Imperial measures making a comeback - for or against?

[the other bob wilson]

The anti Tory part of me says that that is just more typical Johnson type populism designed to cash in on the generally positive feeling of the public towards the Queen at a time when he and his Government are under pressure - it’s cheap, will get plenty of positive headlines and they can label it as an indication of Brexit in action.

On the other hand, the non partisan part of me can’t get too wound up about it either way. I thought this was because I’m old enough to remember the time before metric measurements and, truthfully, although I understand how much 400 grams is and how far a metre is, my first instinct is still to think in terms of pounds and ounces and feet and inches. I did think though that anyone under the age of, say, 55 would find a return to imperial measures a problem, but the bloke there to defend the change on the phone in I was just listening to made the good point that in football people of all ages still think very much in terms of yards, feet and inches and it’s always inches when you’re talking about things like television screens.

My feeling is that this is just a typical Johnson Government story which will be consigned to the dustbins over the coming months, but I wouldn’t be up in arms if they did push ahead with it.

[Rjk]

Re: Imperial measures making a comeback - for or against?

as one of the aforementioned under 55s I think it's a pointless waste of time, a backwards step just intended to please a few older brexiteers.

[Wales-Bales]

Re: Imperial measures making a comeback - for or against?

They never went away.

[Taffy Blue in Berkshire]

Re: Imperial measures making a comeback - for or against?

someone has seriously got their priorities wrong.

we're on the verge of WW III, a global humanitarian, energy, economic crisis and serious hardship for families and this baffoon and his privileged cronies are talking this rubbish.

[BLUETIT]

Re: Imperial measures making a comeback - for or against?

They never went away.

^^^^^^^^^^THIS^^^^^^^^^^

[Rjk]

Re: Imperial measures making a comeback - for or against?

They never went away.

not entirely, but many of them are pretty arcane to anyone my age or younger.

like everyone knows what a pint is or a half, but equally a litre /half litre etc are equally understood.

pounds and ounces are pretty obscure to the younger generations, but stones (specifically to express someone's weight) are surprisingly stubborn.
likewise feet, inches and thou aren't used at all frequently unless it's describing someone's height (or other body part)
even with these I've seen younger people starting to favour kgs and metres for weight and height

to go back to impreial measurements now is only going to prolong this awkward half way adoption of the metric system for more generations, with no real benefit.
I'd be more in favour of fully adopting the metric system than this

[JamesWales]

Re: Imperial measures making a comeback - for or against?

I couldnt care less - The EU should never have attempted to impose changes on things like this, which are cultural and also practical, but I think they realised that themselves, and as has been mentioned, if you go to any market, you'll routinely see measurements in imperial.

Like most people, I use both - heights always in feet and inches. Temperature always in celsius. Distance in metres and centimetres. Speed in miles, weight in stones. I run in kilometres.

I think if someone wants to display things in just imperial thats fine, and also in just metric if they so wish.

As with the blue passports, this is red meat for a small number of very pro brexit people and also the story is red meat for a small number of rabidly anti-brexit people too.

[IanD]

Re: Imperial measures making a comeback - for or against?

More distraction from Partygate, exporting migrants to Rwanda and tax increases. Imagine the cost of converting petrol stations to deliver fuel in imperial gallons, alone. All the additional paperwork needed to import and export to mainland Europe. Apart from pints, I'm of the older generation and fully metric these days. Long may it remain.

[Eric the Half a Bee]

Re: Imperial measures making a comeback - for or against?

It's always the same when you change things, you'll find people who are resistant to it.

A metric system is far easier to use and calculate. Few people under 40 will have much experience of calculating imperial measurements; they barely know any more other than what a mile, pint and feet and inches are.

One more generation of metric could wipe out pointless imperial measurements for good. Barely any other country in the world uses them and even many Americans would prefer to adopt metric.

But it's all about appeasing the older generation, who believe things were better before metric units came in, before decimalisation, before the EEC etc. Utter bollocks.

[Joe Gillis]

Re: Imperial measures making a comeback - for or against?

Labour idea....Well, I can see positives and negatives for this proposal.
Tory idea... F@ckingTories!!!!!!!!
I thought we had a politics board for this Citizen Smith drivel.

[Rjk]

Re: Imperial measures making a comeback - for or against?

Labour idea....Well, I can see positives and negatives for this proposal.
Tory idea... F@ckingTories!!!!!!!!
I thought we had a politics board for this Citizen Smith drivel.

a shit idea is a shit idea, especially when the motivations for it are transparently nothing to do with any benefit it will bring to the country

[JamesWales]

Re: Imperial measures making a comeback - for or against?

a shit idea is a shit idea, especially when the motivations for it are transparently nothing to do with any benefit it will bring to the country

It will basically just treat the two measurements equally. It wont change much at all. It's largely a non story, but it's culturally a fair thing to do.

I would be amazed if there is any cost whatsoever to business as a result

[JamesWales]

Re: Imperial measures making a comeback - for or against?

More distraction from Partygate, exporting migrants to Rwanda and tax increases. Imagine the cost of converting petrol stations to deliver fuel in imperial gallons, alone. All the additional paperwork needed to import and export to mainland Europe. Apart from pints, I'm of the older generation and fully metric these days. Long may it remain.

None of that will happen, because it's a total non story. Don't get worked up by it!

[lardy]

Re: Imperial measures making a comeback - for or against?

Let's go back to groats and florins.

[Taunton Blue Genie]

Re: Imperial measures making a comeback - for or against?

Going more metric makes sense. However, I know that many on here would prefer to still be using threepenny bits and and half crowns.