This came up on my Twitter feed.
https://beisgovuk.citizenspace.com/opss/measurements/
Not choice of metric only, or even metric alongside a imperial.
This is JRM at his worst.
Did anyone even know this was happening?
Are trying to get it through as "that's what the people asked for"
Just having a look at the survey. It's been designed to be as confusing as possible.
I'm 40 years old and have spent my life using metric calcs, I wasn't taught imperial in school. I even convert miles into KM in my head
Imperial is f***ing backward
Give it another 5 years and we'll be bartering with chickens and shiny beads and the official units of measurements will be tabloid endorsed.... football pitches, double decker buses and how many of something you need to put on top of one another to reach the moon
Have written an appropriately distainful response to that load of shite
Can only assume there must be some (more) actual (bad) news on the way.
What a load of... do my best to answer honestly...
What would be the consequences of your business having the freedom to sell products in imperial measures, if you wished?
Please respond here:Can confuse customers
Can sneak price rises in
Can make mistakes and have to reprint labels prices
Can make a few old fogeys happy while reminiscing about the war
what a load of shit!
Of all the things for our government to be expending time and energy on.
Have written an appropriately distainful response to that load of shite
The trouble is it's a consultation, not a referendum.
In a referendum if 52 people say it's a good idea and 48 think it's bad then it goes ahead.
A consultation on the other hand is just to be sure you've considered all the facts. If 99 people say it's a bad idea, and 1 thinks it's good. Then as long as the proposer is already well aware it's a bad idea then it goes ahead.
It is such a loaded and poorly put together survey. It makes it very difficult to actually say you hate the idea.
Q3a asks: If you had a choice, would you want to purchase items i) in imperial units: ii) in imperial units alongside a metric equivalent?
Where is the third option? iii) Metric only.
I'm 44 and I wouldn't have the first clue what imperial measurements are. It frustrates me that we even use miles on the road.
It would be an easy way for shops to charge more for less. I bet 2 shillings and sixpence that a 2lb bag of sugar would cost the same as a 1kg bag of sugar currently does.
Responded. I did get a bit sweary there.
I quite enjoyed venting my spleen in the haunted pencil's direction. What an awfully constructed survey, I enjoyed pointing that out too.
Lunch over, back to doing something useful.
Edit; Me too kayla1!
NOTE FOR YOUNG PEOPLE AND AMERICANS: One shilling = Five Pee. It helps to understand the antique finances of the Witchfinder Army if you know the original British monetary system:
Two farthings = One Ha'penny. Two ha'pennies = One Penny. Three pennies = A Thrupenny Bit. Two Thrupences = A Sixpence. Two Sixpences = One Shilling, or Bob. Two Bob = A Florin. One Florin and One Sixpence = Half a Crown. Four Half Crowns = Ten Bob Note. Two Ten Bob Notes = One Pound (or 240 pennies). Once Pound and One Shilling = One Guinea.
The British resisted decimalized currency for a long time because they thought it was too complicated.
Neil Gaiman & Terry Pratchett
I mean, jebus ****ing wept, the only people who will actively want this would be dead by the time it passed into law. Actually, thinking about it, the lords'd probably boot it out, wouldn't they?
It's just Rees Mogg playing up to his dickhead crowd. Either ignore or purposefully **** it up, but it won't have any practical effect.
Where is the third option? iii) Metric only.
It is pretty much a textbook example of a biased questionnaire isnt it?
How to guarantee everyone wants at least some imperial rubbish.
Still I guess it will be good to get a brexit benefit at last. How pleasing it will be to drink a pint looking at the crown engraved on the glass next to 1 PINT and none of that funny metric stuff.
Filled it in. The words, "moron", "moronic", "confusing", "idiotic", and "colonial ****erism" may have made a few appearances.
It would be an easy way for shops to charge more for less. I bet 2 shillings and sixpence that a 2lb bag of sugar would cost the same as a 1kg bag of sugar currently does.
Dint this already happened when bottles of beer went to 500ml from a pint?
I spent a few minutes trying to explain to a visiting colleague and his wife earlier the BREXIT reasons, process, outcome, and -er- “benefits”. I gave up due to the bewilderment it seemed to induce.
Surely despite his faux-Victorian leanings JRM is too young to have been taught or reasonably used these hilarious ‘imperial’ measures? He’s younger than me (says Wikipedia)! Though I assume he’s never had to read American publications and had to figure out wtf that means in regular units. This is more distraction BS
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metrication_in_the_United_Kingdom Was fascinating.
Anyone have an idea how much this absolutely ludicrous "consultation" process will cost?
I did like the question about regulatory cost/benefits. I might be being picky here but isnt that their job to provide that information to us?
Anyone have an idea how much this absolutely ludicrous “consultation” process will cost?
I suspect more to the point it’s be interesting to know which Tory doner/friend is being paid….
Apparently that consultation's been running since 3rd June and closes on 26th August. Didn't know anything about it. FFS, give them an inch and they'll take a mile.
I'll do a response but likely to be very ranty and sweary too. And that's just thinking about the metric/imperial ****ery in cycling let alone general society.
I did like the question about regulatory cost/benefits.
I filled it out for a laugh but tried to keep it sensible.
My point of view is that being forced to use imperial actually increaces costs as a conversion process has to take place.
I'm all for letting the market decide (in this instance), so if you want to sell your speaker cable in furlongs, or quote the depth of your hot tub in fathoms, crack on, but you should have to quote metric as a mandatory requirement.
is that actually a real survey. how shit is the world right now. no wonder almost every young person I know is on antidepressants*
*slight exaggeration but not as slight as I would like it to be
I filled it in, obviously totally pro-metric. I worry that, from @euain's post, the key purpose of the re-introduction of Imperial is the following:
Can confuse customers
Can sneak price rises in
Pretty sure that both of these would be seen as a benefit by many businesses.
Have written an appropriately distainful response to that load of shite
^ that
My point of view is that being forced to use imperial actually increaces costs as a conversion process has to take place.
Yes at best it would be cost neutral and even that is unlikely. If you allow people to weigh in imperial then trading standards and co would need to have calibrated weights for imperial as well.
Just think of the fun of trying to compare prices as well when shop is in imperial and the other in metric.
I did say I didnt like this new fangled rubbish and asked why we couldnt go for the Winchester standard instead.
Junior in Berlin has been waiting for his Brompton to be fixed for weeks because some bolts are on order from Brompton who for some reason don't use normal metric bolts in their hinges.
You can add that to the advantages, having exclusive UK specific parts you can charge foreigners a fortune for.
This will probably go away once we have a new PM as frankly it’s bloody stupid and there are other things they’ll want to spend the parliamentary time on.
If there is any God then JRM will be a long way away from a cabinet post…
Filled it in, they may be aware I'm not a fan of returning to the dark ages. I loved all the questions about the benefits of going imperial, I just replied there were no benefits, just costs. I may have included the words nuts, tosh, nationalistic populism and a few other choice non-sweary words in there. I did say I was happy for my responses to be published, I'm not holding my breath.
once we have a new PM as frankly it’s bloody stupid and there are other things they’ll want to spend the parliamentary time on.
Are you sure about that? the conservatives seem to like making a lot of noise about non-issues whilst they push through the nasty stuff in the background, it's thier M.O. They have form.
You can add that to the advantages, having exclusive UK specific parts you can charge foreigners a fortune for.
Or they will just buy conor city bikes...totally bog standard, everyone has parts for them.
The only special thing about Bromptons is the astronomical cost, hahah!
Filled in the survey. Whoever compiled that should be ashamed of themselves.
I don't see the point of being all sweary and ranty when you fill it in, your responses will be treated much like we treat comments from swivel-eyed loons here, but I did make my points very clear and direct, not that it'll make any difference.
Reminds me of those questionnaires from the likes of the UK Fuel Alliance or whatever they're called.
FFS, give them an inch and they’ll take a mile.
Deserves credit
tobago - sorry to disappoint; there clearly isn't a God as ree-smug is, apparently, being touted as housing minister.
FFS, give them an inch and they’ll take a mile.
There are apparently 63,360 inches in a mile, a nice round number.
I'm not sure it that's been rounded up or down though.
Crikey, Imagine trying to evaluate a bank loan,a mortgage interest rate projection, ar an energy bill price fix in farthings and thrupences, hahaha.
There are apparently 63,360 inches in a mile, a nice round number.
Which is precisely why the old OS "1 inch to the mile" maps were scaled at 1:63360. And therefore often too small to be much actual use on the ground 😄
It really does make me sad that some supposedly learned people want to reject one of the finest accomplishments of human culture. Everyone in the world* has agreed on some measurements to make things fairer and easier for everyone. It's such a beautiful idea.
*even the 'exceptions' use metric as the base for their metrology
We want to hear from a broad range of stakeholders
if I was holding a stake anywhere near JRM I’d stick it right up his ****ing arse the moronic shithouse.
There are apparently 63,360 inches in a mile, a nice round number.
There are 100 000 cm in a Km. Out of interest, how is this a better number?
The metric system has definite advantages over the imperial system and I am in no way in favour of any increase in use of imperial measures. However, it is not really a difficult system to use in practice. I am amazed that someone could get into their 40’s and struggle with miles!
Huh? Let me get this right, the common numerical relationship between inches / feet / miles, oz / pound / stones and quart / gallon / **** knows what is…
Now do the same with the metric equivalents and for extra help you can use your fingers.
Yeah we use miles cos it’s written on road signs but ask people in Australia how far somewhere is and you’ll often get an answer in hours. Familiarity and commonality are very prevalent but try converting and you’ll be glad for an easy to manage system.
edit. Soz there was an edit in there.
