I do think that it has practical applications for the smaller ratios that are easy to remember and/or derive. For example 5:8 is a both a closer approximation t

I do think that it has practical applications for the smaller ratios that are easy to remember and/or derive. For example 5:8 is a both a closer approximation than 3:5 that most people use, and is more convenient when miles are a multiple of 5.