huh, guess there's dumb people from all over the world

[gorcorps]

So Americans have this stigma of being rather stupid by the rest of the world... Europeans mainly it seems. I was relieved to find an English woman at work who was astoundingly thick. This is a conversation I had today:

Her: <thick English accent> "Hey Brandon, how many millimeters are in a meter?"
Me: (pausing to detect sarcasm) "Uh... a thousand?"
I then feel like I came off as kind of a jerk, as my response had a very "DUH" tone to it, so I tried to lighten it up.
Me again: "Yeah, that sounds right. I'm pretty sure there's 10 millimeters in a centimeter and there's 100 of those, so a thousand seems right."
Her: "Huh, for some reason that doesn't sound right. Are you sure?"
Me: "Yeah I'm pretty sure, you can even check google."
Her: *type type type* "I guess you're right"

My initial answer took a while because I was shocked that somebody who grew up with the metric system (she's older, upper 40s) still didn't get it.

So there you go. If you meet somebody who doesn't know how many inches are in a foot, feet in a yard/mile/etc and get the feeling the whole country is retarded... rest assured there are people in other countries just as retarded in their own way.

 

[Mr. Pedantic]

This is simply another reason why we should go with metric. If people who grew up learning to count in base 10 don't know what 10x100 is, how can you possibly hope they'll succeed in Imperial?

 

[ThatsABigOne]

Metric system should be used in every corner of the planet Earth.

 

[gorcorps]

This is simply another reason why we should go with metric. If people who grew up learning to count in base 10 don't know what 10x100 is, how can you possibly hope they'll succeed in Imperial?

While I do agree that metric is the better system, and we should do more to convert to it, I think this is more proof that the imperial system isn't so much hard as there are just dumb people in general. The people that don't know the system they grew up with probably won't know it any better if it was a different system.

5280 feet equal a mile. 3 feet equal a yard. Does it make sense? Not really. Do I know it? Yes, as does anybody who grew up with half a brain and education in this country. People that don't know it would probably struggle in metric too so that's becoming a rather silly reason why metric is better.

 

[caddlad]

Google should be used in every corner of the planet Earth.

FTFY

 

[gevorg]

Metric system should be used in every corner of the planet Earth.

It is, except for Liberia, Burma and some other country.

 

[JS80]

So Americans have this stigma of being rather stupid by the rest of the world

I've always held the view Americans are the smartest and America is the best country whereas the rest of the world is stupid/old/always trying to catch up. But then against maybe it's an Asian thing.

 

[Number1]

Here in Canada, things are so much simpler since we moved to the metric time system.

See you at 9:75, 50 minutes later in Newfoundland.

 

[DominionSeraph]

http://lamar.colostate.edu/~hillger/internat.htm#united_kingdom

In the following decade, little progress was made, and it was left to European Union (EU) Directives on Weights and Measures in 1989 and 1991, which declared the metric system as the official measurement system of all member countries, to force further action on the UK. Their main effects of the EU Directives were to mandate the use of metric units for all pre-packed goods by the end of 1994, and for bulk goods to be priced in terms of metric units by the end of 1999. The government kept delaying the legislation, so the law actually came into force in October 1995. The government also interprets the requirements liberally, so that non-metric quantities are still legal, so long as their metric equivalent appears first on the label (e.g. pints of milk, ground coffee in pound packs). The transition to metric sales of loose products is already taking place. Supermarket chains are in the process of converting their scales to show prices per kg, and weight in kg. Most expect to be changed before winter, well in advance of the January deadline. Street market traders may prove more problematic.

The one significant aspect of measurement on which the UK and Ireland negotiated a derogation for which no date has yet been set is in the use of miles, yards, feet and inches for road traffic purposes. This has been misrepresented by some as a permanent licence to continue the use of imperial units in this field, or even as a bar to the use of metric units. The truth is that the UK has simply not set a date for conversion (despite the obligation to do so, albeit with no deadline set for it), and that there is no reason for UK legislation to be amended to permit more widespread use of metric units. Despite Ireland's similar derogation, they have now largely completed the conversion of distance signs, and plan to convert speed limit signs during 2004. In the UK, speedometers have given dual English-metric units for many years, and metric units are increasingly seen on signs indicating distances in metres. In addition, certain commercial vehicles where the drivers are governed by EU regulations on working hours and distances travelled (e.g. coaches and trucks) have speedometers which show km/h in large figures, with mph in smaller figures; their odometers register km only. Also, the conversion of Ireland's road signs to metric must put further pressure on the UK to eventually finish their metric transition.

So perhaps she didn't "grow up with the metric system" after all.

For stupidity, Americans are rather tough to beat.

 

[HAL9000]

She's English and 40+? then she didnt grow up with the metric system....

/Thread

 

[SolMiester]

I've always held the view Americans are the smartest and America is the best country whereas the rest of the world is stupid/old/always trying to catch up. But then against maybe it's an Asian thing.

Almost lost my coffee there....I always thought that there are too many red-necks in the US to believe that.....I would of said that the Europeans are the smartest, after all they all (well almost all) speak at least 2 languages and they are after all the continent that populated and civilised the known western world!

 

[guyver01]

She's English and 40+? then she didnt grow up with the metric system....

/Thread

:hmm:

Metric units have been taught in UK schools since the late 1960s (and exclusively since 1974),

2011 - 1974 = 37

If she's 40+ ... she grew up learning metric.

/Hal9000Fail

 

[SKORPI0]

Metrication by year map

 

[HAL9000]

:hmm:

Metric units have been taught in UK schools since the late 1960s (and exclusively since 1974),

2011 - 1974 = 37

If she's 40+ ... she grew up learning metric.

/Hal9000Fail

No she didn't, no they haven't. Ask 99% of 40+'s in the UK they won't completely understand the metric system, they may have had it mentioned in maths lessons when they were 15 but IRL they have used imperial.

I love how you think you know more about England than the English.

/guyver01Fail

 

[guyver01]

I love how you think you know more about England than the English.

Just like you come here and tell Americans how we should do stuff.

Here's something we tell you all the time.

Shut
The
Fuck
Up.


noone gives a crap what a 21 year old closet case thinks.

 

[HAL9000]

Just like you come here and tell Americans how we should do stuff.

Here's something we tell you all the time.

Shut
The
Fuck
Up.


noone gives a crap what a 21 year old closet case thinks.

Hahaha, The perfect argument for someone with no argument.

Well played. Wait no... Well trolled.

P.S. I'm 23

 

[guyver01]

Hahaha, The perfect argument for someone with no argument.

I'll just use the standard Hall9000 argument.

Well. That's how it morally should be.

 

[slayer202]

great thread

 

[HAL9000]

I'll just use the standard Hall9000 argument.

Well. That's how it morally should be.

OK.

 

[guyver01]

OK.

OK
:whiste:

 

[SKORPI0]

Metrication in the United Kingdom

In the United Kingdom, the metric system is compulsory in most, but not all, industries. The metric system had been legal for nearly a century before metrication efforts began in earnest. The government had been making preparations for the conversion of the Imperial unit since the 1862 Select Committee on Weights and Measures recommended the conversion[23] and the Weights and Measures Act of 1864 and the Weights and Measures (Metric System) Act of 1896 legalised the metric system.[24] In 1965, with lobbying from British industries and the prospects of joining the European Community, the government set a 10 year target for full conversion and created the Metrication Board in 1969. Metrication did occur in many areas during this time period, including the re-surveying of Ordnance Survey maps in 1970, decimalisation of the currency in 1971, and teaching the metric system in schools. However, no date was set for making the use of the metric system compulsory, and the Metrication Board was abolished in 1980 following a change in government.[25] The 1989 European Units of Measurement Directive (89/617/EEC) required all member states to make the metric system compulsory; however, the British negotiated certain derogations (delayed switchovers), including miles for road signs, and pints for draught beer, cider, and milk sales.[26] and because physical repackaging into rounded metric numbers could lead to reducing the quantity of goods sold for the same price.[27] It should, however, be noted that some items have been rounded up during metric changeover; for example, spirits were changed from 1/6 of a gill (23.7 ml) to 25 ml and the standard loaf from 14 ounces (396.9 g) to 400 g.

1971 was 40 years ago. Probably was being taught "metric system" by the time she entered 1st grade.

 

[guyver01]

Metrication in the United Kingdom
1971 was 40 years ago. Probably was being taught "metric system" by the time she entered 1st grade.

Careful... a 21 year old will tell you how something was done 40 years ago..

 

[HAL9000]

Careful... a 23 year old will tell you how something was done 40 years ago..

fixed

 

[zzuupp]

Just like you come here and tell Americans how we should do stuff.

Here's something we tell you all the time.

Shut
The
Fuck
Up.


noone gives a crap what a 21 year old closet case thinks.

+1

 

[CPA]

Fuck Europe.

How's Greece doing there? Or for that matter, Spain, Ireland or Portugal?