# Metric Sucks! **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [February 3, 2003, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/metric-sucks/152559 "2003-02-03T19:05:20Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 11
**Author:** ![Ms2001](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ms2001/32/18463_2.png) [@Ms2001](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ms2001)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2003, 11:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/metric-sucks/152559/201 "2003-06-25T23:47:48Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by sailor \* > **Yeah, I guess that’s always a solution. Just do everything in whole inches and never deal with fractions. Of course, you cannot have anything expressed in feet either so you are pretty much restricted to objects which are not large at all. Try building the space shuttle like that.** What’s wrong with feet? I have no trouble multiplying by 12. If I were building a space shuttle, you can be sure I’d use a calculator! My point is that uneven measurements are harder to deal with than round numbers, no matter which units you use. Say your hallway is 13m long and you want a post every 17.6cm. How many posts will you need? Moving the decimal point doesn’t really help you there, because you’re not going to divide 1300 by 17.6 in your head anyway. ---
**Author:** ![tracer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tracer/32/20578_2.png) [@tracer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tracer)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2003, 1:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/metric-sucks/152559/202 "2003-06-26T01:10:20Z")
Yeah, but my calculator only has a “decimal point” – it doesn’t have a “feet and inches point” or a “fraction of an inch point”. ---
**Author:** ![WILLASS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/54ee81/32.png) [@WILLASS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WILLASS)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2003, 1:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/metric-sucks/152559/203 "2003-06-26T01:16:48Z")
I kind of get the impression that the reluctance to change measuring system isn’t really about whats better but more that peole just dont want to change. People see things like this as there heritage and will be damned if they will change for anyone else. My Grandma goes on and on about ‘bloody foreign’ measurements and things like that but I was brought up with both metric and Imperial and dont understand the fuss. Wouldn’t it just be easier to use a system that a lot of other people use (i.e metric) which is proven to be simple and is internationally recognised? Its like people arguing in Britain about not going into the single currency, I dont understand why they do, it would make life a lot easier in the long run. The argument that ‘if its not broke dont fix it’ is lost on me - thats probabley what people said about burning witches or throwing their shit out of the windows onto the street. ---
**Author:** ![WILLASS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/54ee81/32.png) [@WILLASS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WILLASS)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2003, 1:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/metric-sucks/152559/204 "2003-06-26T01:27:38Z")
Sorry another thing I wanted to add that I don’t think has come up (unless I missed it -there’s a lot to read) is how easy each system is to teach from scratch, I would imagine that metric is simpler for children to grasp (I actually speak from experience as I was taught both at school) due to the fact that its all divisible by ten. Children seem to grasp this concept quickly. ---
**Author:** ![flonks](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3ab097/32.png) [@flonks](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flonks)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2003, 7:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/metric-sucks/152559/205 "2003-06-26T07:55:33Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Mr2001 \* > \*\*Say your hallway is 13m long and you want a post every 17.6cm. How many posts will you need? Moving the decimal point doesn’t really help you there, because you’re not going to divide 1300 by 17.6 in your head anyway. \*\* In the metric system you simply divide, even if you need to use a calculator. But if you do the same thing in the imperial system and the the Hallway is 40 feet and 3 inches, and you want to place a post every 6 1/2 inches, then you need to convert the feet to inches and add the 3 inches before you divide. To sum it up: Even if you use a calcuator: Metric: 1 Division Imperial: 1 Multiplication, 1 Addition, 1 Division Amount of work x3 Even if you do that with a calculator it will take longer. ---
**Author:** ![erislover](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/71e660/32.png) [@erislover](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/erislover)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2003, 1:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/metric-sucks/152559/206 "2003-06-26T13:39:24Z")
I admire your dedication to ultimate efficiency. I’m mostly concerned that the hallway comes out ok. I don’t care if the guy devised his own personal measuring system that involves reading tea leaves: is the work done? Is it done well? Is it done how it was supposed to be? ---
**Author:** ![flonks](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3ab097/32.png) [@flonks](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flonks)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2003, 1:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/metric-sucks/152559/207 "2003-06-26T13:42:51Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by erislover \* > \*\*I admire your dedication to ultimate efficiency. I’m mostly concerned that the hallway comes out ok. I don’t care if the guy devised his own personal measuring system that involves reading tea leaves: is the work done? Is it done well? Is it done how it was supposed to be? \*\* OK, but I thought this thread was about which system is more efficient. If this is the case, then I gave you an answer. If not, then I did not get the real subject of this thread. Anyway, I think you would even deny gravity if it didn’t fit you. ---
**Author:** ![erislover](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/71e660/32.png) [@erislover](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/erislover)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2003, 1:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/metric-sucks/152559/208 "2003-06-26T13:54:20Z")
_yawn_ Yes, I am contrary just for the sake of contrariness. Thanks. ---
**Author:** ![tracer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tracer/32/20578_2.png) [@tracer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tracer)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2003, 3:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/metric-sucks/152559/209 "2003-06-26T15:47:16Z")
In that case, your username is well-chosen. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![sailor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a587f6/32.png) [@sailor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sailor)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2003, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/metric-sucks/152559/210 "2003-06-26T15:55:36Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by erislover \* > \*\*I admire your dedication to ultimate efficiency. I’m mostly concerned that the hallway comes out ok. I don’t care if the guy devised his own personal measuring system that involves reading tea leaves: is the work done? Is it done well? Is it done how it was supposed to be? \*\* With the US system the chances of mistakes are higher so the chances that the hallway does not come out OK are higher, the chances that the mistakes will cost you money are higher. But that does not matter when you consider the beauty and tradition of using the same system Jesus himself used to count his apostles. ---
**Author:** ![erislover](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/71e660/32.png) [@erislover](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/erislover)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2003, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/metric-sucks/152559/211 "2003-06-26T16:50:42Z")
**sailor** _With the US system the chances of mistakes are higher so the chances that the hallway does not come out OK are higher, the chances that the mistakes will cost you money are higher._ This would be unreservedly true if all human measurement activities were done in the US system and all people performing measurements consistenly made random errors. That’s a lot to swallow, on my part. **tracer** : no doubt! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![tracer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tracer/32/20578_2.png) [@tracer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tracer)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2003, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/metric-sucks/152559/212 "2003-06-26T19:06:19Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by yoyo3500 \* > **I like that I can slice up a foot into 3 or 4 inch increments without much stress.** Ah, but then why do fabric stores sell cloth in **eighths of a yard?** ---
**Author:** ![erislover](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/71e660/32.png) [@erislover](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/erislover)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2003, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/metric-sucks/152559/213 "2003-06-26T19:37:47Z")
Just to be contrary, of course, **tracer**! 😛 ---
**Author:** ![tracer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tracer/32/20578_2.png) [@tracer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tracer)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2003, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/metric-sucks/152559/214 "2003-06-26T20:46:33Z")
I’ll betcha in metric-speaking countries, they don’t sell fabric in eighths of a meter. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/metric-sucks/152559.md?page=10)