I believe America's present economic woes go back to the Regan era. Industry wanted to metricate but the population didn't. Regan allowed industry to produce its goods in the metric world and import the goods back into the US at the expense of the American worker. Goods once produced in the US in dinosaur units are now produced elsewhere in metric. To undo the damage America must metricate.

I believe America's present economic woes go back to the Regan era. Industry wanted to metricate but the population didn't. Regan allowed industry to produce its goods in the metric world and import the goods back into the US at the expense of the American worker. Goods once produced in the US in dinosaur units are now produced elsewhere in metric. To undo the damage America must metricate.

As much as I hate the idea (I was born and raised in the English system), Bill Potts is correct. It is insanity to have two standards and we cannot change the rest of the world. Beside the Metric system is superior.

U.S. metrication may be perceived by many people as "socialism" or "government bureaucratic meddling." But, the power to make it happen is as old as the Republic. It is found in Article I, Section 8, of the U.S. Constitution, which empowers the Congress to "fix the standard of weights and measures." Also, eliminating British units would complete our Declaration of Independence. All very American!

Regarding road and highway metrication: this can be done with durable weatherproof "stickers" that can be applied over the existing speed limit and distance signs. Simple, quick, and nowhere near as costly as replacing signs. And speaking of cost, this would be a one-time expenditure that would be a drop in the bucket compared to the recent $700 billion bailouts.

Furthermore, what about schools taking the time to teach both systems? What about physics classes having to spend weeks going over SI instead of teaching coursework? What about any company that has lost business for not being able to supply their parts in metric measure (as stated, Boeing is a great example)? As a nation, we're wasting time & losing money every day that we don't switch!

@Gigabite, if you seriously believe the metric system is some kind of socialist plot, then there's no point in even addressing anything you say here. You're clearly not factoring in the thousands of companies who have to create multiple versions of their products for metric & non-metric markets, ex, Boeing lost out to Airbus because repair facilities outside of the US only have metric tools!

Okay, accuracy wasn't the best word. But inches aren't exactly convenient, especially when you get smaller than 1/16th of an inch. Like computer processors, some of which are made using a 65 nanometer process. "2.55905512 × 10-6 inches" isn't exactly a handy number.

@Totakeke, how is the imperial system "less accurate", that doesn't make a bit of sense. The only difference is the order of magnitude. metric has millimeters and imperial has inches, you just use more or less of one or the other.

"Socialist bandwagon?" That has nothing to do with the metric system. The metric system isn't some kind of kind communist plot by Europe. It's a system of measurement, an easy and logical system of measurement. It was created to be convenient and accurate, not to take over the world.

Metrication of road signs is not something that can be done gradually. The whole process of metrication has to be done on a coordinated, national basis. First, there has to be public education on the change, as vehicles become equipped with mile-kilometer switchable gauges. Then, all states have to unveil the signs on a single day. All may not go smoothly, but disruptions can be minimized.

If the US can create 700 G$ out of thin air to bail out wall street, then it can create whatever is needed the same way to pay for metrication.

Regarding the cost of converting signs, etc.: Sure, it will take a lot of work and cost a lot of money. But (1) it is a worthwhile cause, (2) it will have a positive effect on overall efficiency, (3) it will put people to work doing something useful. Isn't it better to pay workers to do something worthwhile rather than pay them to build, say, SUVs that no longer are useful to society?

the transition can be slow - signs need to be replaced on a regular basis from deterioration anyway - simply replace the old signs with bi-system signs, and then when those deteriorate, replace them with metric-only signs.

If anything, it would cost more money converting all of the schools, roads, oil refineries, gas stations, signs, bridges and god knows what else to a completely different system of measurement.

@mpalumbo, Yes because it costs $500,000 to get someone to do a 5 second conversion from meters to yards / feet. It also costs another $20,000 to convert liters to gallons. I fail to see where "millions of dollars" are coming from. It's just a poor excuse from the EU to get everyone on their socialist bandwagon.

Let's get in line with the rest of the world and use the SI as our primary measurement language here in the States. Let's see our highway distance signs and speed limits, along with public weather forecasting, be displayed in SI or modern metric system units. We will save a ton of money getting rid of archaic measurement units and be on par with the rest of the world.

I strongly support this effort. However, I have always been curious:

Can anyone estimate the cost to re-sign every road in the country? Every mile marker, "miles to exit", exit number (on highways that base exit numbers off mile markers), and speed limit sign would become obsolete.

Some may argue that it's worth the cost on principle alone. It deserves careful analysis.

NOTE ON USMA

The U.S. Metric Association (USMA), Inc., is a non-profit, national organization, founded in 1916, and dedicated to U.S. conversion to the International System of Units (also called SI, or the modern metric system). Please visit our internationally acclaimed Web site at http://www.metric.org.

Paul Trusten, R.Ph.
Public Relations Director, USMA

GiGaBiTe, your comment is uninformed at best. Metrication in the US is inevitable. Our power is measured in kilowatt hours, our bottled water & soda is done in liters. Most bathroom products are made to metric measure (my dental floss is 50 m). Film is a standard 35mm...I could keep going. It costs the US millions each year to keep our outdated system of measure. We need to finish metricating!