Columns

What is this time change 'saving'?

By HOWARD TROXLER
Published March 11, 2007

By the time you read this, it will already be an hour later than it ought to be, thanks to the U.S. Congress.

Starting this year, daylight saving time begins on the second Sunday in March and lasts until the first Sunday of November.

From now on, our so-called standard time will last just four months a year. Congress made this change in 2005 as part of a big energy bill.

There wasn't that much notice at the time, but human nature is to wait until it is too late. It'll be interesting to see the reaction now.

Things were bad enough when daylight saving time started on the first Sunday in April, and the late-spring mornings were robbed of an hour of daylight.

But now matters are worse. At the earliest and latest extremes, we'll be talking about a sunrise around here as late as 7:48 a.m.

No sunrise until almost 8 a.m.! Sheesh. What is this, Alaska? Aren't we supposed to be the Sunshine State?

Yes, we get the benefit of an extra hour of daylight at the end of the day. And that is a fine thing to have on lazy midsummer evenings.

But for families that have to get kids to school in pitch darkness ...

For folks who get up to go to work in the morning ...

For morning runners or cyclists, or those who want to go work outside ...

For morning people in general ...

They're still going to get up at the same time. They're going to burn lights, and use hot water, and do what else they have to do.

The availability of daylight in the evening, on the other hand, is less critical. By the time you get home from work, fix dinner, walk the dog, get the kids' homework done and flip on American Idol, what difference does it make?

Part of my objection, without a doubt, is sentimental, and so maybe it is outdated. I learned a lesson from complaining about starting school in early August - just because you didn't do it, some modern parents replied, doesn't mean it's a bad idea for us.

And yet - sunrise at 8 a.m.! It seems so ... unnatural.

The virtue of daylight saving time always has been its association with summer. Even switching from the last Sunday in April to the first, as we did in 1986, still seems a recent affront to the rhythm of the year.

To borrow from what I wrote in 2005 when Congress passed this law:

The advent of daylight saving in April is a harbinger of long, full, summertime days to come. In those languid well-lit hours, one might have a bite of supper, wash the dishes and still think about whether to do a little yard work, or play catch with the kids, or visit on the stoop with the neighbors.

Yet, in its turn, the resumption of standard time in October is the true beginning of fall. The timing feels about right. Henceforth the days will get shorter, the night will come sooner. It is a time for endings. The year is aging fast; the holidays are only weeks away.

Summertime hours from March to November? Phooey to that. Either Congress should repeal this law, or Florida should exercise its right to exempt itself.

Is it light outside yet? I am eager to start the day.

Howard Troxler now has a blog for updates, observations and reader comments. Check it out at www.tampbay.com by clicking on the "Blogs" link, or at the Web address blogs.tampabay.com/troxler.

[Last modified March 11, 2007, 00:30:33]