Brexit voters are well known for their behind-the-times outlook. They would like the metric system abolished, also decimal currency, the teaching of foreign languages in schools, foreign food and, ideally, the import of foreign-brand cars. It's a bit late now, but some would also remove foreign-sounding words from the English language, like "garage" and "limousine".

It's not that Brexiteers aren't smart enough to use the metric system - they are so regressive they actually don't want to.

You've been reading the fake news channel!

That's a pretty broad and ill informed statement. If anything it's the remain side that are closed off from the rest of the world especially considering that it's the Brexiteers that want to trade with the whole world and not just be trapped in the EU (like the remainers).

I haven't heard many Brexiters screaming that they would really rather drive a Rover instead of a Toyota or BMW.. and we both know you plucked those last two sentences regarding English wording and the metric system clearly straight out of your backside.

It's a bit like me saying "it's fairly common knowledge that Remainers lack courage and a sense of leadership due to the sheer panic they create when they are at risk of not being told exactly what to do by a foreign power, they also have poorer eyesight compared to a Brexiter as all they can see is racism and sexism.. it has also been proven that many are allergic to facts and would like them banned".

I cannot believe some posters have actually taken my previous post seriously. Ever heard of irony? I laid it on with a trowel, I thought.

And I actually voted for Brexit. Lighten up, chaps!

Edited by FP on 20/12/2018 at 23:20

It must be tongue in cheek, as earlier in the same article there's mention of "five feet tall" and "less than a foot between them". Unlike virtually every other country in the world, the UK was only ever half-hearted about metrication, and I often think it was a miracle that decimalisation ever happened. Tyre sizes (along with aviation and maritime standards, e.g. visibility, distance, altitude) are a mish-mash, mpg makes no sense at all unless petrol is sold in gallons and I cannot for the life of me figure out why diehards (be they Brexiteers or Bremainers!) cling desperately onto acres, lb/ft of torque and Fahrenheit if it drops below 21-ish degrees C / 70 degrees F.

On a similar theme, anyone else of the opinion the honest john website has deteriorated?

The road tests are more for dummies rather than enthusiast, the weekly emails are boring, the deals section are lazy choices and rarely competitive on price, ask honest john questions chosen for 'publication' are the same general topics repeated each week.

What appealed about the honest john website compared to its rivals was the extra insight, comments on reviews and rod tests about engineering quality, more detail about the various vehicles than the other publications, etc

The whole website seems to have been dumb'd down to broaden appeal.

The imperial measurements lobby can also take comfort that all the French plumbing fittings use British Standard Pipe threads even if they do try to call half inch BSP 15mm

As an engineer born in the early 60's, I'm fine with either imperial or metric measurements, BUT I do struggle with metric feeler gauges, I find thou's are SO much easier to visualise for some reason!

I also find it amusing that children are taught to use cm (centimeters), which are a completely non-SI unit and never used in engineering. Maybe that's why we struggle to train enough engineers? ;)

I mix it up with the best them (typically British):

• Shortish distances in either metric or imperial;
• Height and weight of people in imperial;
• The same for work in all metric/S.I. units (obviously);
• Weight of items in either, especially food - porridge in grammes, dry spaghetti in ounces;
• Long distances in miles, especially when driving;
• Power and torque for cars in imperial, engine size in metric.

Sweet! Vive la difference!

I mix the two as well - discussing cars on international forums, it's a necessity to use Metric, Imperial and American.

Those Yanks and their funny sized gallons! It still amuses me when I recall NASA and ESA coming up with a joint space probe mission to Mars about 20 years ago, and it burned up (if I recall) because they both forgot to convert the units from miles to km and back again.

I can understand many people still using imperial units for everyday use, but not scientists. I think that NASA does now use metric...for the most part (at least on joint projects).

The Yanks 'funny sized' gallons are the 17th Century English wine gallons, which they stuck with when we changed to the 8-pint (4 1/2 litre or 10 lb) gallon.

I’m a leave voter and dislike the metric system, so i got the reference and can accept taking the michael. But i don’t accept this notion that metric is somehow ‘modern’, it’s just a very arbitrary set of measurements which are ‘in trend’ for people who either prefer the mathematical simplicity (perhaps they are too simple themselves to cope with imperial?) or those that see themselves as being ‘modern’ ‘cultured’ and ‘metropolitan’ aka citizens of nowhere. They have utter disdain for anything British. The Emily Thornberry’s of this world.. To remain voters, well, not much modern and cultured about a european dictatorship!

I can't see any rational reason to "dislike" the metric system!

In engineering design, "simple" usually mean better (for two devices doing the same job), so why should this not apply to measurements?

As a citizen of nowhere (aka Brit living in France), and remain voter (for entirely selfish reasons), I read this line in the road test as a not-particularly-funny but nevertheless completely inoffensive joke.

I'm off to put on my yellow vest and protest a local petrol station.

Merry Christmas everybody!

With metrication it had been announced that anyone who attempted to sell in imperial quantities would be prosecuted. I went into my local supermarket and asked for a half kilo of bacon. The effect on the staff was is if I had attempted to rob the supermarket. The saleslady called the manager who was equally nonplussed.

I’m a leave voter and dislike the metric system, so i got the reference and can accept taking the michael. But i don’t accept this notion that metric is somehow ‘modern’, it’s just a very arbitrary set of measurements

What twaddle. I am easily old enough to know (and be happy with) imperial measurements, but also scientifically trained and happy with metric. Metric is arbitrary? What does one say about a system several millennia old, based on bits of the human body (which is pretty non-standard) or a Roman soldier's pace?. Even the Roman mile was metric - 1000 double paces.

The metric system is based on the dimensions of the earth, plus as many factors of ten as required. Its only nuisance is that it doesn't simply divide by 3 or 4 - a pity, but not a huge deal IMHO. I prefer not to have to work out five times 5 and 7 eighths, for example.

Reminds me of going to buy some wood many years ago: How long is your 2 by 1 ? - Comes in 3-metre lengths. How much? - 12p a foot.

Edited by Andrew-T on 21/12/2018 at 14:37