Why are Americans still using the old imperial unit system?
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Since we always talk about power, speed, fuel consumption, weight, etc, why is the U.S. and to some extent, the U.K. still using the old imperial unit system when the rest of the world has advanced to the metric system? 
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Originally Posted by stavros' post='633304' date='Jul 26 2008, 07:32 PM
Since we always talk about power, speed, fuel consumption, weight, etc, why is the U.S. and to some extent, the U.K. still using the old imperial unit system when the rest of the world has advanced to the metric system?
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Us Brits are resistant to change...and in some things the yanks are even more so 
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Originally Posted by stavros' post='633304' date='Jul 26 2008, 05:32 PM
Since we always talk about power, speed, fuel consumption, weight, etc, why is the U.S. and to some extent, the U.K. still using the old imperial unit system when the rest of the world has advanced to the metric system?
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I have no idea. It's much simpler IMHO. Having lived abroad in several "metric" countries and spending about four months a year mostly in Asia, Latin America, and Europe, I find myself converting to the US system in my mind after first thinking metric. A gallon, oh yeah, that's about four litres. People look at me strangely when I tell them Starbucks is 75 meters left at the next street corner. I still eyeball things and think in inches, however, don't just go to centimeters for some reason. I never lost that--I guess it would sound funny to say 3/4 of a centimeter, while 3/4 of an inch just rolls off the tongue. Millimeters are another story. From watchbands to lug nuts, most of us Yanks use millimeters for those. I guess if you own certain things made outside the US, you really have no choice anyway.
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Originally Posted by stavros' post='633304' date='Jul 26 2008, 05:32 PM
Since we always talk about power, speed, fuel consumption, weight, etc, why is the U.S. and to some extent, the U.K. still using the old imperial unit system when the rest of the world has advanced to the metric system?
How is it an "advancement?"
its just a different unit of measure.
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i honestly think the us unit system is STUPID
liters and centimeters are much more accurate and temp in C is easier than F, the only reason i use it is because i live here
liters and centimeters are much more accurate and temp in C is easier than F, the only reason i use it is because i live here
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Originally Posted by i<3e60' post='633402' date='Jul 27 2008, 08:24 AM
i honestly think the us unit system is STUPID
liters and centimeters are much more accurate and temp in C is easier than F, the only reason i use it is because i live here
liters and centimeters are much more accurate and temp in C is easier than F, the only reason i use it is because i live here
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Originally Posted by i<3e60' post='633402' date='Jul 26 2008, 10:24 PM
i honestly think the us unit system is STUPID
liters and centimeters are much more accurate and temp in C is easier than F, the only reason i use it is because i live here
liters and centimeters are much more accurate and temp in C is easier than F, the only reason i use it is because i live here
now is your disdain because you are still being tested on these differences and conversions in school??
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Britons need to feel special: hey, they are english, they are 20 km far from the rest of Europe!
Try to figure out if German and French people wanted the same, what a confusion!
I drove in UK for about 2000km and one of the things I understand is that the mile is too big! 1.6 km, too much: when you have to exit from the motorway you see 3/4 mile, 1/4 mile etc.. Here instead you have : 1 km, 500m, 250m .
Only the yard is acceptable.. It is a little meter.. 0.91 meter.
Inches are too big too, 2.5 cm .
Try to figure out if German and French people wanted the same, what a confusion!
I drove in UK for about 2000km and one of the things I understand is that the mile is too big! 1.6 km, too much: when you have to exit from the motorway you see 3/4 mile, 1/4 mile etc.. Here instead you have : 1 km, 500m, 250m .
Only the yard is acceptable.. It is a little meter.. 0.91 meter.
Inches are too big too, 2.5 cm .