>>>>>But what can I say about the rest of US, except that this "dual-system" method is a start in the right direction, and if I had my way, it would go faster. If I (or someone) can locate the US metric-conversion law, maybe there's a "phase 2" coming up, where metric is more dominant on all labels, or similar.
>>>>
>>>>See:
>>>>http://www.usaid.gov/policy/ads/300/metricact.doc
>>>>http://lamar.colostate.edu/~hillger/dates.htm
>>>>http://caselaw.lp.findlaw.com/casecode/uscodes/15/chapters/6/subchapters/ii/sections/section_205b.html
>>>>
>>>>HTH
>>>
>>>Very interesting references. Let me see if I understood correctly: if all goes well, the United States will have switched to the metric system by 1992 <g>.
>>
>>Right. <g>
>
>And I've heard of another proposed gradual switch in a similar manner. The story goes that once upon a time the British had an idea to start driving on the right-hand side of the road. One of the senior members of the House of Lords agreed, with a stipulation that "...we should do it gradually; first year, only the trucks would be driving on the right side".

rofl!

Painful thought! I see people driving on the "wrong side" of the road in my area, which has a lot of people from Hong Kong, and other lands touched by the British.

Some time ago we had a discussion on the origin of right and left hand rule for driving. Someone suggested driving on the left hand side came from the Romans. The Roman soldier held his shield with the left hand and sword in the right. This excludes left handed people and demands conformity.

When I was in Catholic School if you were left handed and dared to use that hand, the Sister would use an 18” ruler to hit you on top of your hand and stated clearly, “The left hand is the hand of the devil. The right hand is the hand of God”!

I think the reason we drive on the right hand side is much like the Roman soldiers with a twist. We were meant to be left-handed!

If all this is true then I must say it is nice that the “enemy” always attacked from the left side! :)

Tom