I'm a nighthawk. The farmers can go screw themselves; farm work doesn't depend on the clock, and anyone who says it does is lying. In my experience, animals tend to adjust their wake/sleep schedules by how light it is, and what the clock says is largely irrelevant. Besides which, farmers account for, what, 1% of the population? Why do they get a veto on the clock? We don't make such wide-ranging and impactful societal changes to accommodate other occupational minorities... Coloured luggage will no longer be available, because pilots have to carry black.
Standard time still doesn't prevent a lot of kids from going to school in the dark (in the higher latitudes, they come home from school in the dark too), especially if they live (as I did) in a large rural school district with staggered school hours and long bus routes. When I was in high school, our classes started at 8:20AM, and my bus ride to school was between 35 and 45 minutes every day. Add in that the bus companies have to put on a second run for the schools that start at 9, so they need some time, and I was frequently at school by 10 to 8 in the morning, or earlier. Standing outside in the dark in mid-February at 10 after 7 in the morning isn't fun, but it's not exactly avoidable in all cases, either.
I think more jurisdictions should just tell the Arbiters of Time to Cheney themselves and pick a time and stick to it all year round. It would eliminate a lot of hassles, not really impact most people's lives negatively, and save us all from getting jet lag twice a year.
Preach it! The "but our poor little darlings will have to go to school in the dark" whine is hooey. I was in grade school the year Nixon returned to DST in the winter -- big deal; it was dark. That's what streetlights are for; if my parents were that apprehensive (as my mother was the first day) they could walk me to the bus stop.
I don't much care what scheme we settle on, but I'd like us to just pick one and stick with that.
I always LIKED walking to school in the dark. I lived in a safe neighborhood and only scrossed one busy street (which was welll-lit) and found wandernig around in the dark and seeing the moon set made me feel like I was on a romaantic adventure. Especially thet year they did double-daylight savings time.
Honestly thoug, I think Ben Franklin was JOKING when he came up with this one. Everyone knows you can't "save" daylight. There's just so much to go around any given day.
Death to DST!
Standard time still doesn't prevent a lot of kids from going to school in the dark (in the higher latitudes, they come home from school in the dark too), especially if they live (as I did) in a large rural school district with staggered school hours and long bus routes. When I was in high school, our classes started at 8:20AM, and my bus ride to school was between 35 and 45 minutes every day. Add in that the bus companies have to put on a second run for the schools that start at 9, so they need some time, and I was frequently at school by 10 to 8 in the morning, or earlier. Standing outside in the dark in mid-February at 10 after 7 in the morning isn't fun, but it's not exactly avoidable in all cases, either.
I think more jurisdictions should just tell the Arbiters of Time to Cheney themselves and pick a time and stick to it all year round. It would eliminate a lot of hassles, not really impact most people's lives negatively, and save us all from getting jet lag twice a year.
Re: Death to DST!
I don't much care what scheme we settle on, but I'd like us to just pick one and stick with that.
Re: Death to DST!
Honestly thoug, I think Ben Franklin was JOKING when he came up with this one. Everyone knows you can't "save" daylight. There's just so much to go around any given day.