It seems like a weird point to bring up. How often do y’all convert your measurements? It’s not even a daily thing. If I’m measuring something, I either do it in inches, or feet, rarely yards. I’ve never once had to convert feet into miles, and I can’t imagine I’m unique in this. When I have needed to, it’s usually converting down (I.e. 1/3 of a foot), which imperial does handle better in more cases.
Like. I don’t care if we switch, I do mostly use metric personally, it just seems like a weird point to be the most common pro-metric argument when it’s also the one I’m least convinced by due to how metric is based off of base 10 numbering, which has so many problems with it.
Edit: After reading/responding a lot in the comments, it does seem like there’s a fundamental difference in how distance is viewed in metric/imperial countries. I can’t quite put my finger on how, but it seems the difference is bigger than 1 mile = 1.6km
I think part of it is being used to it (I do just kiiiinda know that 5’8" is 4" shy of 6’, but I blame the same nerdiness that lead me to knowing what links, chains, and furlongs even are for that one), and the other part is I use metric in the kitchen, and don’t follow recipes directly a lot of the time. I have some master recipes memorized that get used.
My GPS doesn’t do a 500ft callout (kinda wish it did), it’s usually 200, which my brain translates “Slow down now or you will miss the turn” because the announcement is often a little behind, so it’s jarring for other reasons. Also your GPS says yards?? Mine only does feet/miles, and mine’s weird and verbally calls out “Five tenths of a mile” when I’m walking to the store.