.
I don't get what would be so confusing about it, like how would it complicate buying gas? If the needle's pointing at E, you go to gas station, fill up the car and you're done when the pump shuts off.
Every application, from measurements to temperature to weights, requires a completely different formula to change from English measurement to metric.
The application to switch my smartphone or my laptop or the digital dash on my husband's car from English to metric just isn't that hard to figure out.
I think metric is just easier so I'll just have to be happy being that geeky girl who has the temperature on her smartphone set to Celsius.
This post was edited by Livvie at May 6, 2018 7:00 AM MDT
But WHY did we use it? Folks who came here to the new world from England grew up learning the metric system right? I don't get it. I'm gonna ask. Don't the Brits use metrics not Imperial? I'll Google it. Very confusing. Thank you for your reply tom and Happy Sunday! :)
Actually we use the US Customary system, not the Imperial system. People in the UK basically use the Imperial system. The measures have a lot of the same names and are close to each other but their values aren't equal. The colonists who came from England used English measures. English measures evolved into the Imperial system and the US Customary System. The metric system as we know it now wasn't invented yet.
Both the US and UK use metric for some things but I think the UK uses the metric system more than the US does. In the US only 21% of likely voters (per Rasmussen) would vote to switch to the metric system, but the WHY is just one of those mysteries in life.
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