Metric & imperial road signs...

squerble · 16 Feb 2015 at 13:52

Article: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-29965935

Well, it's a step in the right direction, even though they should have just made them metric only! Considering all car handbooks show dimensions in millimetres it seemed crazy we'd continue having signs with just imperial units on there. Just got to wait another 20 years until we finally switch to kilometres everywhere.

Rilot · 16 Feb 2015 at 14:55

I wish they'd just go the whole hog and switch to metric for everything.

Rroff · 16 Feb 2015 at 15:00

Rilot said:
I wish they'd just go the whole hog and switch to metric for everything.

I work interchangeably with both systems and I wouldn't want to lose either of them TBH there are times when one is much easier or more appropriate to work with than the other and vice versa. Miles v kilometres is a funny one though - miles just has as more "organic" pleasantness to it for want of a better way to describe it even though for distances like that metres often makes more sense - wouldn't even notice if yards disappeared though.

ttaskmaster · 16 Feb 2015 at 15:14

I'd rather have both than lose imperial.
I use both, depending on what's being measured. A lot of the Network Rail stuff is designed around yards and chains, which just looks stupid in metric.

squerble · 16 Feb 2015 at 15:19

I'd argue that the kilometre has the most pleasantness to it, due to the fact if you have a 6.5km journey, that's 6500m (or more to the point, the .5km represents 500m). If you have a 6.5 mile journey, that's 6 miles and 880yds. As it's a logical unit (based on 1000s) it's much easier to work with.

acemastr · 16 Feb 2015 at 15:21

Miles for distance, millimeters for measuring.

Rroff · 16 Feb 2015 at 15:21

squerble said:
I'd argue that the kilometre has the most pleasantness to it, due to the fact if you have a 6.5km journey, that's 6500m (or more to the point, the .5km represents 500m). If you have a 6.5 mile journey, that's 6 miles and 880yds. As it's a logical unit (based on 1000s) it's much easier to work with.

Thats the thing though - I will often go 10 miles then once under a mile swap to (100s of) metres not yards :S it just feels more natural somehow than using either KMs or yards lol.

EDIT: Might partly be from when I used to do running at school and can easier guess/visualise 100m, 400m, etc. than equivalent yards.

squerble · 16 Feb 2015 at 15:22

Rroff said:
Thats the thing though - I will often go 10 miles then once under a mile swap to (100s of) metres not yards :S it just feels more natural somehow than using either KMs or yards lol.

Surely it's just because of speed limits/speedometers (dominant unit) using miles for measurement?

ttaskmaster · 16 Feb 2015 at 16:11

Rroff said:
Might partly be from when I used to do running at school and can easier guess/visualise 100m, 400m, etc. than equivalent yards.

Strangely, I haven't a clue how far XYZ feet is, but I am pretty precise with yards.

squerble said:
Surely it's just because of speed limits/speedometers (dominant unit) using miles for measurement?

Most people seem to work better if you send them on a 'mile and a half' run than a 'two comma four' in kilometres. They also seem to equate heights better as difference in single inches is more noticable than cm.

I think also imperial works better for some people if their own body dimensions suit - My booted foot is a pretty exact 12" as is my elbow-to-wrist measurement, my hand-span is 9", index finger to first knuckle (and also thumb width) is 1", etc etc. All over me are fairly precise measures and they all equate better in imperial.

sovietspybob · 16 Feb 2015 at 16:22

I wish everything was metric, i've never once thought anything in imperial was easier or better in any way. I know so many people are stuck in their ways about this and i doubt it'll ever change over fully in the UK.

George Hincapie · 16 Feb 2015 at 16:31

sovietspybob said:
I wish everything was metric, i've never once thought anything in imperial was easier or better in any way. I know so many people are stuck in their ways about this and i doubt it'll ever change over fully in the UK.

It's not about people being stuck in their ways. There's nothing wrong with Imperial measurement. If it's not broken, don't try to fix it.

sovietspybob · 16 Feb 2015 at 16:36

George Hincapie said:
It's not about people being stuck in their ways. There's nothing wrong with Imperial measurement. If it's not broken, don't try to fix it.

Nothing wrong with it apart from it being a lot more complicated for no reason.. If someone had never seen either and you showed them both they'd think you were some sort of mentalist for wanting to use any form of imperial measurement.

Dogbreath · 16 Feb 2015 at 16:41

sovietspybob said:
Nothing wrong with it apart from it being a lot more complicated for no reason.

The whole point is that it's a lot less complex if it's what you already know.

George Hincapie · 16 Feb 2015 at 16:46

sovietspybob said:
Nothing wrong with it apart from it being a lot more complicated for no reason.. If someone had never seen either and you showed them both they'd think you were some sort of mentalist for wanting to use any form of imperial measurement.

If you feel so strongly why don't you petition the PM to change it? I believe you can create an e-petition here: http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/

Set one up and publicise it via social media. If you can get enough support then they might look at it.

Good luck.

Westyfield2 · 16 Feb 2015 at 16:59

I need imperial. I don't have a clue how wide or high my car is in metric.

Yaayuh! · 16 Feb 2015 at 17:06

Are they going to replace signs with a single sign with both? Or double up? Because IMO we have far too many road signs as it is.

Edit: Just seen the picture at the bottom which has both on a single sign.

Rilot · 16 Feb 2015 at 17:32

I'm sure that as people who were brought up on imperial gradually die, we will inevitably switch over to metric. People in their 50s+ were taught imperial at school whereas people in their 30s weren't. I'm 39 and couldn't tell you how many yards are in a mile.
I have the added incentive that my Mrs is Polish and has no idea what a mile, foot or yard is at all.

squerble · 16 Feb 2015 at 17:50

ttaskmaster said:
Most people seem to work better if you send them on a 'mile and a half' run than a 'two comma four' in kilometres.

"Two comma four". Only European sadists use commas as a delimiter and not as grouping. We sensibly use £1,000.52, whereas Europe uses €1.000,52 - bonkers

miniyazz · 16 Feb 2015 at 19:07

sovietspybob said:
Nothing wrong with it apart from it being a lot more complicated for no reason.. If someone had never seen either and you showed them both they'd think you were some sort of mentalist for wanting to use any form of imperial measurement.

That's not really the case though. The metric system is based on base 10. This makes it simple and easy to do a limited amount of maths with it. The Imperial system however is in many instances easier to do more complex calculations quickly.

For example, what is 10 divisible by? 2 & 5
What is 12 divisible by? 2,3,4,6

The current system is totally dysfunctional. Measuring speed in mph and stopping distances in metres (and SI unit being m/s). Measuring fuel in litres & economy in mpg. Beer in pints and every other drink in ml. Then throw into the mix the Americans with their ridiculous gallon measurements..

The system needs an overhaul.. but I like using miles, and I don't want to use kilometres. I also like metres, and dislike yards. Inches and cm/mm are all useful. Pounds and stone I like although I'm also happy with Kg.

So in conclusion, leave things as they are, we cope

squerble · 17 Feb 2015 at 11:12

You just complained of the mess we're in but then say leave it as we are? xD we're left in a pool of countries with US, Libya and Myanmar of countries that haven't gone metric. Just those.

Metric is just nicer because it's all base 10. Just to go up the measurements in imperial you go in 12/3/1760 (for length/distance for example). There's no consistency.