I didn't have high hopes when I went shopping for A4-sized paper today.
The U.S. and Canada use 8 1/2 x 11 paper as standard. Europe uses A4, and I'm under the impression - based on no concrete evidence - that most of the rest of the world does as well. But 8 1/2 x 11 is standard here, so that's what all the shops sell. That, and legal sized paper.
I started off at Staples. The sales assistant assured me they stocked A4, but had to go find a manager to find out where. He came back disappointed. They didn't stock it after all, but I hadn't expected they would.
Grand and Toy was the obvious next stop, the Avenue and Bloor branch. As I walked over, I pondered what specialty stationary stores were nearby, in case they had it. The sales assistant at Grand and Toy was confused. I think she thought I'd said "84", meaning the weight of the paper. Once she realized she had no idea what I was on about, she sent me to the order desk at the back. I treasured vague hopes that some other one of their downtown stores might have stock.
But then the manager commented that she thought they had some in stock... and they did! I found A4 paper in Toronto! And the sales assistant gave me 5% off for having misguided me.
I don't know why a Canadian store stocked A4, but I needed it, they had it, and I went away a very happy customer.
The U.S. and Canada use 8 1/2 x 11 paper as standard. Europe uses A4, and I'm under the impression - based on no concrete evidence - that most of the rest of the world does as well. But 8 1/2 x 11 is standard here, so that's what all the shops sell. That, and legal sized paper.
I started off at Staples. The sales assistant assured me they stocked A4, but had to go find a manager to find out where. He came back disappointed. They didn't stock it after all, but I hadn't expected they would.
Grand and Toy was the obvious next stop, the Avenue and Bloor branch. As I walked over, I pondered what specialty stationary stores were nearby, in case they had it. The sales assistant at Grand and Toy was confused. I think she thought I'd said "84", meaning the weight of the paper. Once she realized she had no idea what I was on about, she sent me to the order desk at the back. I treasured vague hopes that some other one of their downtown stores might have stock.
But then the manager commented that she thought they had some in stock... and they did! I found A4 paper in Toronto! And the sales assistant gave me 5% off for having misguided me.
I don't know why a Canadian store stocked A4, but I needed it, they had it, and I went away a very happy customer.
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owlfish- S. Worthen
- S. Worthen
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Likewise, the construction industry still largely works in imperial measurements, apparently.
I'm told that out west in the prairie provinces, directions are given along the lines of "Drive north 22 km and turn left at the 15 mile marker."
1) One September, after returning from summer holidays, my high-school math teacher asked me what I had done over the summer. One of the things we had done was to build a shed up at our cottage so I said: "We built a 15 by 30 foot shed up at our cottage". "Fifteen by thirty foot shed?!" he said "After all these years of teaching you the metric system, you built a 15 by 30 foot shed?!" :-)
2) The directions to the skydive facility this past weekend were in mixed mode: some of the distances were given in kms and others in miles.
http://www.skydivetoronto.com/direction.htm
3) Despite the fact that they delineate distances of kilometres, I believe most people still refer to the markers along the side of the highways as "mile markers" for the alliteration as opposed to "kilometre markers".
4) As a teenager when we were touring around in the States trying to get our hands on some alcohol a buddy of mine accidentally forgot to give the store clerk his phony ID and instead handed him his real identification because at the time, for the age he was, drinking was legal for him here in Ontario but not in the State we happened to be in. The clerk looked at his ID and said "You're not old enough, I can't sell you this" so my quick-witted friend said "Ah, but up in Canada we're on the metric system". The clerk scratched his head, we killed ourselves trying not to laugh, and in the end he let us buy our things!
...just my 2 cents...
If this particular application hadn't required my signature, I would have imposed on a friend in the UK to print out the documents for me and post 'em off. It would have cost me a great deal less, even with reimbursements.
With A3, A4 and a% paper, if you want an A4 folded leaflet, you use A3 paper and fold it down the middle so all the pages odf the leaflet are A4, and if you wnat an A5 leaflet you use A4 paper folded in half... simple and effective.
Teddy
I do rather agree with
Teddy
Teddy
(Librarian - a nosey and gossip by profession)
I'm finally getting around to starting job applications, and given they'll mostly be in the UK and the rest of Europe, it seemed to me it was worth investing in the paper. This particular application required it, and if I could possibly help it, I didn't want to stand out for the wrong reasons.
Does that mean you might be moving over here then???
Teddy
If nothing else, we'll be over in the UK for several weeks around Christmas and were hoping to tour the country visiting friends for a week either before Christmas or after New Year's. We'd love to see you if the timing works out.
Teddy
Grand & Toy used to blow, especially when it replaced another chain I can't think of the name of. Maybe it doesn't anymore--but then I suppose I'm spoiled by living here :-/ ...