Owain wrote:
"Terry" wrote
Now in the UK, AFIK, you measure
distance in miles but also use litres. Confusing eh?

That's because petrol got so expensive per gallon the pumps didn't
have enough digits, so it was sold by litres, aprtly to save
replacing the pumps and partly because the gov'mint hoped that people
wouldn't realise how expensive the price per gallon was if it was in
litres.

One of the filling stations I use has a litre/gallon conversion chart
attached to the canopy uprights so you can easily work out the real cost of
the fuel. It starts at a pretty reasonable 30p/litre and goes all the way up
to a collossal 50p/litre, I used to wonder what could ever happen to cause
the price to reach that upper bound.

--
James...
http://www.jameshart.co.uk/

"Andrew McKay" wrote in message
...
Just wondering whether people still use inches or whether they've
converted to metric?

I'm still into measuring using the old imperial system - a piece of 4
by 2 sounds a whole lot better than 100 by 50

4 by 2 sounds better? Strange one. use metric, as it just is better.


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On Mon, 14 Jul 2003 23:49:40 +0100, "IMM" wrote:

4 by 2 sounds better? Strange one. use metric, as it just is better.

I guess we'll have to agree to disagree on this one. It really depends
a lot on when you went to school I think.

Andrew

Do you need a handyman service? Check out our
web site at http://www.handymac.co.uk

"Andrew McKay" wrote in message
...
On Mon, 14 Jul 2003 23:49:40 +0100, "IMM" wrote:

4 by 2 sounds better? Strange one. use metric, as it just is better.

I guess we'll have to agree to disagree on this one. It really depends
a lot on when you went to school I think.

I was brought in imperial and as soon as I was old enough to use it we
started to go metric. Metric is far, far better. When doing calcs it is so
easy. Think metric, never convert back. The problem is the country were to
go metric but stopped half way through. We buy petrol in litres, yet the
cars are rated at mile per gallon. That is very silly. Very silly. We
should go all the way to metric ASAP and finish the job off properly.


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On Tue, 15 Jul 2003 11:12:53 +0100, "IMM" wrote:


"Andrew McKay" wrote in message
.. .
On Mon, 14 Jul 2003 23:49:40 +0100, "IMM" wrote:

4 by 2 sounds better? Strange one. use metric, as it just is better.

I guess we'll have to agree to disagree on this one. It really depends
a lot on when you went to school I think.

I was brought in imperial and as soon as I was old enough to use it we
started to go metric. Metric is far, far better. When doing calcs it is so
easy. Think metric, never convert back. The problem is the country were to
go metric but stopped half way through. We buy petrol in litres, yet the
cars are rated at mile per gallon. That is very silly. Very silly. We
should go all the way to metric ASAP and finish the job off properly.


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There is a lot of truth in this. For many years I have preferred
working in metric but it wasn't until I switched to metric only tapes
that it all gelled completely.

I still think in miles though.

Interestingly, on the change to the Euro, in Ireland they switched
over completely within a very short period of time. No mention at all
now about punts (The Irish word for pound rhymes with ' bank manager
'), or pennies (Terrible freudian slip narrowly avoided. I nearly
mis-spelled that last word).

In France items are still priced in both francs and euros and people
still think in francs.

Spain is similiar. Euros and pesetas still being shown in the shops
and I know from dealing with Spanish suppliers they still think in
pesetas and do the conversion to euros in their head


Paul Mc Cann

"Paul Mc Cann" wrote in message
...
On Tue, 15 Jul 2003 11:12:53 +0100, "IMM" wrote:


"Andrew McKay" wrote in message
.. .
On Mon, 14 Jul 2003 23:49:40 +0100, "IMM" wrote:

4 by 2 sounds better? Strange one. use metric, as it just is better.

I guess we'll have to agree to disagree on this one. It really depends
a lot on when you went to school I think.

I was brought in imperial and as soon as I was old enough to use it we
started to go metric. Metric is far, far better. When doing calcs it is
so
easy. Think metric, never convert back. The problem is the country were
to
go metric but stopped half way through. We buy petrol in litres, yet the
cars are rated at mile per gallon. That is very silly. Very silly. We
should go all the way to metric ASAP and finish the job off properly.


---
Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free.
Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com).
Version: 6.0.488 / Virus Database: 287 - Release Date: 05/06/2003


There is a lot of truth in this. For many years I have preferred
working in metric but it wasn't until I switched to metric only tapes
that it all gelled completely.

I still think in miles though.

Interestingly, on the change to the Euro, in Ireland they switched
over completely within a very short period of time. No mention at all
now about punts (The Irish word for pound rhymes with ' bank manager
'), or pennies (Terrible freudian slip narrowly avoided. I nearly
mis-spelled that last word).

In France items are still priced in both francs and euros and people
still think in francs.

Spain is similiar. Euros and pesetas still being shown in the shops
and I know from dealing with Spanish suppliers they still think in
pesetas and do the conversion to euros in their head


Paul Mc Cann

I prefer imperial, but for all that I wish that we would whole heartedly
switch to metric.
I'm looking to replace my fridge freezer, though it is several years old its
capacity was measured in litres. Now as I ago around browsing I find some
stores use litres and some cubic feet, what a headache.
Incidentally I am trying to find a fridge freezer with a larger freezer than
fridge, any suggestions?
Cheers
John T

IMM wrote:

I was brought in imperial and as soon as I was old enough to use it we
started to go metric. Metric is far, far better. When doing calcs it is so
easy.

I would disagree with what you say about the decimal system being easier than
duodecimal for calculations. Think of how many numbers divide evenly into 12
and compare that with number for 10.

Unfortunately, I went through priamry school at a time when not only was the
metric system just in place but mental arithmetic and, in particular, wrote
learning of tables were completely out of favour. Thus, my maths is not up to
properly argueing the benefits of duodecimal systems over decimal systems.

IIRC (probably not!) the Summarians (sp?) had a duodecimal numbering system and
the method of time divison may be attributed to them. (Someone will no doubt
correct me on that one!)

Richard