Daylight Saving Time Sucks-Now We Have to Wait Until Next Week To Fall Back

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(AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)

I loathe Daylight Savings Time (DST).  I want it dark early evening and light early morning.  I don’t want that bright and shining cyclops still hanging in the sky at 9 o’clock at night.  At 9 o’clock I’m thinking of going to bed to read a good book, and, if it’s still light outside I feel obligated to be outside.

Unfortunately it doesn’t appear anyone cares what this writer, or millions and millions of others have to say as we in America now have to wait yet another week to fall back while the majority of Europeans will be waking up on Sunday, adjusting their watches and spending an extra hour in bed. What’s up with that?

After all, the clocks are being rolled back an hour in Britain, France, Germany and others on Sunday morning, reverting to Greenwich Mean Time, or GMT, in Britain, the official end of summer time. It is the second half of the saying: “Spring forward; Fall back.”

Here in America we will change clocks a full week later at 2 a.m. on November 5 at the end of what is known as Daylight Saving Time (DST). As it turns out Canada, and nine other territories including Bermuda and Cuba will do the same.

Americans will have lighter mornings and darker evenings because of the earlier sunrises and sunsets in what is a tradition initiated by former President Benjamin Franklin to conserve energy, according to Live Science.

In Europe, it was started by the Germans, who in 1916 used it as a means to also conserve energy and boost productivity during the First World War. The U.S. followed in 1918.

When the war ended, most of the countries involved let DST go, apart from the British who ratified it as British Summer Time, or BST, in 1925. The Brits always had to be different.  The U.S. would eventually bring it back in 1942 as the allies battled Hitler’s Germany. It has remained that way, with states electing to follow the system or opt out, which both Arizona and Hawaii have done. New England and Massachusetts want to a step further and move to the Atlantic Time Zone which is an hour ahead of the Eastern Time Zone (ET).

There is opposition to the ridiculous time changes because of the personal effort required to adjust your clocks, watches and actual body clocks. Research has suggested that the changes to the body clock can result in an increase in car accidents, and spilled milk.  I actually just made that last bit up, but you get the point I’m sure.

Not all countries in Europe use the system, and most of the world doesn’t either because they think it’s just silly.  As a matter of fact less than 40 percent of the world uses Daylight Saving Time. Most African and Asian countries, such as India and China, have decided to opt out altogether.  They are the smart ones.

Namibia, as opposed to Nambia, which the feckless Donald Trump thought was a country, is the only nation in Africa to use DST, unless you stay at the Anjajavy resort in Madagascar, which created its own time zone so the sun could rise later and set earlier, according to NPR.

Oh well.  What to do?  Nothing, except to envy the Europeans who get that extra hour starting now, while we in America have to wait for it. Did I mention I hate Daylight Saving Time?  And sports.  I hate sports, but that’s for another time.

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About Post Author

Professor Mike

Professor Mike is a left-leaning, dog loving, political junkie. He has written dozens of articles for Substack, Medium, Simily, and Tribel. Professor Mike has been published at Smerconish.com, among others. He is a strong proponent of the environment, and a passionate protector of animals. In addition he is a fierce anti-Trumper. Take a moment and share his work.
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Bill Formby
6 years ago

Mike, I would have to check, but is this not the same article you write every year about this time just edited a bit to account for unexplainable choice to do this in mid week as opposed to the weekend as per normal. :). Personally, I enjoy the long afternoons rather getting up before I am awake. I am still trying to determine who decided the the world should start in the mornings anyway.

jess
6 years ago

I never change the clocks in the cars, I figure it will be the right time at some point during the year so why bother.

Neil Bamforth
6 years ago

Its not that I mind changing the clocks, it’s just that I can’t!! We have a Citroen Picasso and even my mechanic can’t fathom it. I’ve read the handbook over and over but no. Can’t fathom it.

When we are in our Picasso we are in a different time zone.

Weird.

6 years ago

Hooray! We are NOT ALONE. I also hate that fucking DST guys, and even considered moving to Arizona to get away from it, then I realized we were talking about Arizona and decided that would be a bad idea.

Glenn R. Geist
6 years ago

Brothers in hate, we are. It always seemed like hubris to change the clock instead of just adjusting your schedule, but I guess man, being the measure of all things, doesn’t measure up as well as he thinks.

And of course it doesn’t save energy. If it did, the Republicans would be raging against it and telling us it cost jobs.

6 years ago

Mike I couldn’t agree more! I hate DST! People say: “Oh look at all the gardening you can get done in the evening.” Well, I prefer to do it in the morning when it’s cooler and I’m refreshed from a night’s sleep!

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