That formulation is wrong, one versus the other. We do that with OSs too; the Mac versus Windows simply proves that we are idle too much of the time. Each system has advantages. When I am doing research, measuring chemicals, and such I use the metric system. When I am describing the redhead in the apartment down the hall I use the imperial. The metric system ain't sexy.

I use both.

100 centremetes is a meter. Simple. A human brain can work that out and translate between them with ease.
36 inches is a yard. Ok, so what's 7 yards? Whip out those calculators people.

The metric system was developed once science was matured and people were able to create a proper, legitimate measurement system that makes sense.
The imperial system is a culmination of primitive ideas like the length of a standard foot. The system works but its gumby and disconnected from itself. It's just like anything else, before we developed proper materials to make clothes, we used pre-existing materials from animals and vegetation. You don't see anyone wearing pocketless 'imperial' bush clothes in the developed world do you? It's same with ideas of how we got here. Today, we have proper tools to try and figure it out the correct way, in the past we all made up our own gods and killed as many people as possible to make them popular. These days we recognise how stupid that is.

I do agree though, it's sexy to say "she's 6 foot". However, this is only because we have been doing it for so long. Try on "she's 182 high" it'll eventually replace obsolete references.

Down with all Imperial systems!!

"Ok, so what's 7 yards?"

Ehrr....seven yards maybe?

"before we developed proper materials to make clothes"

Like cashmere, wool, cotton, linen, silk and leather maybe? Synthetics are good for mountain climbing, and a few other highly specialised applications, otherwise unattractive, useless and ugly.....a bit like your metric system.

If your system is so great why don't we metricise the calendar and the clock?

As a german scientist I might be full of prejudice, but COMMON!
Ever looked at the definition of the Fahrenheit Scale?
That's just rediculous!

http://hubpages.com/hub/metric_system_vs_imperial_system