Americans can't handle the metric system

[ControlD]

I need a board cut from 3ft and 9/16 down to 2 feet and 5/8ths.

How much do I need to take off?

Well, I suppose you could just do what most people do in such situations. Get out your tape measure, put a mark at 2 feet and 5/8ths and cut it there. No math required!

I use almost all metric for my job except for a few American customers that insist on sticking with American measurements, but I have to admit when it comes to household projects I would never consider working in metric. Just doesn't feel right.

<---- pedantic challenged.

 

[vi edit]

Well, I suppose you could just do what most people do in such situations. Get out your tape measure, put a mark at 2 feet and 5/8ths and cut it there. No math required!

I don't think the common core education system allows for common sense like that.

 

[Imp]

Worst part is the jackass who decided that inches should be divided into eigths, sixteenths, and thirty-two-ths (I don't know how to add "th" to 32). Bitch to convert that to decimals.

 

[TheGardener]

You're holding up the line writing that shit!!!!

Yes, but it is the 1/10 (decimal system) of the time, that the undocumented worker, who doesn't work, takes to cash in her 6 WIC negotiable instruments.

 

[dullard]

Worst part is the jackass who decided that inches should be divided into eigths, sixteenths, and thirty-two-ths (I don't know how to add "th" to 32). Bitch to convert that to decimals.

If you have to do complicated math, you shouldn't use Imperial units. Imperial units are for uses when you don't need math or use simple math (doubling or halving for example). To double 5/32 it becomes 5/16. To halve 12/8 it becomes 12/16. Notice how math isn't required since the top number is unchanged.

If you have tasks where you need to do complicated math, then you use metric. Most people wouldn't drive around the world and most people wouldn't fly to their next-door neighbor's house. Use the right tool for the job.

(And it is thirty-seconds).

 

[TheGardener]

You could write "Three and suck me off/100 dollars". No one reads it anyway.

You are correct. When I was a kid, I worked as a bank teller. That part of the check superseded the numeric amount, if they differed. Now machines only read the numeric part. But knowing my luck, I'd get caught and shamed.

 

[Aikouka]

Want to double a receipe? No problem. Just change cups to pints, pints to quarts, quarts to gallons, etc.

Except there are four quarts in a gallon.

I need a board cut from 3ft and 9/16 down to 2 feet and 5/8ths.

How much do I need to take off?

Your problem comes across awkward to me because of the lack of units on the fractions. I assume that you're referring to the inches, but when you're doing cutting, you don't assume. Anyway, if you mean 3 feet and 9/16 of an inch to the corresponding other value, then that's simple: 11 and 15/16 of an inch. The most awkward part of that problem is just that my brain goes to mush when something is so close to a nice, even value. I'd rather just say, "Eh, about a foot."

 

[dullard]

Except there are four quarts in a gallon.

Doh, I'll correct it to half-gallon. Thanks. I was typing too fast.

 

[SlitheryDee]

I need a board cut from 3ft and 9/16 down to 2 feet and 5/8ths.

How much do I need to take off?

You need to get rid of whatever it is that you're cutting the board to fit and replace it with something metric.

 

[Humpy]

Yes, but it is the 1/10 (decimal system) of the time, that the undocumented worker, who doesn't work, takes to cash in her 6 WIC negotiable instruments.

Thanks Obama.

 

[Herr Kutz]

I'll consider moving to metric when the rest of the world moves to left hand drive and metric timekeeping instead of this 60 seconds per minute, 60 minutes per hour bs.

 

[Imp]

If you have to do complicated math, you shouldn't use Imperial units. Imperial units are for uses when you don't need math or use simple math (doubling or halving for example). To double 5/32 it becomes 5/16. To halve 12/8 it becomes 12/16. Notice how math isn't required since the top number is unchanged.

If you have tasks where you need to do complicated math, then you use metric. Most people wouldn't drive around the world and most people wouldn't fly to their next-door neighbor's house. Use the right tool for the job.

(And it is thirty-seconds).

...I was in civil engineering for a while. Most of the shit was in imperial because of legacy, couple decade old documents. Even new crap, brand new, post-2010 new builds were in imperial. They made it a point to teach us imperial units in school. I had to learn what a kip was. What the hell is a kip and how many pounds go into a kip? I don't remember anymore. I've got 0.3048 tattooed into my head because of how many times I had to convert feet to meters.

 

[KlokWyze]

It's just laziness and stubbornness.

Most people are too lazy and just roll their eyes at the thought of putting the work into changing it.

A lot of blue collar, religious patriotic ass hats, etc. are vehemently against it.

Then there are the intelligent, capable people that are for changing, but are too lazy to deal with the people that disagree.

 

[Atomic Playboy]

It's just laziness and stubbornness.

Most people are too lazy and just roll their eyes at the thought of putting the work into changing it.

A lot of blue collar, religious patriotic ass hats, etc. are vehemently against it.

Then there are the intelligent, capable people that are for changing, but are too lazy to deal with the people that disagree.

What's the argument in favor of changing? And don't just say "well everybody else uses it," because that's not a justification in and of itself. Is there some fundamental problem that is caused by the use of Imperial units in the United States? Besides smashing the occasional lander into Mars, of course. Because if there's no real reason to change, it's not laziness, it's logic. Why expend the energy and resources on something that is ultimately meaningless?

 

[allisolm]

With the chips that are now coming in credit cards I think I can write a check faster. Not only do I have to swipe a card, now I have to wait for it to tell me to shove it back into the machine, then wait for it to process, then take it back out. And depending on the purchase/retailer I have to sign a pad too.

Not to mention
Waiting for cashier - "Hey, it's waiting for you to do something."
Is the amount $46.23 correct?
Is this credit, debit, or whatever other choices they have?
Do you want cash back?
How much?
Do you have a digital account here?
If so enter your phone number to access your coupons.
Please sign here.
Are you done?

By this time I could have invented a new checking system, let alone filled out one check.

 

[lxskllr]

What's the argument in favor of changing? And don't just say "well everybody else uses it," because that's not a justification in and of itself.

Of course it is. Being with the majority simplifies industrial production, making it easier and cheaper. It's also just stupid, and makes things harder than they need to be. That's probably a large reason an architect can't mathmatically close simple geometric shapes. Using imperial is as stupid as using Roman numerals. Of course anyone could, but it's idiotic.

 

[Phoenix86]

I need a board cut from 3ft and 9/16 down to 2 feet and 5/8ths.

How much do I need to take off?

2 feet and 5/8ths.

 

[IronWing]

The Chinese would only have to make a single set of crappy, off-spec sockets instead of two.

 

[NAC4EV]

Quote:
Originally Posted by TheGardener
Yes, but it is the 1/10 (decimal system) of the time, that the undocumented worker, who doesn't work, takes to cash in her 6 WIC negotiable instruments.

Thanks Obama.

Obama must have been a visionary.

 

[Belegost]

Worst part is the jackass who decided that inches should be divided into eigths, sixteenths, and thirty-two-ths (I don't know how to add "th" to 32). Bitch to convert that to decimals.

Maybe the same jackasses that designed the computer you wrote that on...

I would be a lot happier moving to metric if it had used a dexonal (base 12) or sexagesimal (base 60) system. Decimal having only 2 and 5 as non trivial prime factors is grating when one wants to split something into thirds. I honestly think deciding on a numeral system based on how many fingers an average person has is ridiculous, perhaps it made a lot of sense for medieval Arabic scholars, but it's laughably archaic at this point.

 

[dainthomas]

Agreed. The metric system is great for scientific applications; trying to find the exact boiling point of Beryllium or figuring out how much fuel you'll need to send a Saturn V to the moon. It would be stupid to use Imperial units for those things. But for everyday activities like measuring a recipe or sawing lumber or describing the weather, the Imperial system is objectively better. 12 has more factors than 10, so feet are easier to reduce than meters. Fahrenheit is a much more useful scale than Celsius for describing the weather. The Imperial system is good for casual measurements.

So, yeah, use the metric system for science and shit; it's perfect for that. But don't mess with units that are better for common activities; that's pretty much all I'm going to be using them for.

Basically this. I'd rather tell someone I'm 6 feet tall than 1.829 meters.

Would be nice if people acknowledged both systems have their benefits.

 

[ControlD]

Maybe the same jackasses that designed the computer you wrote that on...

I would be a lot happier moving to metric if it had used a dexonal (base 12) or sexagesimal (base 60) system. Decimal having only 2 and 5 as non trivial prime factors is grating when one wants to split something into thirds. I honestly think deciding on a numeral system based on how many fingers an average person has is ridiculous, perhaps it made a lot of sense for medieval Arabic scholars, but it's laughably archaic at this point.

I have no idea what you just said, but you touched a brother's heart right there.

 

[Humpy]

2 feet and 5/8ths.

Dude, brilliant.

There was like eight dumb dumb replies to that post (including mine) until a good one popped up.

 

[Imp]

Maybe the same jackasses that designed the computer you wrote that on...

Doubtful. Those jackasses who designed my computer had to work with on/off switches.

Someone just really liked to halve things with inches.

 

[who?]

You are correct. When I was a kid, I worked as a bank teller. That part of the check superseded the numeric amount, if they differed. Now machines only read the numeric part. But knowing my luck, I'd get caught and shamed.

My bank refers to the written amount as the legal line and that's what they insist on going by.