I've recently been taken to task by a professor for not knowing the metric system (because I'm an American). I grew up in that stressful period when the US thought it should learn the metric system but wasn't quite committed. So, I learned a little of the metric system and a little of the old English system. The sum total of that was that now I don't know shit. Unless it relates to cooking or beer.
I know the difference between an American pint and an Imperial pint. That way, I grab the appropriate glass depending on what size beer I have. That is valuable, practical knowledge and I use it on a weekly basis.
Converting millimeters to centimeters is for chumps. And kilometers? Fuck that shit.
