Metrication

[David]

Kathryn wrote:

> lol - yeah right (insert significant amount of sarcasm there)
> Technically the UK is metric (and it's illegal to give prominance 
to
> imperial measurements over metric when selling stuff, but OK to 
use both)
> but I couldn't tell you how much I weigh in kilos or begin to 
guess at my
> height in metres. I estimate distances in feet (or miles), my 
dad's car
> takes gallons of fuel and travels in mph. I buy stuff from the 
deli in
> quarters and halves (of a pound). etc etc. 

Yes, me too, mostly.  Anything to do with motoring really *has* to 
use miles because all the road signs use them, both for distance and 
speed.  But I do think in litres of petrol (gasoline) because that's 
how they're sold now.

I do know roughly what a kilo or a metre is in practical terms too, 
so while I couldn't say if I'm 1.7m or 1.8m tall I know I'm 
something under two metres.  And I did all my science education in 
SI - to the extent that I wince when I hear people talk of 'degrees 
Kelvin'.

But my kids have been much more thoroughly indoctrinated, and have 
no real notion of feet and inches, or pounds and ounces.  So things 
are changing.  I think, to be honest, that the 'metric martyrs' 
(shopkeepers who break the law by selling in imperial units) are 
wasting their time since their clientele will die out soon.

David