Is the USA going to get rid of DST (Daylight Savings Time)?

[PollyannaMom]

I hate changing back and forth, but I'm for sticking with halfway in between the two (and schools starting a little later anyway).

 

[sam_gordon]

If the complaint is kids going to school in the dark (they currently are now where we are... the bus shows up before 7am and it's still dark), then schools can decide to start later (whether 30 or 60), even if just part of the year. Problem solved.

 

[kdonnel]

According to Google, 70 countries change time twice a year.
Japan, China and India are the three biggest countries that do NOT change time.

India and China seem really odd.

India has time zones that are just 30 minutes different than the adjacent time zones.

China spans 5 time zones but they all are on the same time. So while everyone is on the same time, they are not anywhere close to being on the same daylight for the time.

The east coast of the US to Hawaii is 6 time zones. Imagine Honolulu and New York both at 8am. New York - bright and sunny morning. Honolulu - dark (2am dark) but still 8am.

 

[tvguy]

India and China seem really odd.

India has time zones that are just 30 minutes different than the adjacent time zones.

China spans 5 time zones but they all are on the same time. So while everyone is on the same time, they are not anywhere close to being on the same daylight for the time.

The east coast of the US to Hawaii is 6 time zones. Imagine Honolulu and New York both at 8am. New York - bright and sunny morning. Honolulu - dark (2am dark) but still 8am.

Working in TV for 40+ years in the Pacific time zone, all communications and feeds from the networks are scheduled in Military East Coast time. Of course the other issue is the networks rarely care about the West Coast. So if something happened after about 6 pm Pacific, and there was any work involved in getting video, they would wait until the next day because the video wouldn't make it for the 11 pm Eastern newscasts!

 

[MamaMermaid]

I sure hope so.

 

[EACarlson]

For many years the vast majority of Indiana stayed on Eastern Standard year round. The portion of Indiana that was in the Central time zone changed with DST. So half the year South Bend was the same time as Chicago, the other half it was the same time as Detroit.

 

[morgan98]

For many years the vast majority of Indiana stayed on Eastern Standard year round. The portion of Indiana that was in the Central time zone changed with DST. So half the year South Bend was the same time as Chicago, the other half it was the same time as Detroit.

Yes to this! I actually lived in LaPorte county and worked in South Bend. Our school district covered two time zones. It was confusing, but you sort of got used to it.

 

[disneychrista]

Yeah voters here in California approved a measure to stop changing time, but nothing has come of it.

Because California voted to KEEP DST but federal law only allows the state to keep standard time. So unless the Federal law changes to allow states to keep DST nothing can be done.

 

[tvguy]

Because California voted to KEEP DST but federal law only allows the state to keep standard time. So unless the Federal law changes to allow states to keep DST nothing can be done.

The Sunshine Protection Act does that. The Senate passed it, but the House hasn't even taken it up yet.

 

[disneychrista]

The Sunshine Protection Act does that. The Senate passed it, but the House hasn't even taken it up yet.

Well until they do we are stuck with the two time a years messing with the clocks and screwing up our sleep.

 

[EACarlson]

Yes to this! I actually lived in LaPorte county and worked in South Bend. Our school district covered two time zones. It was confusing, but you sort of got used to it.

It always confused me when I would visit my family in Michigan City and sometimes WSBT would be the same time and sometimes it wouldn't. Then you throw in the branch of the family that lived in New Buffalo and I didn't know what time it was until I was about 14.

 

[Buzz Rules]

Could we ever just be a universal time zone like the UK? If we could put up with the light and dark sky component and just get used to it permanently?

 

[Cannot_Wait_4Disney]

India and China seem really odd.

India has time zones that are just 30 minutes different than the adjacent time zones.

China spans 5 time zones but they all are on the same time. So while everyone is on the same time, they are not anywhere close to being on the same daylight for the time.

The east coast of the US to Hawaii is 6 time zones. Imagine Honolulu and New York both at 8am. New York - bright and sunny morning. Honolulu - dark (2am dark) but still 8am.

The western part of China is very sparsely populated.

Hence why the whole country uses Beijing time instead of the time zones below.

 

[sam_gordon]

Could we ever just be a universal time zone like the UK? If we could put up with the light and dark sky component and just get used to it permanently?

No. Our country is too big.

Something I thought about... if each state decides what time to keep, can you imagine communicating with others and trying to keep track not only what time zone they're in, but whether they adjust clocks during the year OR which time they're keeping?

 

[kdonnel]

The western part of China is very sparsely populated. View attachment 714838

Hence why the whole country uses Beijing time instead of the time zones below.
View attachment 714839

Whether it is sparsely populated or not, the folks in the red edge are screwed over as far as light is concerned.

 

[Buzz Rules]

Most of the USA population is on the east coast.

 

[kdonnel]

No. Our country is too big.

Something I thought about... if each state decides what time to keep, can you imagine communicating with others and trying to keep track not only what time zone they're in, but whether they adjust clocks during the year OR which time they're keeping?

Train schedules and their incredible complexity were a big reason behind time zones.

Time math while flying will be complicated.

The best way to do away with a bad plan is to implement it.

 

[Cannot_Wait_4Disney]

Whether it is sparsely populated or not, the folks in the red edge are screwed over as far as light is concerned.

Not at all. Just because the time is the same as the east doesn't mean they have to go to work at the exact same time as the East. The only difference is it's later on the clock.
Imagine if California changed to Eastern Time. Would they just be hosed and have to go to work at 8 (what used to be 5) or would they simply go from 11-7 (same exact time relative to sunlight they do now but just later on the clock?)

 

[Buzz Rules]

Not at all. Just because the time is the same as the east doesn't mean they have to go to work at the exact same time as the East. The only difference is it's later on the clock.
Imagine if California changed to Eastern Time. Would they just be hosed and have to go to work at 8 (what used to be 5) or would they simply go from 11-7 (same exact time relative to sunlight they do now but just later on the clock?)

What about tv schedules?

 

[tvguy]

What about tv schedules?

Central Time zone residents have always had to do a little math on that. The networks are set to Eastern and Pacific time. Of course then you have a few TV stations here that "shift" prime time an hour earlier. We have one here.