3426 replies to this topic

[aastra]

The guy's visiting from out of town, he doesn't have a car with him. He's having a coffee in the Starbucks at Centennial Square before the show. Sure, he could take a taxi. But most people wouldn't for that short distance. If he's willing to take a taxi then why did he bother to check the wayfinding sign in the first place?

[LJ]

He misread the sign and went to Rock Bay, now he is getting entertained in an entirely different manner. Hell with the arena.

[Mike K.]

Say, why the aversion to figures in feet? Meters don’t compute for many of our visitors.

[VicHockeyFan]

Say, why the aversion to figures in feet? Meters don’t compute for many of our visitors.

 

For most, I'd say.

Edited by VicHockeyFan, 26 March 2018 - 06:53 AM.

[lanforod]

We're better off convincing the US to switch to metric rather than the other way around. Anyways, if someone asks, just say a meter is about 3 feet. Close enough.

[Hotel Mike]

^

That's not going to happen in this atmosphere of America First and American exceptionalism. But maybe one day there will be a progressive, modern government that will bring metric in. Learning metric and celsius should be mandatory in school, but I don't think it is in most school districts in the U.S. Besides, does Betsy de Vos even know what a centimetre is?

[jonny]

In high school in Texas we were taught metric. Most of the science stuff was in meters, Celsius, milliliters, etc. 

 

Feet is a dumb unit of measurement for any distance longer than say 100 feet. Using meters is much more useful. If an American tourist doesn't know that a meter is basically the same distance as a yard, oh well. It's not going to kill them to Google what a meter is on their smartphone. 

[Mike K.]

Some international industries still use feet, such as airlines/aviation.

The Brit’s still use miles and gallons, no?

[lanforod]

Some international industries still use feet, such as airlines/aviation.

The Brit’s still use miles and gallons, no?

They're not that different from Canada in that regard, using imperial in everyday language, but metric in official documentation; main exception is roads are still imperial.

[GaryOak]

But still >7 billion people use metric every day.

[Nparker]

But still >7 billion people use metric every day.

Exactly. If America got in step with the rest of the human race, Canada would be fully metric as well.

[Benezet]

For most, I'd say.

;-) For sure. With the exception of those visitors from Europe, Asia, Africa, Australia.....

[jonny]

Some international industries still use feet, such as airlines/aviation.

The Brit’s still use miles and gallons, no?

 

Aviation is an interesting case. I believe around the world, the metric system is used for everything except for altitude, distance and speed. They use feet for altitude because 1,000 feet is a reasonable distance for vertical separation, and nautical miles for distance traveled (a nautical mile happens to be one minute of latitude/longitude). Speed is in miles because distance is in miles. 

 

In Canada, the switch over to the metric system was one of the root causes of the Gimli Glider aviation incident (they thought they fueled the plane up with x gallons, but it was x liters, thus did not have sufficient fuel). 

 

The Brits weigh people in stones, FFS, so they don't get a say in the matter. That's like an automatic DQ.  

Edited by jonny, 26 March 2018 - 09:02 AM.

[VicHockeyFan]

;-) For sure. With the exception of those visitors from Europe, Asia, Africa, Australia.....

 

90% of our foreign tourists are from the US.

 

https://www.destinationbc.ca/

 

Edited by VicHockeyFan, 26 March 2018 - 09:09 AM.

[lanforod]

^ big deal. Why should we change our system for tourists?

[VicHockeyFan]

^ big deal. Why should we change our system for tourists?

 

Nobody suggested "changing our system", we were suggesting it for signs geared mostly to tourists.  That's what smart international cities do.

 

Edited by VicHockeyFan, 26 March 2018 - 09:15 AM.

[jonny]

Isn't part of the joy of travelling that things are a little bit [or a lot] different?

[Nparker]

90% of our foreign tourists are from the US.

And Canada sends the most tourists to the US. Are they adding metric and French to their signage to accommodate us?

[VicHockeyFan]

Isn't part of the joy of travelling that things are a little bit [or a lot] different?

 

For many, no, it's not.  Check out all the tourists that are drinking Budweiser at the Strath, or eating at Burger King.  It's why 99% of our businesses take US cash, it's the smart thing to do.

Edited by VicHockeyFan, 26 March 2018 - 09:22 AM.

[VicHockeyFan]

And Canada sends the most tourists to the US. Are they adding metric and French to their signage to accommodate us?

 

 

No, because of US influence, we already understand both systems.

 

Some border cities get it.

 

https://www.huffingt..._n_3468169.html

 

Calling all French-Canadians, the town of Burlington, Vt. is now speaking your language. Well, it's not so much speaking, as it is posting signs in French and English around the busy border town.

The move is part of a "resolution of French friendliness" the town passed to welcome French-speaking tourists, according to the Toronto Sun. The motion passed by city council over the weekend saw 700 bilingual stickers added to the city's parking meters by The Alliance Française of the Lake Champlain Region, a chapter of a world-wide association that promotes French culture.

 

Edited by VicHockeyFan, 26 March 2018 - 09:25 AM.