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Status:
"A solution in search of a problem"
(set 14 days ago)
Location: New York Area
34,454 posts, read 16,543,954 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by canadian citizen
There are only 3 countries in the world that don't use the metric system. Two of them are third world countries. What used to be called Burma, and some other backwater...............And the US.
Americans use metric every day, but they don't seem to know it. A two litre bottle of Pepsi, a 5 litre V8 engine in a Mustang, a kilo of drugs, a litre of wine with dinner.
The real problem is the US education system, and their reluctance to introduce a system of measurement that is based on 10's. As if that will somehow cause a serious national calamity.
Jim B.
I don't know what Trudeau the Smarter (compared to the current sophomoric Trudeau that's in 24 Sussex) gained by switching Canada to metric. Canada has more ties to the U.S. than to Europe, despite his pretend anti-Americanism.
Why change when there's no need to. A "32 degree day" does not have the same ring to me a "90 degree day." Nor does "-18C" have the same ring as "subzero." And are we going to rewrite Shakespeare and other literature to refer to "kilometers" or "hectares" rather than "miles" or "acres"? Are we going to rewrite the Who song as "I Can See for Kilometers and Kilometers"?l
It's bad enough that I have to explain to people what "Dial M for Murder" or the movie title "BUtterfield 8" means. "Dial 6 for Murder" or "288" don't resonate.
My next post is going to be "Why do Americans take themselves so seriously?"
My kids are Americans and I choose to live here, it's a question of genuine interest to me. Maybe you need to have lived somewhere else to have enough perspective to answer anything other than "SHUT UP AMERICA RULES!!!" LOL
I've lived elsewhere and traveled pretty extensively.
The US is huge and for decades has been a superpower with the largest economy in the world. The US is also a bit isolated in the sense that the only countries that border us are Canada and Mexico - with a LOT of land in between. Because of the vast size of the US, many Americans find that you can take every single vacation you have for the rest of your life in the US and never get bored.
So yes, I agree that some Americans are taken aback by the differing formats you mention - but I do believe that if they were more familiar with these various formats and measurements, they would be just as adept at changing back and forth as folks from other countries. It's more a matter of exposure than anything else.
I lived in Europe before the Euro. Within just a few weeks, I became very adept at figuring exchange rates, different measuring systems, dates, etc. It wasn't because I was "so smart" - it was simply a matter of exposure.
I have the impression that in the U.S. you have for many everyday things one common version. A good example is probably the lever on the toilet tank. Americans are used to this one version. And that makes is more difficult to adjust to a different system. When people are used for 20, 30 or 40 years to just one toilet tank system, it's probably hard to imagine that a toilet can be flushed in countless different ways
You may also have to press a button, and once in a while, pull a chain.
Yup, gross generalizations due to perceptions of your interactions. My interactions with people my company would tend to give me 180* opposite view. Truth is likely somewhere in between.
After I retired I worked for 3 summers here in Toronto, as a tour bus guide on a double decker that did a 3 hour tour of downtown Toronto. I worked 10 hour days, 4 days week, so I met at least a thousand tourists a week.
My passengers came from all over the world, and during my commentary, I encouraged them to ask questions about my city and Canada in general. I worked the answers into the things that I pointed out along the route. Some of the questions were predictable.......How tall is the CN tower ? What is that big body of water ? Where can we get a good meal ? Why is your money multi coloured ? Why can't I put a US stamp on the post card that I am sending to my friend in Ohio ?
Some of the odd questions, from Americans............does that store really sell condoms to the public ? Yes they do. Where are all the hookers ? Why is the gas so expensive here ? Why do your Police wear such short pants ( it was 94 degrees in July ). Why do I have to pay sales tax I don't live here ?. ( We all pay sales taxes here ). I don't see any guns shops, where do you have them ? ( We don't have very many gun shops, and we like it that way ).
My point is that to many Americans, Canada is like going to another State. They are surprised to learn that we have our own laws, regulations and social customs, that are not the same as "back home ". And although we are friendly , we don't like to insulted, either.
Jim B.
My experience as well when I dealt with tourists years ago when I worked on Via Rail.
The sales tax question is one I've heard while in a store.
That definitely isn't true.
Every American who has ever left their state (or knows anyone who knows anyone who left their state) knows sales tax is based off where you buy it, not where you are from.
They do in fact sell condoms to the public in the United States maybe not at Macy's or Toy'r'us or something but they do, and outside of Nevada, prostitution is illegal so hookers are not exactly advertising in broad daylight.
Also there is no major US city with gun shops around every corner.
It is true, but not all Americans of course.
The difference with the sales tax is that they are assuming because the aren't in the US that perhaps it shouldn't apply.
Perhaps they are thinking of rebates on GST, that program is gone, rather than sales tax, but I have heard it said.
Condoms is an odd one.
As for gun shops, it's not the number of guns shops in US cities, but the fact that you have more of them. I've seen them, and to a Canadian they really stand out, because we simply don't have that many here.
Exactly. In addition, there was a time when American visitors to Canada got a sales tax refund from the Canadian government. I used to go shopping in Montreal, save my sales receipts, fill out a few forms, and voilà in a few weeks I'd get a refund cheque from the Canadian government. It was a wonderful perk to shopping north of the border (in addition to the favorable exchange rate). Sadly, Canada stopped that program. So it's really not surprising that some Americans aren't aware that Canada doesn't do that anymore.
Besides, the unfamiliarity goes both ways. There are plenty of Canadians who are terrified of crossing the border because they think they'll be denied health care in our hospitals or will be shot or mugged in our cities.
Sales taxes are provincial. What you are taking about is a GST ( goods and service tax ) which is federal, the same as a VAT in most countries.
I know of no Canadians terrified of crossing the border. We just make sure we have extra healthcare coverage and know what part of town to stay away from.
I don't know what Trudeau the Smarter (compared to the current sophomoric Trudeau that's in 24 Sussex) gained by switching Canada to metric. Canada has more ties to the U.S. than to Europe, despite his pretend anti-Americanism.
Why change when there's no need to. A "32 degree day" does not have the same ring to me a "90 degree day." Nor does "-18C" have the same ring as "subzero." And are we going to rewrite Shakespeare and other literature to refer to "kilometers" or "hectares" rather than "miles" or "acres"? Are we going to rewrite the Who song as "I Can See for Kilometers and Kilometers"?l
It's bad enough that I have to explain to people what "Dial M for Murder" or the movie title "BUtterfield 8" means. "Dial 6 for Murder" or "288" don't resonate.
Canada has ties to the world, and the world uses metric. Perhaps Canada looks more outward than the US. Also we probably thought by now the US would be fully metric....but perhaps a bit naive since the metric system has been legal in the US since 1866 !!!
I grew up with Imperial measurements, but started with metric while in my teens. A 32 degree day sounds MUCH more normal to my ears than a 90 degree day. Humans are amazingly adaptable.
In fact I just got back from the US and am lucky to understand both systems, but I do find metric so much easier.
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