Why is it that most of the world went on to accept the Metric System of measurem

1. 71

   Tusitala Tomposted 14 years ago

   Why is it that most of the world went on to accept the Metric System of measurements, but the...
   
   United States, has stuck by the old hards, feet and inches; tons, pounds and ounces of the past.    As an older man, I still 'think' in terms of these older measurements, though Australian, and though the Metric System has been in place here for decades, but that's no excuse.  Why is America so conservative in this?

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2. 61

   Merlin Fraserposted 14 years ago

   Don't leave us in Britain out of the loop.  Personally I think Britain won't fully accet the metric system is because it was invented in France and we don't really like the French !
   
   Seriously though, it is probably more of an ecconomic and business expense thing.  Just try to calculate the cost of re calculating all the road distances and changing all the road signs.
   
   Any manufacturing company whose products are sold by weight would have to scrap and then install new weighing and packing equipment all the way from individual packets to shipping cartons and pallets.

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3. 61

   Lovesloveposted 14 years ago

   I sew quite a bit and when buying material I always ask for 'YARDS ' the assistant always corrects me,bnut I cannot help being old and difficult to convert !! I do know that there are 39 inches in a metre  but I still stick to feet and inches .....cooking? well if the recipe is in metric with no conversion table then ive had it......dont get made !!

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4. 71

   Tusitala Tomposted 14 years ago

   Hi, again, Merlin,
   
       I didn't realize the Brits still kept the old system.   I was brought up in England, with its pounds, shillings and pence (20 shilling the the pound, four half-crowns, twelve pence in the shilling and all that stuff.   Calculations are that much easier when all you have to do is add a naught or move a decimal place.   Still, I visualize still in feet and inches.  A six foot man is tall, a five-foot-sixer is shorter than average, et cetera.
   
   Australia simply left its old milestones signs to moulder away and put up the new metric ones beside them.
   
   Loveslove, I can emphasise.   After all, I saw my oldest grandson attempt to drink 'a yard of beer' at his 21st birthday.   A 'metre of beer' just doesn't have the same ring to it.

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5. 58

   Beege215eposted 14 years ago

   Conservative has nothing to do with it. Mostly it is the cost, the almighty buck as it were.  Then of course you would also have to consider the general laziness of the population who just don't have a clue and don't want one.
   Conversion is expensive and the bigger need for re-education adds just another demension to the expense. People and corporations are not willing to deal with that even to match the rest of the world. 
   Then too you have the American attitude which simply stated is "if they want uniformity, let them all do it our way."

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