In the UK we now fill our tank with litres of petrol (gas) but my Prius gives me miles per gallon. Now a USA Gallon is 3.785 litres and a UK gallon is 4.55 litres. So the question is, is my Prius showing miles per (UK) gallons or miles per (USA) gallons. I am fairly sure it is UK gallons since in my very short time of owning a Prius I get much more than the 50mpg that people here are quoting. It must be calibrated differently for the UK market. Regards Ian
It must be the larger gallon, though I'm surprised the consumption figures aren't expressed in litres. When was the switch to buying petrol in litres made?
Over a number of years but it was in the early 1990's. They keep having littles pushes to turn us metric and the majority of the population object to this. If it wasn't done in such a heavy handed way dictated by the EU, then I'm sure it would be used for its merits. Example -guy sent to jail for selling fruit in pounds and ounces! [ame="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metric_Martyrs"]Metric Martyrs - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia[/ame] Due to the outcry this and other similar occurances caused, the law was slackened off a little. Trouble is, the damage was done and people now resist any further metric integration. I see both sides, metric is almost universally used (exc USA) and makes much more sense than traditional imperial meansurements, but the EU inflicting it under threat of imprisonment doesn't help along with other rediculous rulings they come out with. I posted a thread on here a week or so again about the French objecting to AngloSaxon reforms, but perhaps this works the other way round and AngloSaxons object to French reforms to our way of life? (note its only UK & USA not fully metric).
Yeah, jail is a bit much for refusing to adopt metric. It really is a superior system, though - you'd think those two recalcitrant countries would want to change, just to standardise their foreign trade. If people were shown how easy it is, and didn't worry about converting, they'd be far more willing to change. I was taught Imperial in school, but tossed it when I discovered metric. Not everyone appreciates logic, I guess.
But its all at odds. TV shows (other than soaps) will have it in metric but despite being taught metric at school 30 years ago most distances are in miles, yards etc. Infact low height bridges are in feet and inches which causes problems with foreign trucks all the time , but there have been lawsuits brought against councils that have tried to change road signs from yards to meters! Check out this website I just found which is campaigning to stop the change to metric BWMA/Transport - Roads Do note the underhand way which metricification is taking place which only plays into these peoples hands (signs saying speed humps for 328 yards) which would have said 300 yards in the past. If they were just up front about it then all would be well, but it would take a brave politician to upset the pensioner vote! If they were
Even in your non-metricness you are ahead of use. The Imperial system dates from 1824, the US customary system is largely the pre-Imperial system. Not switching to Imperial was an opportunity for differentiate ourselves form Britain. We shot ourselves in the foot though, because the Imperial system has bigger pints of beer. While you louts get a full Imperial pint (34.68 cubic inches) when you order a pint:rockon:, we in the US only get 1/8 of a girly Queen Anne's Wine Gallon or 28.88 cubic inches, so you get 20% more beer.
And the petrol companies took advantage of it by raising the prices since it would not be 'noticed' if a few pence were added during the conversion to litres! I remember when petrol was under 1 UK pound (where is that pound symbol on my keyboard!) and now it is 1.17 per litre! (Conversion for our USA cousins, that means over in the UK we are paying $6.92 a (USA) gallon at today's exchange rate ). Please, don't tell me how cheap petrol is in the USA, I just don't want to know.
The Imperial gallon is 5/4s of a US gallon, or 1.2 USG. That has got to be easier to remembering than via Liters.
But is it litres or liters? I know the US way is liters but to confuse things my Jeep used to say '4 litre high output' on the back and I'm sure I've seen US versions saying this. Maybe that's why we object to metric - not only do we have to adopt a French system, but their spellings too
I spent a year in Toronto Canada* and my co-workers there all had attended college in the US, but got visas to work in Canada** Know there were two ways to spell and forgetting which was which, they always asked how I spelled a word and then spelled it the other way: Color vs Colour, Fiber vs Fibre, etc. * Actually drove back to the US every other weekend, as US citizen can spend two weeks in Canada without a Visa. ** The US system is racist.
As an aside, Litre and Liter are metric units that aren't included in SI. They may be used with it under most circumstances but aren't an official part of it. Looks like you Brits choose the French spelling on your own. What would Lord Nelson say? In the words of that great American philosopher, Pogo. "We have met the enemy and he is us." The following helps explain the situation, Units: Introduction
Metric is wonderful. I know that. Everyone has told me that, over and over and over, ad nauseaum. I can figure out all multiples of the metric system...any moron can. My problem is that I have no idea what 1.87 metres is as far as height is concerned because my mind runs in inches. I know exactly how tall a person who is 5' 10" tall is. I know what an inch is, I know what a half inch, a quarter inch, etc is. I do not know what a centimeter is visually. I don't want to learn either. If it is important, I can convert most metric measurements in my head, at least to an approximation. I can double a centigrade temperature, add 27 and have a good idea as to what the temperature is. I can multiply kilos by 2.2 to get to pounds. I can multiply a kilometer by 1.6 to get to miles and divide miles by .62 to get to kilometers, but I DON'T WANT TO! Call me a Luddite. I just don't think metric.
Pop ( Soda if your south of 49th ) is sold in litres Buy any drugs in ounzes lately Or a bottle of wine you are using it already
I don't want to do all those ridiculous, convoluted conversions, either. That's the hard way. Of course, if you insist on doing things the hard way, and never changing, you're not going to learn much....
Joe, my mind switched to metric when I moved out of the US. The transition is not hard, but you have to acquire new internal rulers. E.g. stare at 10 cm until you *know* what the distance is. Two or three rulers of different sizes for each of distance, weight, speed and temperature takes care of the problem. Conversions and translations are for the birds
