Stathol wrote:
The U.S. probably would have successfully switched over to metric for day-to-day, non-scientific purposes if it had been done right. The problem is that when the metric system was first introduced, it wasn't fully embraced by the consumer goods manufacturers. They kept producing things in even imperial units, but labeling them with their odd exact metric equivalents. Thus a 16 oz package of whatever became a "453.6g" box. This left people with the impression that the metric system was "weird".
Which is an irritating but compelling argument for government policy being useful. I don't believe any country has switched to metric without government mandating the use of metric, at least in all dealings with government.
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Obviously, that's not how it's done in countries that have converted to metric. No one has 64.373 kph speed limits.
Typically we have 50kph, 80kph, or 100kph as standard speed limits for roads, highways, and large freeways respectively. 40kph is the standard school zone speed, and some oddball 4+ lane city streets might have 60 or even 70kph speed limits in one-off scenarios.
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You don't order a 283.5g steak.
No. We order a 6 oz. or 8 oz. steak. Grams never made its way into this usage here.
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Had everyone decided to start producing things in nice, round, metric amounts, it probably would have worked. I.e., they should have sold 450g boxes with "(approx 16oz)" beside it -- dropping the imperial at later date -- instead of what they did. In those few cases where it was done correctly, no one complained. For instance, large soft drink bottles in the U.S. are ubiquitously sold as 1L, 2L, 3L, etc. even now.
This is what was done here.
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