When will the Irish go metric?

Sir Random

I remember when we went 'decimal' and adopted the new 100p = 1punt currency. The changeover was almost as quick as the switch to Euros, and the old pound/shilling was quickly forgotten.
So why are young Irish people still using feet & inches, pounds & ounces, acres, pints etc??? Surely schools stopped teaching those units of measurement 30+ years ago?

I am approaching 50, but I've been thinking in Kms, Kgs & Ltrs since 1972. I order my meat in gms, which my butcher (early 20's) has no problem weighing up on his dual-weight scales, but when I asked for an estimate price on a 6-8Kg Turkey, he had to convert to pounds on his calculator before calculating the price per pound. How is it that people born after 1971 are still using old measurements? Are parents re-educating their kids to use old english measurements?

Ask anyone their height and weight and how far from work they live. See how many reply in Metres, Kilos and Kms.

Genghis

I think we are definitely in an irreversible transition phase. I always think in km for speed and distance - was driving in England last week and could actually feel the difference when distances were marked miles (not km).

I would also be more inclined to think in grams and kilograms than pounds and stones. Especially for foods, and looking at nutritional information, etc.

Occassionally, in measuring smaller dimensions, I would go for inches - not sure why.

Maxwell

What do most people ask for when they go into a pub


......Pint please?

Think it will stay that way for a long time too

crosstownk

I've been using the metric system since I was a teenager but find that I have to convert everything to the old imperial system to be understood by most people. I think it's gonna take a generation or two to loose the imperial system. I'm all for the metric system. I'll always order a pint tho - I can't see my self going to the pub and asking for "500mls of plain please"!!

dahamsta

I was born in 1972 and I think in imperial by default. As far as I can see, no serious attempt was made to "metrify" until the recent conversion to kilometers. I fail to see why anyone would be surprised.

(My gf thinks in kms, but only because she learned to drive after the km conversion kicked in.)

BTW, the comparison with old money and new money, on both occasions, and metric/imperial just doesn't work. When we switched from punts to euros that was the end of the punt, so there was a psychological necessity to accept it. There's no equivalent necessity to switch to metric. Sure, we could (and will) relabel everything, but a mile will still be a mile to someone brought up to it. The conversion process for these people will take years, because of that lack of urgency/necessity.

White Rabbit

I suppose the Imperial system was designed with everyday useful quantities in mind.

Eg

handful of flour = 1oz, easier than ~ 28 grams,
John is six foot tall, not ~181 centimeters

Imperial fits more easily in day to day life, where as metric was designed with a chemistry/physics lab in mind.

Sir Random

Ken Shabby wrote:

I was born in 1972 and I think in imperial by default.

How did you learn about imperial measurement? from your parents? Were you not taught exclusively in metric measurements at school?

White Rabbit wrote:

Imperial fits more easily in day to day life, where as metric was designed with a chemistry/physics lab in mind.

People from 23 of the 25 Euro states use the metric system exclusively and have no problem with day to day issues.
You find imperial easier because you've grown accustomed to it, but in reality the metric sytem is much easier to use in day to day life (otherwise it would have been stupid to switch to metric).

I had to learn the Imperial system at school, and it's definitely not easy to add/subtract/multiply different weights or distances.

Example: what is the avereage weight of these 3 items:

#1 weighs: 5 stone, 13 pounds & 11 ounces
#2 weighs: 8 stone, 5 pounds & 6 ounces
#3 weighs: 6 stone, 8 pounds & 13 ounces

As opposed to

#1 weighs: 56.4Kg
#2 weighs: 62.1Kg
#3 weighs: 37.5Kg

Well, the metric is pretty straightforward: 56.4 + 62.1 + 37.5 = 156, 156/3 = 52.
but I have difficulty even adding up the imperial ones without pen and paper. (btw, the metric and imperial measurements I used in this example are not meant to be the same)

The same goes for Miles, Furlongs, Yards, Feet, and Inches versus Metres.

dahamsta

Sir Random wrote:

How did you learn about imperial measurement? from your parents? Were you not taught exclusively in metric measurements at school?

My memories of primary school are of a chap called Shane looking for page 3 of the redtops when we were doing art, the only medal I ever won (for the sack race), and my first fight (with a fella called Paul). I didn't know we were supposed to remember what form of measurements we were being taught in, otherwise I'd've written it down somewhere.

Pythia

I would think in imperial for heights and weights of people, metric for everything else.
I definintely remember only being taught metric in school.

ardmacha

One reason why people stick to per pound prices is that it seems cheaper, these stall holders in England that fight for the right to use imperial measure do so for that reason.

One thing really gets my goat. Now that the weather is improving you are sure to hear garbage about temperatures being "into the 80's". Yet in the wintertime you never never hear "temperatures will drop in the 20s".

EireRoadUser

Thought we weigh ourselves by stone weight ,babies are measured in pounds.
Heat output is still measured by many in BTU's not KW's
How tall are you ,I'm 5'8''

Why do we drive on the right side of the road ???

Enii

EireRoadUser wrote:

Thought we weigh ourselves by stone weight ,babies are measured in pounds.
???

Because babies generally weigh under a stone! We weigh x stone and x pounds!

If we used metric we would weigh babies in kilograms......

EireRoadUser

yes ,thats what i mean.

I don't think that system will ever change.

Sarsfield

I'm pretty sure newborn babies are measured in kgs in hospitals these days.

I always think in metric for weight (including measuring my own). But I still sometimes use imperial for lentgh. If buying a house I'd want to know the total area in square metres, but I'd measure a room for carpet in square feet.

Blowfish

Interestingly, although France has definitely gone metric, when I was there a year ago, every single supermarket still had everything dual priced in both Francs and Euro. For some reason it seems to be taking them longer than most to change over. I would guess that everything will eventually change over here, except maybe pints in pubs, as it's more of a phrase now than anything.

professore

White Rabbit wrote:

I suppose the Imperial system was designed with everyday useful quantities in mind.

Eg

handful of flour = 1oz, easier than ~ 28 grams,
John is six foot tall, not ~181 centimeters

Imperial fits more easily in day to day life, where as metric was designed with a chemistry/physics lab in mind.

Easier than 30g and 180 cm - or 1.8 m or 18 dm if big numbers scare you - I don't see it being easier. you're like my parents who still say the old pounds shillings and pence were much easier. What really gets me is that petrol prices in the media are almost always quoted in gallons - but the pump price is in litres. Makes no sense whatsoever.

Civilian_Target

I'm a physist, I think of pretty much everything in SI units. I weight ~80kg, I'm 194cm tall and I walk at a pace of 1km every 6 min. But, I still cycle in miles per hour and eat 1/4 pounders, even though I know I'm cycling at 35km/ph and eating 60 grammers

mike65

I think in both I have to say - which I use depends on whats being measured.

I have'nt thought about fahrenhiet since I was a child but still talk feet and inches at times proberly cos most people can't visualise CMs.

Mike.

Litcagral

I think the most ridiculous thing is tyre sizes which use a combination of imperial and metric:

e.g. the tyres on my car are 225/55/16

i.e. 225 millimetres wide

the side wall height is 55% of the width (55% of 225mm)

the tyre (wheel) diameter is 16 inches

RobertFoster

I can think in both, but I try to use metric mainly.

I drink litres or mililitres (very rarely centilitres) except for the odd pint (I think this is mearly a term rather than a measurement).

I used to measure my height in feet and inches, but stopped when I read a question wrong in French class and put myself down as being over 5 meters tall. They all laughed at me

Weight used to be imperial also, but I managed to switch over to metric.

Distance is definately kilometres and metres. I find it weird when I go up north and see signs in yards.

It'll probably be a while before everyone thinks in metric.

mike65

Its strange but expensive to change if metric was used to a round number the worlds wheels would all need changing.

Mike.

EireRoadUser

It's probably just the sound of it that makes the people use it.

I wouldn't ever go into a butchers and ask for 347 grams of steak please.
I'd rather ask for it in pounds.

Some people are more suited to certain phrases and words I think.

Litcagral

EireRoadUser wrote:

It's probably just the sound of it that makes the people use it.

I wouldn't ever go into a butchers and ask for 347 grams of steak please.
I'd rather ask for it in pounds.

Some people are more suited to certain phrases and words I think.

No but it would be perfectly acceptable to ask for 400g of steak. If you wished to get a gallon of petrol it would be easier to get 4 or 5 litres rather than 4.546 litres.

EireRoadUser

Each to their own I wreckon ,by the time everyone uses metric there will be some other form of calculating substance ,so I wouldn't get to bothered about it

Sir Random

I have to admit that I'm disheartened by many of the responses in this thread.

If I was still asking my butcher for "a pound and a bit" instead of 500gms of mince, I imagine that I would feel a bit embarrassed to admit it. Then again, I've always been a technophile (I loved Thunderbirds, Dr. Who, Tomorrow's World, etc) so I embrace new technology, and more efficient methods of communication (including metric measurements).

Blowfish wrote:

Interestingly, although France has definitely gone metric, when I was there a year ago, every single supermarket still had everything dual priced in both Francs and Euro.

France was always metric, along with the rest of mainland Europe (only the UK & Ireland used British imperial measurements).
As for the Euro, Finland still show prices in Marka, and Italy in Lire. Ireland was one of the first countries to fully adopt the Euro, mainly because we 'dropped' all reference to the Punt within a few weeks. Why couldn't we do the same with Imperial measurements?

I can understand why the British would want to keep using British measurements (like hanging onto the £ sterling), but surely most Irish people want to move forward as West Europeans, and leave our British past behind us?

Legally, the metric system is the only recognised measurement sytem within the EU, so why are we wasting time and energy constantly converting to and from these antiquated measurements?

Hopefully, the influx of East Europeans will help future generations to think metric, since their parents won't be confusing them with a second system of measurement.

muffler

anyone remember the Miss World contests where the lovely girls would walk about in their bikinis and we would be treated to the subtle voice of Terry Wogan telling us that the girls vital statistics (in inches) were 36-24-36.

What would the vital stats be now ........... 914-609-914

I dont think the girls would appreciate it

Sir Random

muffler wrote:

anyone remember the Miss World contests where the lovely girls would walk about in their bikinis and we would be treated to the subtle voice of Terry Wogan telling us that the girls vital statistics (in inches) were 36-24-36.

What would the vital stats be now ........... 914-609-914

I dont think the girls would appreciate it

Eh, most of the girls wouldn't understand 36-24-36, so they certainly would appreciate it!

Edit:
It would be more like 90-60-90 (cms) drool.....

Sarsfield

Civilian_Target wrote:

I'm a physist,.... But, I still cycle in miles per hour and eat 1/4 pounders, even though I know I'm cycling at 35km/ph and eating 60 grammers

Ahem, would that not be 113.5 grammers you'd be eating?

And what does a physist do? Nothing to do with equations I hope

muffler

Sarsfield wrote:

Ahem, would that not be 113.5 grammers you'd be eating?

And what does a physist do? Nothing to do with equations I hope

Good spot there sarse.

And Im not sure about this either....35km/ph :eek:

cooperguy

Maxwell wrote:

What do most people ask for when they go into a pub


......Pint please?

Think it will stay that way for a long time too

People ask for a pint because thats the way its served it would be much more of a mouthful to say can I have 568ml of bulmers.

And speaking as a young person i do use metric for most things the only thing I can think of that I dont is my height and my weight

BendiBus

cooperguy wrote:

People ask for a pint because thats the way its served it would be much more of a mouthful to say can I have 568ml of bulmers.

But most people are able to manage buying half-litre tinnies without having a mental breakdown.