Perpetual Ruminations

Saving What Time?

Just some thoughts that want out:

Daylight savings time starts at midnight. Why, what good is it? I would think it costs all the way around. I've heard some interesting comparisons of daylight savings time.  One, take a blanket and cut one foot off the bottom and sew it to the top to make the blanket longer. Another, put a dime in each pocket, this is normal time. Now, instead of having just ten cents in your pocket, move one dime to the other pocket so you have twice as much money.

To me it seems silly to change clocks so you can get up earlier. I mean, if I get up and seven for work at eight, but don't have enough time, I just set my alarm for six and the problem is solved. Much easier than setting my clock ahead an hour to accomplish the same thing. It's like the government is saying, "Hey, it's spring time now and we think everyone should get up an hour earlier so they can be more productive with the extra hour." Never mind your going to bed an hour sooner and lose that hour of productivity.

I worked in a sawmill many years ago that ran all year long. In the winter, the cold was a big factor for running pneumatic systems, so they started us later in the morning when it was less cold. They also had one person come in early and start all the fires to warm the place up. We would work later in the day to compensate the late start so we still had eight hours a day.

In the spring, we would resume start-up at seven in the morning, since it was now warmer, but during the hottest part of the summer, July and August, we would start at five so that we could get most of the work done before it became overly hot and miserable. It worked great and no outside agency had to regulate this; it was just good business sense.

To me, daylight savings time just doesn't make any sense. I know, there are some people who like it; I know a few. Mostly, this crowd likes the idea of getting up an hour earlier and enjoying more daytime. Of course, even without changing the clocks, they could just get up earlier and do the same thing. I work from four in the afternoon until about ten-thirty at night, so for me, I don't have to go to work now until five. But, I don't get done until eleven-thirty so I'm home later and will sleep an hour more in the morning. What have I gained?

I wonder, how would it work if the government left the clocks alone but just told everyone that you need to start getting up an hour earlier on Sunday. Would anyone complain? Or, would everyone just say, "Well, it's the government, so if they think I need to get up earlier, it must be so." We would likely see protesters marching around with signs stating, I'll get up when I'm damn well ready to get up.

Well, there it is. Every year I wonder why this crazy policy hasn't been revoked. Why hasn't anyone figured out that we don't gain an extra hour by changing the clocks? There are some places that have figured this out and refuse to change the clocks, which must make this whole thing even more confusing when dealing with the rest of us who still do.

I learned a long time ago while in the service a simple policy: If it's not broke, don't f*** with it. "Sorry to say, my clocks are working fine, but tonight before I go to bed, I'm going to f*** with them anyway."