• JK_Flip_Flop@lemmy.world
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    8 months ago

    (may be a bit of an off topic rant)

    The cluster fuck that is the UK’s measurement system can be easily summarised by looking at fueling a car.

    You fill your car from a pump that sells you litres of fuel. Then your car reports its fuel economy in miles per gallon.

    How the fuck am I supposed to relate the 40 litres of diesel that I just bought to the 35 MPG on my dashboard without a fucking calculator?

    I fucking hate it here. It’s the exact same British exceptionalism that brought us fucking Brexit.

    • BakerBagel@midwest.social
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      8 months ago

      And yet you call Americans dumb for not adopting the metric system. Why would we think we would do a better job than you? I would much rather use the system my grandpa grew up with rather than use the hybrid abomination that the UK uses.

      • JK_Flip_Flop@lemmy.world
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        8 months ago

        I’m a Scottish nationalist and republican (in the British sense). It’s one of my pipe dreams to see an independent Scotland adopt the metric system fully but I kinda doubt it will ever happen.

      • 9point6@lemmy.world
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        8 months ago

        I suppose the thinking is that you lot might learn from the mistakes of others

        Though you’re possibly right, that’s maybe a bit too charitable

      • JK_Flip_Flop@lemmy.world
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        8 months ago

        I do know that but my point is that I shouldn’t have to know that. Imperial fluid measurements outside the pint aren’t used anywhere else in my life.

        • John_McMurray@lemmy.world
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          8 months ago

          Nah, he said he was in England. The Imperial gallon is 4.5 liters. Ounces are smaller (40 in a quart) but the pints are bigger

          • JK_Flip_Flop@lemmy.world
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            8 months ago

            I’m the one that doesn’t want to learn anything then you drop an “England” on me? I’m Scottish or does that not matter because is it too much for you to learn that the UK is more than England?

            • John_McMurray@lemmy.world
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              8 months ago

              The difference of Scotland, Wales, and England matters to you and maybe the French. To people on another continent talking about measurement systems…well,I’m aware Scotland has their own passport. If you want me to know you’re at at a Scottish gas station, say that. I’m sorry, but Scotland didn’t run a giant empire for 200 years, England did. It’s kinda funny you live in one of the very few countries the English never conquered and no one cares.

          • Fishbone@lemmy.world
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            8 months ago

            Wild, I didn’t know there was a different gallon measurement (There’s a few apparently).

            mostly unrelated, but after poking around on Wikipedia, I’ve also learned that there’s two different versions of fluid ounces (Edit: that are used actively in the US, forgot to add that), and both are used on food labels simultaneously, but relating to different things.

            https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fluid_ounce#Definitions_and_equivalences

            US food labeling fluid ounce

            For serving sizes on nutrition labels in the US, regulation 21 CFR §101.9(b) requires the use of “common household measures”, and 21 CFR §101.9(b)(5)(viii) defines a “common household” fluid ounce as exactly 30 milliliters. This applies to the serving size but not the package size, package sizes use the US customary fluid ounce.

            • John_McMurray@lemmy.world
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              8 months ago

              I suspect that might relate to the smaller english/canadian fluid ounce and imports. they’re very close, you only start to easily see a difference around 5 ounces. I run a bar in Canada, and i catch inspectors and suppliers constantly playing fast and loose with Imperial and American standards ounces and pints. Canadian law saws if you are serving a pint of beer, it has to be a proper Imperial pint of 20 ounces, from the big English gallon, if you call it a pint. you can serve any size you want if you don’t call it a pint. i constantly see competitors passing off 16 American ounces as a pint. The revenue guys check that your dispensing machines are putting out an ounce but won’t tell you whether they are using a Imperial or Standard ounce, i’m pretty sure they’re using American ounce devices when they shouldn’t be. Supposedly we’re a metric country but liquor and cattle definitely aint.