Wait 'til Spring Ahead to Complain?

[digitS']

I'm grouchy in the morning ... back in the day before half of us gave up our newspapers, I'd read the editorial opinions in the morning and save the funny papers until just before turning off the light, at night ...

This morning, I read this: What Changing the Clock ... Health.

So, they are trying to tell us what? Changing the clocks changes the passage of the Sun in the Heavens? Changing the clocks is healthy because kids average 2 minutes more exercise time when the sun stays up longer during the summer months? Hospitals should add more staff and expect more overtime pay on the Mondays after daylight savings time kicks in???

Here's part of the reason we continue with this loss of control of our lives and times while the National Geographic quietly puts to rest any notions we had about saving energy: DST: Do We Really Need It?

Can we not simply leave shift changes as negotiations between management and labor? Retailers have different opening and closing hours through the week and through the year, must the consumer be locked in on those?

Steve

 

[Ridgerunner]

Some people can write some pretty silly articles, can't they? Following one of the links in one of your links, a study they cited was in Australia where they went to DST during the Olympics and compared that to an area that did not switch. Energy use was consistent between the two. If the Olympics are going on in one section, might that not alter energy use and render that comparison worthless? Best I could tell, everything else in that article was opinion. We all have those. One of my opinions is that DST has very little effect overall on energy use. Even the studies that claim we do save energy don't claim a lot of energy savings.

Whether I want to be or not, I'm tied to a clock because I associate with other people. Part of that is businesses are going to be open at certain hours or TV shows are going to be on at certain times. For some people, supper is going to be at 5:30 no matter what. It can't be at 4:30 or 6:30 because that is not the way it is done. Although I'm retired and could theoretically go to any schedule I want, it's inconvenient to not follow certain conventions. I like DST in the summer because it gives me and extra hour after supper to work outside after it has cooled off some. In the winter one way or the other doesn't other me. I'm not going to be dodging the heat or working outside after supper anyway. Maybe some time in the workshop. I'd be happy to stay on DST year around as long as TV stations, businesses, and schools didn't adjust their schedules.

I'm more of a morning person that a lot of other people. That's good because most of my working life it was normal for me to get up at 4:30 or 5:00 so I could grab a cup of coffee before I trusted myself to drive to work. In some jobs, the phrase "You're burning daylight" has real meaning. One way I managed that schedule was to go to bed at night. I know a lot of people have trouble going to sleep at night, but I was lucky that I could do it. Another trick to not feeling so horrible in the morning was to maintain that schedule during the weekend. Oh, I'd cheat a little bit but not by much.

I think it is good that each state has the option to follow DST or not, but what I don't want is for different states to switch at different times. At least keep that much consistency.

 

[digitS']

If we drive our cars more because of changing our clocks, it seems likely that it would more than offset any savings from using less lighting.

I was out in the countryside before sunrise last week. The middle school and high school kids were along the roads waiting for their busses.

Not all of the problems with having kids out in pre-dawn hours would be solved by staying on standard time. It is just more apparent at this time of year when we are running the clock back so many weeks from the equinox. Only a couple weeks early in spring, about 6 weeks late in the fall ...

Health effects aside, I wonder what the twice yearly confusion costs productivity. It can only get worse if more states opt out.

Tired and retired, I'm going back to the sundial.

Steve

 

[digitS']

Oh shoot!

What time did I get up?



digitS'

 

[goatgurl]

my only gripe with changing from standard to dst is simply changing. i really don't care one way or the other just decide which it is and leave time the heck alone!

 

[Smart Red]

And here I sit trying to convince my spouse that, no matter what his tummy says it is NOT time for our usual coffee break. Of course, he and his tummy know the right time and I'll be driving to the donut shop now.

 

[so lucky]

Now that I am retired, I live by the sun, my energy level, my stomach and the weather. What time it is, or is not, has little to do with my schedule, unless I want to go to a store and have to wait till it opens.
It's nice.

 

[ninnymary]

so lucky, i think that's the way we should all live. If only we could. I would actually like to start my day when the sun comes up and end when the sun goes down. Why do we have to stay up late anyway?

Mary

 

[digitS']

Oh Mary, I tried that awhile!

Those were the early days when I worked on farms and had the winter months off! Lived way out in the country and not only couldn't see my neighbor's house, I couldn't see any electric lights at night if no airplanes or satellites weren't going over. Street lights. Cars. Nuthin'.

The sun would disappear at 3:30 in the afternoon!

Shoot! There is no wonder aboriginal people above the arctic circle paid so much attention to getting their whale blubber and lamps primed every year!!

Steve

 

[thistlebloom]

I'm working on my whale blubber and it's not even officially winter!

it seems too soon to be adding yet another layer of it though...