Friday, March 09, 2007


IF IT AIN'T BROKE, DON'T FIX IT.

I'm talking about Daylight Saving Time. The new Daylight Saving Time. We can thank one of Michigan's lawmakers for that.

I'm not sure how any of you feel about DST in the first place, but moving the clocks ahead and extending daylight longer doesn't really seem to be necessary. For the past month, it has actually been light out when I get out of work. For the past week, I have noticed it is actually getting lighter out when I either get up in the morning or head to the gym. This morning, shortly before 6:30 am, I could already see the sky lightening.

So what happens as of Sunday morning at 2 am? The clocks move ahead, making it dark longer in the morning. Yes, I realize that means it will be light longer in the evening, but here on the cold, frozen tundra, having more light at either end of the day isn't going to cut back on any energy consumption, nor will it encourage me into outdoor activities into the evening. At least not until June, when it might actually be warm enough for an evening ride. Even with that said, my evening rides would still be finished by 8 pm at the latest, well before it would be dark. I'm still a morning person, after all.

Looking at it from my own viewpoint, I already get up early in the morning, so whether it is light or dark isn't going to change what I do. While it is nice to see daylight when I get out of work, I still will go to bed at the same time, again negating any advantage that may come of the longer daylight hours. In fact, it probably makes it harder to go to bed at a decent time, since it is light out longer, especially in the summer months. And as far as I am concerned, kids out of school already have the whole day to do whatever they are going to do anyway, so why extend daylight hours so they are out on the streets longer?

Now, if I could somehow work my hours at work so I was out doing what I wanted in the early part of the day, until maybe 10 am, and then being able to go to work, it might actually help me stay awake longer if it were light out later. Since that isn't going to happen, I wish they would leave well enough alone.

6 comments:

E-Speed said...

I'm a night person so I like more light in the evening. I wish I could be a morning person though! I think it is much more productive!

Fe-lady said...

I am sure glad we are on "Tucson time" and we never have to change things! One more thing to not think of! :-)
So....are you coming or NOT??!:-0

Flo said...

We don't do DST here in Hawaii either. I've never understood that whole concept. Even when I lived in the mainland I didn't get it. Oh well, just another thing I'll never understand :)

Ellie Hamilton said...

Hmmm. Points to ponder. Personally I'm looking forward to the extra evening hour so I won't have to rush to get a workout done after work, but I've also thought how it affects the o'dark-thirty folks who were just starting to see the light at the end of the night and now have it taken away.

IronWaddler said...

The extra time at night is a bonus to me because I go to work at 6am but I certainly see your point

Ross said...

My professional opinion is that the fit of your bicycle is more important than exactly which bike you get. Once you know the frame size that fits you properly you can look at the frame specs(each bike company sizes their bike a little differently)and choose a bike. You can then costumize your fit with the correct length stem and seatpost. $150 is cheap compared to years of riding a bike you don't like because it doesn't fit properly. Check around and see if any shops in your area have a serotta fit cycle. They adjust the fit cycle to your size, you ride it on a trainer and then they jot down the measurements.

I LOVE daylight savings time for purely selfish reasons. I can now ride after work. I can commute too. With a 2 hour commute after work, I'm only able to do that when it's light til 8pm.