western australia

Sometimes an answer is very simple

@JudyEv (371580)

Rockingham, Australia

December 17, 2025 8:51pm CST

My friend and her family are flying out of Western Australia tomorrow and spending Christmas and New Year in Japan. They bought a new gadget to help them weigh their bags. It just hooks onto the handle, you hoist the bag into the air and read the weight of the dial. The dial shows both imperial and metric weight. They hoisted up the first suitcase but the weight seemed excessive. They travel a lot and have a good idea of what bags weigh so they couldn’t understand how the bags could be so heavy. It turns out the gauge was showing the weight in pounds, not kilos. Converting back to kilos made all the difference and all is right again in their world. The photo is Vince's taken in Nepal.

21 people like this

21 responses

@Plethos (13716)

• United States

18 Dec

A fish scale is what they bought ?

8 people like this

@JudyEv (371580)

• Rockingham, Australia

18 Dec

I don't know what it would be called but that sounds very logical. We had one on the farm. I've just remembered that we used it for weighing poultry. We'd tie the legs together then lift them with the hook.

5 people like this

@JudyEv (371580)

• Rockingham, Australia

19 Dec

Yes, they did. They thought their bags were off the scale!

3 people like this

@Plethos (13716)

• United States

18 Dec

@JudyEv - i bet they flapped for a bit.

4 people like this

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@AmbiePam (112503)

• United States

18 Dec

That photo is breathtaking!

7 people like this

@JudyEv (371580)

• Rockingham, Australia

18 Dec

Thanks. I think it is my very favourite of all his photos. We have it hanging on the wall.

4 people like this

@jstory07 (147445)

• Roseburg, Oregon

18 Dec

That is funny about the weight of the bags.

6 people like this

@JudyEv (371580)

• Rockingham, Australia

18 Dec

Yes, it is funny. They couldn't work out what was happening.

3 people like this

@DaddyEvil (167745)

• United States

18 Dec

It's a beautiful photo.

6 people like this

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@DaddyEvil (167745)

• United States

18 Dec

@JudyEv You're welcome.

2 people like this

@JudyEv (371580)

• Rockingham, Australia

18 Dec

Thanks. We have it on the wall.

3 people like this

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@xFiacre (14214)

• Ireland

18 Dec

@judyev I too have one of those gadgets and have been similarly confounded. Last week I thought I had 35 kilos worth of clothes etc in my case going to Manchester, but it was 35 lbs. Our bathroom scales also freak my wife out because I weigh myself in kilos on the odd occasion and forget to switch the scales back to measure in stones. Then she hops on and comes out of the bathroom looking terribly discouraged.

4 people like this

@JudyEv (371580)

• Rockingham, Australia

18 Dec

Our bathroom scales is only in kilos so I'm always discouraged!!

2 people like this

Lenore Plassman

@sallypup (67949)

• Centralia, Washington

18 Dec

Such a tranquil photo. I'd like to join that fisherman. I can't imagine going on such a big adventure.

4 people like this

@JudyEv (371580)

• Rockingham, Australia

18 Dec

We have this one hanging on the photo. Tranquil is exactly the right word.

Our friends are going with their children, grandchildren and various partners. There will be 17 in the party.

1 person likes this

@GardenGerty (167688)

• United States

19 Dec

I love the photo and the simple solution.

2 people like this

@JudyEv (371580)

• Rockingham, Australia

19 Dec

I know we've had times when an electric appliance wouldn't work and then discovered that it hasn't been plugged in properly.

1 person likes this

@rsa101 (40607)

• Philippines

18 Dec

For frequent travelers, those gadgets are essential to ensure your luggage doesn’t exceed the weight limits, as airlines have started imposing stricter restrictions on each bag. Even the size and dimensions are being closely scrutinized to make sure they meet their specifications.

3 people like this

@JudyEv (371580)

• Rockingham, Australia

18 Dec

They are much fussier than they used to be. You really need to pay attention nowadays.

2 people like this

@BarBaraPrz (51354)

• St. Catharines, Ontario

18 Dec

Lovely photo. Yeah, at 2.5 pounds per kilo, 10 kilos would be 25 pounds but if you thought you were reading metric... 25 kilos is a small child!

2 people like this

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@BarBaraPrz (51354)

• St. Catharines, Ontario

19 Dec

@JudyEv You're probably correct but it's easier to visualise 2.5 than 2.2... that's my story and I'm sticking to it...

2 people like this

@JudyEv (371580)

• Rockingham, Australia

20 Dec

@BarBaraPrz Good for you.

1 person likes this

@JudyEv (371580)

• Rockingham, Australia

19 Dec

I think it is 2.2 but it doesn't matter. It still gets tricky.

2 people like this

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@LadyDuck (493124)

• Italy

18 Dec

We had that gadget to weight our bags, we gave it to our niece when we stopped traveling. The weight in pounds surely scared them.

I remember when I stepped on a scale in the US and I saw my weight in pounds, 99 was scary!

2 people like this

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@LadyDuck (493124)

• Italy

18 Dec

And I used to simply think that 2 pounds are the equivalent of 1 KG, in reality it's less.

2 people like this

@JudyEv (371580)

• Rockingham, Australia

18 Dec

It's something you don't think about really. You just hop on the scales and think 'Oh My Goodness.'

2 people like this

@JudyEv (371580)

• Rockingham, Australia

18 Dec

@LadyDuck Yes, it's a pity about that .2. It makes it so much harder to calculate.

2 people like this

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@innertalks (23525)

• Australia

19 Dec

Yes, Australia has been metricised since the 1970's. I do not like the metric measurements much, as I still use the imperial for my weight, and height, 180 cm tall tells me very little compared to 5 feet, 11 inches. One, I can have a mental picture of how tall that is, the other I am lost with. The metric system of naming is not very attractive either, centimetre, decimetre, millimetre, etc, I prefer inches, feet, and yards. They just sound better to me.

2 people like this

@JudyEv (371580)

• Rockingham, Australia

19 Dec

I can manage most metrics but, like you, measurements are the worst.

2 people like this

@JudyEv (371580)

• Rockingham, Australia

19 Dec

@innertalks I have old recipes in the old measures too and don't bother to try to convert.

2 people like this

@innertalks (23525)

• Australia

19 Dec

@JudyEv I am used to the km per hour for driving, as I drive often, but even with cooking, I still prefer the fahrenheit, ounces, and pounds, too. Probably, because l still have a lot of old cooking books, and recipes, from my mother, using the old system.

2 people like this

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Dr Souvik Chatterji

@sathviksouvik (22373)

•

19 Dec

very interesting share Judy

2 people like this

@JudyEv (371580)

• Rockingham, Australia

19 Dec

Thank you.

1 person likes this

@LindaOHio (213563)

• United States

18 Dec

Lovely photo. How special to be spending the holidays in Japan.

2 people like this

@JudyEv (371580)

• Rockingham, Australia

18 Dec

They did it two years ago. The whole family goes - children, grandchildren and partners. Seventeen in total.

2 people like this

@LindaOHio (213563)

• United States

19 Dec

@JudyEv Wow. That's a big undertaking.

2 people like this

@Dreamerby (9920)

• Calcutta, India

18 Dec

Wow really good destinations to visit!

3 people like this

@JudyEv (371580)

• Rockingham, Australia

18 Dec

I'm sure they'll have a great time.

2 people like this

@snowy22315 (202839)

• United States

18 Dec

Gadgets can be tricky sometimes, nice pic.

2 people like this

@JudyEv (371580)

• Rockingham, Australia

19 Dec

Thanks. I like this one. It's on our wall.

1 person likes this

@RasmaSandra (94178)

• Daytona Beach, Florida

18 Dec

Are they visiting anyone or just staying at a hotel? Japan is the place where at Christmas they have the tradition to have Kentucky Fried Chicken.

2 people like this

@JudyEv (371580)

• Rockingham, Australia

19 Dec

They're staying at a ski resort. We all talk about the KFC at Christmas. lol

2 people like this

@Marilynda1225 (88653)

• United States

18 Dec

Glad they figured it out and switched back to kilos. Hope they have a safe flight and enjoy their time in Japan. That picture is just so serene and peaceful.

2 people like this

@JudyEv (371580)

• Rockingham, Australia

19 Dec

We have the photo on the wall. I love it. It lowers my blood pressure instantly.

1 person likes this

@Shiva49 (27887)

• Singapore

18 Dec

The photo is sort of eerie. I wonder what is floating on the water. I have a fair idea about how much a bag weighs. I do have a platform scale wieghing machine. I carry the bag and later deduct my weight. Pounds and kilos, feet and meter(metre!), fahrenheit and centigrade (celsius!) - they will keep our minds active!

2 people like this

@JudyEv (371580)

• Rockingham, Australia

19 Dec

We switched from imperial to decimal soon after I left school. I still haven't totally converted. That's a little boat on the water.

2 people like this

@sarik1 (7701)

•

18 Dec

It is lovely photo.

2 people like this

@JudyEv (371580)

• Rockingham, Australia

19 Dec

Thanks. I think it is my favourite.

2 people like this

@SIDIKIMPOLE (3057)

• Eldoret, Kenya

18 Dec

Yeah some units can be confusing

2 people like this

@JudyEv (371580)

• Rockingham, Australia

19 Dec

They can indeed. I find measurements the worst.

2 people like this