Topic: Daylight (False) Savings Time

[Alieo]

Seriously... what is the point? To save energy? At least that's what our elected officials say. I call BS on that. They say it "saves energy" by postponing sunset so you don't have to burn as much light. Well, last time I checked, A/C systems and heaters burned a WHOLE lot more energy than some measly little light bulbs; light bulbs that are tons more energy efficient now.

Some people argue that they don't have enough "evening hours". Seriously? The sun still rises and sets and the exact same time. You wanna do activities in the daytime? You wanna enjoy things in the evenings under sunlight? Get your a** out an hour earlier! Going to work and coming home in the dark? Get an earlier shift or find another job!

Not to mention, I recently found out I have an actual sleeping disorder called, "Delayed Sleep Phase (Disorder)." I put "disorder" in parenthesis because I like to personally refer to it as a "trait" rather than a "disorder". What that is is my circadian clock isn't on a normal 24.5-25 hour cycle like most people; I'm on a 28 hour cycle. My body will simply not get tired after being awake for 16 hours like average folks. My body wants to stay up for 19 hours and sleep 9 hours, and I have no problem sleeping; I just sleep a hellova lot later than most people. Daylight Savings Time royally screws my sleep pattern up. I go to bed at around 4-6... now I'll be going to bed around 5-7... To counter this delayed sleep phase, I go though a couple of hell days every 3 or 4 days and get only 4 hours of sleep, otherwise I'd be rising and sleeping 3-4 hours later everyday if left unregulated.

This just consistently pisses me off every time we have to go through this same crap twice a year.  (Though, I welcome the "Fall Back" thing as I can finally have a normal 9 hour sleep that day.)

What are your thoughts on Daylight (False) Savings Time?

[Scyphi]

I never really got why we had DST either, but never really could care enough to make much of a fuss about it either. 

[Kaiaatzl]

I'm certainly not as vehement about it as Texace , but I do feel like DST is pointless and annoying.  Plus I like the cold, dark night of the universe... clear winter nights are one of the most beautiful things on the planet, even in a city.

I doubt I'd ever actually move to Saskatchewan, but I kind of wish we'd all follow their lead on getting rid of it.  Pick one of the two settings on the clock and stick with it for the whole year.  I don't even care that much which it is.

[Pumo]

If I would have the choice, I would stick for Summer time for all of the year.
It's way better IMO to get outside with a bit of sun on the sky, like when I get exit time at my job (the anime-comic convention I work on), around 7:30 to 8:00 PM, or when I have to make some shopping for the dinner time or whatever still with a bit of warmness, than goin' out at darkness with cold.

I clearly see Kaiaa wouldn't agree with me very much, I suppose he would prefer to stick to Winter time for all the year to enjoy the coldness of the night. 

For the record, I do also like night time, but I definitely prefer a warm summer night than a cold winter one, except for the lights and decorations present on Christmas time.

But at the end, TBH, I don't actually care that much about changing clocks every now and then due to DST.

[VANGUARD]

My mother prefers this over the fall back. I, and I could also speak for 99% of the world population, LEAVE IT ALONE! Our own state capital used to not do this, but like anyone else, they do it now.

[DarkWing]

Sheesh .. You guys got access to the web.  Use it.

Daylight Savings Time was first used by Germany and Austria-Hungary and was intended to help maximize use of the daylight hours for those activities/industries that rely on daylight.

The U.S. started using it during World War II for the same reason and to reduce incandescent energy use during wartime... and it helped.

They just haven't stopped using it even though it doesn't have much benefit anymore and it's presence requires complicated time-keeping efforts to keep everything straight because not everyone uses it.

There. You learned something.

[Kaiaatzl]

Of course Daylight Savings Time happened for a reason, Darkwing.  Things don't tend to happen without one.
===
It's an interesting story, but I don't see how the origins of Daylight Savings Time have anything to do with how relevant it is now.  Which is kind of what we're griping about.  In fact, you seem to be agreeing with us .

[Scyphi]

I doubt I'd ever actually move to Saskatchewan, but I kind of wish we'd all follow their lead on getting rid of it.

Speaking of, word on the street is that my home state is considering ditching DST. Dunno if it's actually going to happen, though.

In the end, though, I guess I'm really indifferent about it, largely. I mean, yeah, changing clocks can be a hassle (though for "springing ahead," alarm clocks generally aren't too bad ) but that gripe only last a few minutes and then its over. So IMO we could probably do without DST, but at the same time I could live with it too.

[DarkWing]

Kai,
I didn't say it was relevant.  I did say it doesn't have much benefit anymore.

Personally, I don't think we're actually griping about how relevant it is now.  We're griping about the fact it's still being observed.

To abolish it's observance in the U.S. would require 48 (or is it 49?) or the U.S. 50 States to each (individually) vote and approve discontinuing the observance of Daylight Savings ... or ... a congressional order (approved by both houses) to end it.  Then, it would still require millions (probably billions) of $ change over systems and procedures, not to mention all the software and firmware 'upgrades' that would be required for the billions of devices (computers, watches, phones, tablets, cars, printers, security systems, factory systems ....) that would need changed to accommodate not observing Daylight Savings.

Not to mention the pathetic systems whose programming is incapable of NOT thinking for Daylight Savings. For those devices it would be similar to Y2K.

Choosing to stop observing Daylight Savings is a much bigger matter to consider than most people realize.

Here is a map showing (in blue) the places that observe Daylight Savings. 
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:DaylightSaving-World-Subdivisions.png

In addition to the U.S., most of the EU, most of Canada, most of Iceland, portions of South America, couple parts of Africa, and parts of Australia all observe Daylight Savings.

[Kaiaatzl]

I do not understand you...
I'm not American.  I don't really care what every one of your states does.  Provinces and states and countries would have to get rid of DST one at a time, and none of us are denying that... I'm only suggesting that somebody starts.
Who knows, I might even start something here in Manitoba.  I've been thinking about it for a while.

You can stop patronizing us now.  We know a lot more about what we're talking about than you seem to think we do.

[Scyphi]

Kai, it's the U.S. Since when have we EVER fully agreed to do ANYTHING for the past decade?

DW actually raises a fair point, it wouldn't be an easy process, and while I don't know if it'll be AS expensive as claimed, it'll still be pricey and that alone will rub a lot of people the wrong way. Because you know how awful it is to have a whole bunch of money and then have to part with any of it for any reason.

This isn't to say I'm against the idea or doing it. It's just, given all the other problems America at least faces at present (the economy, health care, whether or not to meddle in the affairs of countries like Ukraine that the rest of the world seems to think can't handle things without the U.S. doing it for them), it doesn't exactly seem like a high priority at the moment, y'know?

Don't know what your state of affairs is like up in Canada, though, but it wouldn't surprise me if you're in a better position to do it, so don't let this American be standing in your way.

[Kaiaatzl]

That's kind of what I'm saying.  If enough momentum is generated others will follow.  You have to start small, but the goal is to end big.

If that makes any sense.
And also saying that whatever your problems are it doesn't have to affect me.  I'm more upset by his attitude of "here's some information that doesn't change anything, now you don't need to complain, kids!"
But you can probably tell I'm upset with him by the dead duck...

[Scyphi]

I'm pretty sure he didn't mean to imply any of that Kai, but just saying.

[DarkWing]

IMHO, Dealing with the existence of Daylight Savings is ... trivial at best and not significant enough to complain about.  I've been doing it for many, many years.  At this point I could care less.  Change the clock and forget about it.  Oh, wait... Most of the clocks now automatically change for me.  Gee.  Even easier.

Scyphi,
You're right, I didn't mean to imply it doesn't have to affect anyone ... because everyone everywhere in this grand world is affected by it, even those places that do not observe it ... indirectly (the economic effects of it impact the whole world).  No nation or people would be unaffected, except perhaps some remote natives or aborigines.

[VANGUARD]

I was late for work one day, and almost a second day because my body gets used to a certain time for bed and to wake up. That's why i, and possibly others, hate this change.

If clocks wish to change automatically, even watches, microwaves, cars, etc, that wouldn't solve the core of my issue.