The government actually IS doing a consultation on bringing back imperial measurements!

[Kendodd]

I thought it was a joke.
AIBU to think this is a complete load of bollocks waste of money?

The questions don't even give you the option of saying just keep metric.
Example question -
For Consumers,

a) If you had a choice, would you want to purchase items:

(i) in imperial units?

(ii) in imperial units alongside a metric equivalent?

www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1079711/choice-on-units-of-measurement-markings-and-sales-consultation.pdf&ved=2ahUKEwjchIqM1pT4AhXIPsAKHWSZBW0QFnoECAUQAQ&usg=AOvVaw05usEgoqbR2NHfgE3SzAYH

The next MP who says 'We use mph and know our weight in stones and pounds' should be asked the price of a mass of items when given the price in either Imperial or metric. They could be given a calculator to help if needed.

I guess you would work out the cost of 2lb 5 ounces of apples at £1.50 a lb by 2 x £1.50 plus 5/16 of £1.50

Or 2.6 kg of apples at £1.50 a kg = 2.6 * 1.50

Which is easier?

YANBU. I'm in my mid-30's and never learned imperial measurements. It looks ridiculously complicated, is another extra cost for businesses already grappling with Brexit chaos and is named after the British Empire, which surely we should all be doing our best to leave behind.

FFS, I can't believe that they're wasting time and money on this ridiculous nonsense when so many people are really struggling.

I don't want imperial measurements back but I do want fuckwit Boris and his fuckwit government to fuck off to the far side of fuck and then fuck off some more.

I had a friend that worked in the weighing industry. Scales without metric were museum pieces in the 1980s. They may have been impossible to source in the 1970s too. What with the UK being one of the world leaders in metrology.

And you've always been free to weigh in whatever units you like as long as the sale is recorded in metric. Anyone who imagines the drinks industry submits their taxes in pints is a little bit thick. Although I do notice we are talking about Farage and his ilk, which is really a given.

The problem summed up in a single sentence, given that the general public are being given a say in this. A lot of people instinctively equate "using imperial measurements" with being able to order a pint of beer - which no doubt is how the right-wing press will promote this initiative by way of thumbing its nose at the EU - but "using imperial measurements" implies far more than this. How many people can tell you offhand how many hundredweight there are in an imperial ton? How many yards are there in a furlong? How many acres are there in a square mile? How many fluid ounces are there in a gill? How many gills are there in a pint? (Even quite a few pub-goers might struggle with those last two - which is ironic, given that gills are used for measuring spirits.) I had to learn all these obscure measures - and many more - with their insane conversion factors in primary school, and even I've just had to look them up. I thought we'd finally consigned them all to the dustbin of history. What sort of masochist would want to bring them back?

[To save anyone else the bother, there 20 cwt in a ton, 220 yards in a furlong, 640 acres in a square mile, 5 fl.oz. in a gill and 4 gills in a pint.]

Exactly this. Over 60 here. I learned £ S and d, but managed the changeover perfectly well as did DH who is 70+ so already an adult when it happened.
People who claim not to 'understand' metric are either dim, lazy or have political motives imo

[To save anyone else the bother, there 20 cwt in a ton, 220 yards in a furlong, 640 acres in a square mile, 5 fl.oz. in a gill and 4 gills in a pint.]

Right, now onto old money. Pennies in a shilling ? shillings in a pound ?

I guess you would work out the cost of 2lb 5 ounces of apples at £1.50 a lb by 2 x £1.50 plus 5/16 of £1.50

You mean £-/12s 6' ?

Or 2.6 kg of apples at £1.50 a kg = 2.6 * 1.50

What if the apples weigh between 1lb 3 ounces and 1lb 4 ounces?

I know that metric scales can be very precise. 2.456 kg

But do Imperial digital scales do exact fractions of an ounce? 1lb 4 ounces 3/25 ounce

And how the heck do you do the calculation for that at £1.50 an lb?

There's a petition against this nonsense here:
petition.parliament.uk/petitions/617540

If we went fully metric there would presumably be nothing to stop pubs selling beer in measures of 569 ml, giving everyone around an extra 0.74 ml extra over the pint they used to buy. That’s about a seventh of a teaspoon. Or 11.4 grains in weight, approximately.

Signed.

This is going to mightily confuse all the international athletes who come here for a tournament and have to limber up for the 60 yard dash.

I've 46 and I was only taught metric, so I'd say those who were taught imperial have got to be 50+

I was taught 1 mile= 1600 metres as we still measure distances in miles, but have no idea about ounces/ pounds/ stones.

Slugs anyone? 😂

Had to use these when working with Americans but was a real pain.

We started doing worksheets in imperial but they were very quickly withdrawn (after a month or two?) and it was metric only after that and we learnt all the rhymes for conversion (a litre of water's a pint and three quarters and so on). Working in a STEM field, I'm only comfortable in metric, including heights and weights. My school year were born '60-'61

@Lunar27 I was wondering when weight vs mass was going to get a look in. Which version of the once do you prefer? Or short ton vs long ton?😉

I think an MP should be asked to convert 1435.6512 kg into exact Imperial measurements.

If you read the consultation, you will see that is is only about domestic trade.

The government concede that we need to continue to use metric for international trade, and for science.

So for example they want to make a business who trades both nationally and internationally use 2 different systems? That would make manufacturing, packaging and pricing very complex. Imaging having to buy your raw ingredients in lbs and sell in kg.

We can keep our miles per hour, our 7lb babies, and our 6ft men, that won't change, but we will also need to buy our milk in pints (we may call it a pint now, but it's actually 568ml. If all factories and processing plants have to be recalibrate to pack 1 pint this surley has a large cost involved), and our food in lb and ounces.

I'm 50 and have never learnt imperial, apart from general conversational use, and wouldn't have a clue where to start.

I use both, as does nearly everyone I know. I'm 32.

Body weight - stone and pounds
Driving -miles
Cooking - grammes
Height / haircut and subway sandwiches -inches

Another load of expensive, useless shite from our PM.

😂

A tonne (not ton!) is always 1000kg for me.

Stuff the Americans, they can do one as they just make everything more complicated 😉😂

Disclaimer: any US MN'ers I love you really so just kidding!

Glad I’m not the only one realising the cost to British businesses and how that will have a knock on effect on the prices we pay for food/items. How will British businesses even hope to be globally competitive if they have to have two production measuring, packaging and labelling systems in place? Their competitors will only need one system in metric.

Signed thank you for posting the link

@Kendodd @Lunar27
Swapping the side of the road would cost far more than you'd save in buying left hand drive cars.

The obvious changes would be signs and road markings.
The acceleration and deceleration lanes on motorways and dual carriageways are different lengths. They would need changed.
Barriers are designed with the flow of traffic in mind.
Roundabouts would need altered too.
The whole thing would cost billions.

We can keep our miles per hour, our 7lb babies, and our 6ft men, that won't change, but we will also need to buy our milk in pints (we may call it a pint now, but it's actually 568ml. If all factories and processing plants have to be recalibrate to pack 1 pint this surley has a large cost involved), and our food in lb and ounces

I think some milk is sold in 'pints' - www.tesco.com/groceries/en-GB/products/252207566

It's 2 pints or 1.13 litres