It's almost that time, here in the United States.
It's almost time to "spring ahead". Almost time for many to suffer a couple of days of disorientation. (I'm one of them.) Time again for people to beg, "Someone make it stop!"
Yes, it is time to spring ahead an hour to Daylight Saving Time. (Side note, it is Daylight Saving Time, not Daylight Savings Time).
I do a variation of this post twice a year.
Oh, does Daylight Saving Time bring back memories.
I remember the July day in 1966 I flew on an airplane for the first time, and landed in Florida. We had to set our watches back an hour because Florida was not on Daylight Saving Time. (Speaking of Florida, there is the Sunshine Protection Act, a proposed Federal law sponsored by two men from Florida, which would put us on permanent daylight saving time. Florida already passed it in their state legislature, but they can't enact it.)
I remember too well how, on January 6, 1974, we had Emergency Daylight Saving Time implemented. It was supposed to be for 16 months, due to the energy crisis. I don't have fond memories of stumbling to my 8am college class in the dark. It was so unpopular that the 16 month idea was abandoned.
Then, there were the several car trips we took to Indiana in the 1970's and early 1980's, when we weaved back and forth between Eastern time on Daylight Saving Time, Eastern time on Standard time, and ditto for the part of the state in the Central time zone. If you were lucky, you didn't have to be somewhere at a particular time, because you usually didn't know what time it was. (no, our watches didn't automatically show the correct time.)
Although most Americans oppose the spring ahead/fall back practice, no one can seem to agree on exactly how it should end. We are split over year round daylight saving time or year round standard time. Or, should we go back a half hour so no one is happy?
So around and around we go. As the saying goes, where it stops, nobody knows. We've been doing it for years.
Now, it is 2022 and we we will do it again at 2am local time on Sunday, March 13.
And we'll be doing it again on November 6, because this all will be forgotten until November.
...I didn't like the permanent daylight saving time in the '70s, but I'm looking forward to its return this month.
ReplyDeleteIt's a jarring event for babies, children, people who work, and the elderly.
ReplyDeleteJust about everyone, I think.
The changing in time always seems disruptive and one wishes that we would just stick with one system, but, as you say, apparently that "one system" cannot be agreed upon.
ReplyDeleteI wouldn't mind going back to the way it started out, from the last Sunday in April to the last Sunday in October. Six months on, six moinths off. DST didn't bother me until they started expanding it.
ReplyDeleteWhether it's standard time, daylight saving time, or standard time plus 30 minutes doesn't matter to me.
Ah yes, it is that time of year again when everyone complains about the time change. I guess I'm in the minority when it comes to this. I'm very meh about it all. I get why people hate it. I do.
ReplyDeleteUgh.
ReplyDeleteI hate changing the clocks. I don't really care what time it is. Just pick a time zone and stick with it. Besides, with so many people now working from home, what difference does it make what the clivk says?
ReplyDeleteWell, next Sunday the clock in my car will have the correct time, first time since November.
ReplyDeleteI was in junior high when we went in year round DST. Edifies arriving at school in the dark.