Nostalgic 70's thought ... The Metric System

[Mikey]

Back in the 70's I remember a big push toward the metric system in school...
I'm guessing this was around 1974-1978-ish ... then nothing.
I still remember the teach saying America would be fully metric by 1985

What happened ?

[saildog]

This should be an interesting read for you, Mike.

Metrication in the United States - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

[Raydeen1]

We use both every day at work. It's actually rather annoying. I'd prefer one or the other.

[stuart]

I teach 6th grade math and the metric system is much easier to teach. The big problem is that the kids can't visualize these non-familiar units.

[UnderdogDJLSW]

I remember we had half an hour each day learning the metric system one year. After all of that I wish they would have switched. lol

[BlackKnight]

Yeah...,

" How Much for a Royale with Cheese ? "

[saildog]

Yeah...,

" How Much for a Royale with Cheese ? "

http://filmic.files.wordpress.com/2007/08/pulp_fiction-bible.jpg

Julius: "What do they call a Whopper?'

Vincent: "I don't know....I didn't go into Burger King."

[david_b]

There was a cheap PBS show, from Canada I believe.., called 'The Metric System'. It had some sketch comedy around using the metric system, and was on around '75/'76. We'd watch it in gradeschool a few times a week.

david_b

[fallensaviour]

Back in the 70's I remember a big push toward the metric system in school...
I'm guessing this was around 1974-1978-ish ... then nothing.
I still remember the teach saying America would be fully metric by 1985

What happened ?

Up yours...LOL
I remeber the metric system came into affect when I was in grade two or three...It screwed me up to this day.
I know a little of both when you talk to old people everything is standard and when you talk to people younger than myself its all metric.They have no idea about the other.
Then if I ever go to the us I'm screwed all over again!!!
Get with the program you slowpokes and join the rest of the world for crying out loud,85 was like 24 years ago how long does it take you guys to learn something..

[jds1911a1]

Will you lmnopen the door?

- Dan Akroyd in the DECABET skit

[Gorn Captain]

The metric system is much easier.
I know a lot of people don't believe it, but it is.
Come on guys? Feet and inches?
How about thumbs and elbows?

"I weigh 11 stone?"
Then how about "I weigh 72 bricks?"
"I weigh two German Shepherds and one Jack Russell?"

Even on Star Trek, the metric system is used.
We have adapted to the Euro, and it didn't kill us. And the Euro is basically like a Dollar.

Isn't it logical to use divisions in "tens" and "hundreds", instead of feet?
Take the leap and join us!
It makes sense. Mr. Spock uses it!

[SlipperyLilSuckers]

We changed to metric when I was young, but my folks continued to talk in Imperial so that made things a bit confusing.

[Adam West]

I can remember clearly that we were learning conversions in 8th grade and the science teacher saying we better learn it because we're going to be converting. That would have been early 1980's.

I remember asking if the metric system was based on 10's and that it was completely logical than what was the proposal for changing the calendar?

It is simple stubborness that keeps us from changing. The U.S. has tried unsuccessfully for years to try to get us to use coins instead of bills since they last longer. I found it very unusual when I was in Europe just as it was changing to the Euro and I specifically remember Germany as being one country where they would hand you the equivalent of a $20 coin and it just seemed unnatural for me. They have tried everything from the Silver Dollar, Susan B., Sachacawega, Presidential Dollars just to use a $1 coin but nothing seems to work. It seems like the only demand for the $1 coins are with collectors.

[Mikey]

But when Europe changed, they did it a whole different way then they would in America.

If i'm remembering correctly they even jailed a few shopkeepers who refused to convert.

If the US does not use strongarm dictatorial tactics like Europe, the people won't change.

And i'm glad that wouldn't happen here

[Gorn Captain]

If i'm remembering correctly they even jailed a few shopkeepers who refused to convert.

Seems unlikely.
If a shopkeeper refuses to "convert", he'll be in trouble because his customers only have euros te spend.
In a way, he'd ruin his own business.

It's like saying: "I only accept gold dubloons."
Well, it's your right to do so, you just won't get too many customers.

Oddly enough, many Americans think Europe is a totalitarian state....
Or a communist state.

The only downside to the conversion is this: a Euro is/was worth about 40 Belgian Franks.
A lot of people get confused, because one Euro sounds a lot less than 40 Franks. So 2.50 Euro sounds cheap, 100 Franks sounds expensive, but it's the same. I think we spend more that way, because the amount sounds less. And older people get confused, too.

As a matter of fact, as the Euro is closer to the Dollar, your "conversion" would be a lot less drastic.
Join us!

Or let's split it:
you go metric, and we'll go dollar!