As I write this, I pine for the loss of our final sign in imperial measurements. It’s been gone now for a while, but I miss it so. For almost 40 years, it sat on the ramp to the MacKay Bridge from Windmill Rd, letting us know the tolls were 1500ft ahead. Sure, it wore off over time, and sure, the metric system is superior, but it was a part of that ramp. Hopefully the sign is in a better place, or if it has been burned, may its remains be stuffed in a Folgers can and released over Halifax Harbour. You will be missed poor imperial sign.
—18′ from the keyboard
This article appears in Mar 12-18, 2009.
How many feet in 234.8 miles? How quarts in 845.75 gallons? If I was to paint a room that was 12’x13.5′, how many gallons of paint would I need? In that same room, if I was to lay down trim, how many inches of trim would I require? Can you do any of that quickly in your head, without a calculator?
If I travel from Halifax to Truro (100km), how many gallons of gas would I need for a 60L tank if the speed limit is 100km/h?
Thankfully the metric system rules and we don’t use it. For the people who keep stating their fuel economy in miles/gallon, how do they do this if they travel in kms, and fill up in litres? These people must be fairly good at doing conversions on the fly. If using metric, all they’d have to do is read how far they’ve travelled (in kms) and they could figure it out fairly quickly as most cars either have a 45L or 65L tank.
Not sure how you managed, but if you’re 18 feet from the keyboard, how did you type in your bitch?
he’s in the matrix.
Pretty sure people round to get an estimate in the whole miles to the gallon conversions. Personally, I go by metric because I’m a younger buck and that’s what I was taught. I still remember though because anyone ~35ish + still goes old-school.
1.6 miles = 1 km so I usually round to one and a half and maybe add a fudge factor if it’s a big enough number.
same with 4 litres to the gallon. not quite but close enough.
as pertains to grams/ounces…
I’m guessing most of us can do that in our heads no problem.
shit, didn’t edit before posting.
that should read 1.6 KM = 1 mile
I’m in the 35+ bracket and cringe when my parents tell me what the temp is when they’re in florida. They may as well say its cow degrees because I have no idea what the numbers mean. And then theres the $/liter for gas and then they’re how many $/gallon is that and then its a as hitfest because “duh is that a us gal or cdn gal blah blah blah”. Oh and don’t forget the exchange rate etc etc….
I do remember on Herring Cove road by where Cutans is there used to be a sign that said Sambro 12 Miles. It was eventually replaced with Sambro 20km. I think its completely gone now.