Since we're going to be subjected to Daylight Saving Time soon, it's time for my perennial question: Why? What's the benefit? I once heard that it saved energy, but I can't locate a single study that proves it. I've heard that it reduces traffic accidents in the evening. So what about in the morning?
When you get right down to it, is there any reason at all to have DST? I'd love to have someone give me one that's logical and proves it's necessary or a good thing. As it is, I think we're just sheeping along, allowing the government to mess with our circadian rhythms with out protest.
The only person I know who resisted was my grandmother, God rest her soul, who refused to change her clocks. She let the world go on DST, and she stayed on Central Standard Time.
A couple of states opt out (Hawaii, Arizona). I wish Texas would.
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I think you have to be at least a little concerned about a country so wishy-washy that it can't pick a time and stick with it.
I think selected counties in Indiana also opt out (or used to years ago), so as you drove through, you had to keep switching your dash clock per the local radio.
I've heard convoluted legends of logic involving everything from farming to schoolbusing to electrical use, but what's not argued is that the day right after we spring forward, we usually have a burst of increased traffic accidents due to blearier drivers. Perhaps it evens out? I don't need daylight until 10pm in summer, but I could sure use the extra rays in February. I vote to shift forward and lock it down.
I've long argued that one year we split the difference and leave the clocks there for good.
60 or 70 years ago there was a priest in Ireland---co. Wexford, IIRC---who refused to allow DST in his parish. "I keep the Lord's time," he thundered. Evidently he figured God lives in Greenwich.
LB
It was a plot organized by puritans to put the drive-in movies out of business.
Or, as they said once on Car Talk, "Every spring we all lose an hour. Then in the fall, those who are still alive get that hour back. Meantime, thousands have died, their lives tragically shortened by government red tape."
I don't know about the energy aspect. I just love having more hours of daylight.
I know a guy. But he also won't acknowledge any US time zones and keeps his watch at EST wherever he goes.
The Indiana counties around Chicago used to go from EST to CST at "time change," rather than officially go to EDT, but Indiana unified their timezone about five years ago.
As with War Time, as in Eastern War Time, it seemed like a good idea at the time.
If the government does it, it must be right. I'm afraid I'm going to have to report these treasonous comments, Bill. Nice knowing you.
Wait a minute, I just learned there's no reward for ratting out a time change protestor. Ignore previous comment.
Whew.
We've had DST for years here in the UK. Caused us havoc when we were kids. Go to bed and the sun was still shining through the windows in the summer. And in the winter 'home time' from school was at 4 pm and there we were groping our way across a zebra crossing in the dark and the fog.
Just seems that over the years we learned to live with it.
But I'm on the side of those who are against DST in the US - purely because our DST plays havoc enough with us when we want to watch events like 'Wrestlemania' without anyone else messing with the time.
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