I Do NOT "Heart" DST!

[AuntShecky]

Hi Folks,
Those of you who live in the U.S. have undoubtedly been bombarded with messages from the media about setting the clocks one hour ahead this weekend for daylight saving--sometimes written "savings" time. Perhaps you exclaimed, "Already? It's only March!"

You can thank the government for having DST begin so early this year, as it was supposedly designed to conserve energy in the form of electricity, the reasoning being that
an extra hour of daylight would mean one less hour of burning lights in the evening.

According to an NBC News story, however, researchers have found that the earlier start in the year for DST has had the opposite effect. Over the past three years during the extended DST period (from March through November) Americans have been using MORE energy, not less!
Though it stays light longer in the evening, the early morning hours are as dark as a villain's heart. During the news video, an average man on the street said, "I still have to be at work at the same time whether the sun is shining or not."

Who started this ill-conceived, counterproductive idea? Was it the wine-soaked Roman philosopher, Proctalgia Fugax? (Virgil will get that one!) Or maybe it was our usually less impetuous Founding Father Ben Franklin after an especially vigorous night of carousing in the red light district of colonial Philadelphia. In any event I think that DST stinks!

Previously I posted a reaction to it here on the LitNet. If you're so inclined, you can read it. Be advised however, this was a relatively early postings, before I realized we should skip a line between paragraphs. Also the poll was
time-limited and is thus defunct.

Here's the story, Spring Ahead, Fall Back. (http://www.online-literature.com/forums/showthread.php?t=29616)

http://www.online-literature.com/forums/showthread.php?t=29616

[Niamh]

As far as i know, modern DST started during WWI, So they could have an extra hour rest in the morning before fighting.

[AuntShecky]

Officially yes, but it was really Ben Franklin's idea.\It's the early start time that irks me.

[Niamh]

Actually the Modern DST system that is in use today was "invented" by William Willett in 1905 and from 1907 to the year he died 1915 he lobbied for it to be put into place. The Germans did during in 1916 which was shortly followed by Britain. America didnt follow suit until 1918.:)

[Weisinheimer]

I don't really like DST. It messes me up. I don't hate it as much as I used to, though.

[Shalot]

Actually the Modern DST system that is in use today was "invented" by William Willett in 1905 and from 1907 to the year he died 1915 he lobbied for it to be put into place. The Germans did during in 1916 which was shortly followed by Britain. America didnt follow suit until 1918.:)

I wish William Willett had never been born. I hope they have a special place in purgatory for him where they keep adjusting the time on him, once he gets into a routine. I hope the sun is still shining brightly when it's time for bed and I hope it's pitch black when it's time for him to wake up.

[Niamh]

I wish William Willett had never been born. I hope they have a special place in purgatory for him where they keep adjusting the time on him, once he gets into a routine. I hope the sun is still shining brightly when it's time for bed and I hope it's pitch black when it's time for him to wake up.

I completely agree!

[PeterL]

Who started this ill-conceived, counterproductive idea? Was it the wine-soaked Roman philosopher, Proctalgia Fugax? (Virgil will get that one!) Or maybe it was our usually less impetuous Founding Father Ben Franklin after an especially vigorous night of carousing in the red light district of colonial Philadelphia. In any event I think that DST stinks!


Although Ben came up with the idea after a very late night in Paris; he was not responsible for putting his bad idea into effect. It started during the Great War.

I agree that DST is a bad idea. It doesn't save anything, and as the research has shown, it costs more money. Pushing it into the Winter has made it even clearer that it is a bad idea. Perhaps it is time to get rid of the foolishness. My personal preference would be for everyone to use Local Sun Time,LST, but that would be inconvenient for long distance travel and communications. With so much instantaneous communication, it might be possible to deal with local time through the cell phone networks.

[LadyWentworth]

As far as i know, modern DST started during WWI, So they could have an extra hour rest in the morning before fighting.
I always thought it was for the farmers. It seems that I always heard that. Shows how much I know! :p

I don't know. I am one of the few people out there that likes it when the sun sets earlier. So, since the sun has already been setting later, anyway, I wasn't too thrilled when they decided to have DST happen earlier than it did before. :mad:

[AuntShecky]

Here's a laugh aloud column on the subject by David Grimes of the Miami Herald-Tribune (http://www.heraldtribune.com/article/20080309/COLUMNIST23/803090574/1630/news03)

[Virgil]

Who started this ill-conceived, counterproductive idea? Was it the wine-soaked Roman philosopher, Proctalgia Fugax? (Virgil will get that one!)

I just saw this thread today for the first time. I had a round about notion of Proctalgia Fugax but I went and looked it up. From M-W:


Main Entry: proct·al·gia fu·gax
Pronunciation: "präk-'tal-j(E-)&-'fyü-"gaks
Function: noun
: a condition characterized by the intermittent occurrence of sudden sharp pain in the rectal area
:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: Five laughing faces! I will have to use that phrase in something somewhere.

As to DST, you know I prefer the altered time scheme better than the natural time scheme. We should stick with that all year round.

[AimusSage]

They ought to just switch day and night, that's a lot more fun, and a good reason to be out at night, because you can see where you're going.

[ClaesGefvenberg]

DST? Utter tosh and dribble, and also quite useless.
Those of you who live in the U.S. have undoubtedly been bombarded with messages from the media about setting the clocks one hour ahead this weekend for daylight saving--sometimes written "savings" time. Perhaps you exclaimed, "Already? It's only March!"We have it over at this side of the pond too, I'm afraid.


According to an NBC News story, however, researchers have found that the earlier start in the year for DST has had the opposite effect.Of course it does. I could have told them that, without any need for fancy research. Let's walk through it, as seen from my latitude:


Midsummer: We have sunrise at 3 or 4am, and sunset at maybe 9 pm. Yeah, we save a lot of energy by cranking the timepieces one hour forward, don't we? :rolleyes:
Autumn: when we go back to std time, we lose the few minutes of daylight we had left when we leave work. All of a sudden it is pitch black when we go home. Brilliant.... not! :flare:
Midwinter: The sun rises (if you can call inching a few degrees over the horizon rising) at 10 am and disappears at around 1 or 2 pm. The only way for us to conserve any energy at that time of the year would be to hibernate! Now where do I apply for hibernation? :as-sleep:
Spring: Brilliant! at long last the sun is rising before we have to leave for work in the morning. Whopeeee.... Not! Along comes DST and spoils the fun. Back to pitch black mornings for another month... :sick:


I don't know who started this nonsense over here in Europe, but if the joker is still among us, I would like to put a boot up the silly sods backside... ...with considerable feeling.

In any event I think that DST stinks!Amen to that...

/Claes

[PeterL]

I'm not enthusiastic about petitioning political authorities, but I think the time has come to demand an end to the wasteful foolishness of DST, and I just emailed my congressman to that effect.

[Lily Adams]

It took me forever to get used to it. :sick: I don't do well with that kind of change. I do, however, love it in the fall when we put the clocks back.