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I'm retired Operating Engineer. I layed out the work and conducted the operations with the machines... For highway work; with any Federal funding there was a mandate that all engineering work, even, the writing on the stakes and sprayed markings on the ground had to be metric. Of course some operators had problems and I had to translate for them, however the most costly mistakes were made by the design engineers in the office. They would naturally do work in there head in tenths of a foot and then print that thought on the metric plan .... yes it was off by x times 3.28. These kind off errors were endured for years and I guess it was thought that eventually it would catch on..... All I can say is it was no problem for me. Actually the meter was less prone for making a one foot type bust..... But you would not believe how costly it was because of engineering slip ups (think Hubble telescope). And because of loss of productivity.... Think ordering dinner in a restaurant that only speaks Spanish. bob
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