DR>> I meant that the pollsters should admit that they hadn't necessarily DR>> polled the right people. But of course, we all know that you can make DR>> polls say anything you want simply by polling the "right" people!!
BF> Totally unrelated, but one thing that for many years has confused me BF> is why the UK so long refused to go metric.
Inertia. If it ain't broke, don't fix it.
But tell me this - why do metric countries still measure television screens in inches? If I look for a new television in France I have to look for how many pouces it measures.
BF> And when you did, some half a century ago, why are you still talking BF> about miles, Fahrenheit and so on?
Because we (well, I) don't understand kilometres. When I drive in France I have to convert kilometres to miles to see how far I have to go. Mind you, I've just bought a new car that can display miles or kilometres. I use that to make sure I stay within the speed limit.
Actually, we don't use Fahrenheit any more. Even I can cope with Celsius. It was fifteen degrees Celsius outside today! :-)
At least we gave up pounds, shillings and pence in 1972. But that was so that manufacturers could put prices up.
BF> All European countries went metric more than a century ago, so what BF> caused the UK to drag her feet along for this long? Are you still in BF> love with the USA, the only non-metric "country (*)" in the world right BF> now?
No, we're certainly not in love with the USA. We just didn't trust Napoleon. Still don't.
BF> Inquisitive mind wants to know.
BF> (*) Yeah, well, USA isn't really a country by any definition in the BF> book, but never mind... 8-)
It is to us. It's that place over the pond. It looks small because it's so far away.
David
-- David Rance writing from Caversham, Reading, UK
