Permanent Daylight Saving Time: The Sequel
There is an axiom in Hollywood (so I’ve heard) that sequels are NEVER as good as the original. And except for “The Godfather,” this seems pretty true. (Though I have always been a “Godfather 1” guy, I accept that there are many who feel “2” is a masterpiece that outshines the original.)
So, it is with great wonderment that we are moving toward “Daylight Saving Year ‘Round: The Sequel.”
The Senate this week passed the “Sunshine Protection Act” (because who doesn’t want to protect sunshine?) which would make Daylight Saving Time a permeant, year round fixture in our lives. Now it goes to the House, then to President Biden to become law.
How is this a sequel?
Well, we tried it in 1974. And we hated it. The law was passed in late 1973 as a measure to somehow save energy during one of the many energy crises of those years. (Actually, if this latest law passes, it will be Part 3. We also tried this during World War 2.)
Why did we hate it? Mainly (I think) because sweet, innocent fourth graders like me were standing at the bus stop in the dark of night, since the sun didn’t rise until something like 8:15 AM. Also, people didn’t like driving to work in the pitch black. Also there were more accidents, including sweet, innocent kids waiting for the bus and walking to school getting hit by cars.
So, we went back to switching our clocks back and forth by 1975.
What makes things different this time around?
Absofuckinglutely nothing. It’s just that 1974 was a long time ago and we Americans have the attention spans of three-year-olds, so many of the people who thought this was a good idea back then are old or dead, and the rest of us were kids and sort of, kind of remember going to school with flashlights along with our “Speed Racer” lunch boxes, but not really, so whatever: LET’S GIVE IT ANOTHER SHOT!
Permanent Daylight Saving sounds much better than it actually is. In fact, there are those that say we should be doing exactly the opposite by making Standard Time permanent and do away with DST entirely.
Prediction: If this passes, it will be repealed, just like last time. Because if there is one thing Americans like more than lingering outside in the sunlight after dinner, it’s complaining. We LOVE to complain and we REALLY love to complain about changing the clocks.
And in a world of war, and pandemics, and climate change and inflation – all huge things that complaining about seems… inadequate… why deny us the pure joy of bitching and moaning about something that, in the end, is really not all that big a deal?
(And, once and for all: “Godfather 1” is the greatest.)