aren't you guys metric?
2006-09-28 04:32:28 · 7 answers · asked by Anonymous in Travel ➔ United Kingdom ➔ Other - United Kingdom
The UK was officially imperial for much of its history - we talked in pounds, ounces, feet, inches and of course miles per hour. Officially, at some point in the last thirty years, we've started introducing the metric system, so things SHOULD technically be talking in grams, litres (spelled the French way), and kilometres.
However, there appears to be something inherently lazy in the generalised british public psyche, and also something downright "Hell, no"ish, that rebels against any kind of unity with Europe - After all, the UK is one of the only members of the European community that still does not use the Euro as its primary currency. So the prevailing "Europeanness" of the metric system appears to have kicked off a backlash whereby the British generally refuse to learn how long a kilometre is, how many litres make two pints, or any other such tomfoolery.
There is actually a law over here now that in food stores, you MUST display the metric values of things, but there's also a generation of people who are still teaching their children to think in pounds, pints and miles. The reason we still use miles per hour is very simply because kilometres per hour still means nothing to very many people.
2006-09-28 05:01:11 · answer #1 · answered by mdfalco71 6 · 1⤊ 1⤋
It's slowly changing over as the generations grow up. Why hurry? We've lived quite comfortably with mph for several decades. And as for driving on the wrong side, check out what the other answerer wrote. It's true.
2006-09-28 17:11:31 · answer #2 · answered by diana - b 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Because we can, and we are trying to hold onto one of the last vestiges of British life, which is being cruelly eroded by that nonsensical organisation that is known as the EEC.....what happened to the Common Market that we were taken into and more importantly where is the referendum that we were promised!
2006-09-28 13:03:22 · answer #3 · answered by sarch_uk 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Because it makes sense :)
The joys of our lovely metric system (in that miles is about the only imperial one going!): http://www.metric.org.uk/whatis/index.htm
Oh and we do not drive on the wrong side ... you do :P it goes back to fighting on horses ... seriously, look it up!
2006-09-28 11:43:21 · answer #4 · answered by QueenieHB 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
UK started the "English" system.
2006-09-28 11:34:13 · answer #5 · answered by camus0281 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
They are metric as far as I know
2006-09-28 11:33:38 · answer #6 · answered by babalu2 5 · 0⤊ 2⤋
why does UK drive on the wrong side?? We call them "inselaffen"
2006-09-28 11:42:08 · answer #7 · answered by Daniela D 2 · 0⤊ 2⤋