Should the clocks have gone back? Poll discussion/results

CopperPlate_2

Potatoman wrote: »

My preference is not to put the clocks forward in March and stay on GMT

And then we'd be two hours behind the rest of Europe in Summer, and one in Winter.

Flybridge

I agree with Flying Teddy. Very well put. Those of us who work in factories and offices may have problems with flexing our work times (although flexi time is still popular), but farmers and the like can surely suit themselves.

My Dad lives in Darwin, Australia. Daylaight there is basically 6 am to 6 pm. We were surprised when we got there to see people walking their dogs at 6 in the morning and restaurants closing at 9. But they adjusted their lifestyles to suit daylight hours. Why can't we be pragmatic like that?

As has been said by a few contributors, the daylight hours are what they are. Changing clocks will not stop people driving in the dark or dusk/twilight as that will happen whatever time we set our clocks to.

I think the whole arguement is another example of the mentality that we expect the Nanny state to look after us instead of taking responsibility for our own actions i.e. we should drive carefully (at all times, not just when it's dark!) or, if we are pedestrians, look before we cross the road and wear bright clothing instead of dark colours.

The trouble is, if the politicians get a hold of this they'll want to be seen to be doing something and we'll get the usual knee jerk rection which will just make the whole thing worse.

CopperPlate_2

Isn't the whole thing academic anyway? I mean, there are Directives issued from the EU which seem to stipulate that Europe will 'harmonise' 'Summer Times' so any decision we as the UK might make about daylight saving time would have to be run past our European 'masters' to ensure we are not deviating too far from the Euro master plan?

A link for anyone bored enough to read it, relating to European Directive 2000/84/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 19 January 2001 on summer-time arrangements:

http://eur-lex.europa.eu/smartapi/cgi/sga_doc?smartapi!celexapi!prod!CELEXnumdoc&lg=EN&numdoc=32000L0084&model=guichett

Enjoy.

EdInvestor

Iom-rf wrote: »

Can't the Scots (or people living in Scotland) just get up an extra hour early to suit?....

I say leave it as it is!!

Indeed so. The Scots are quite happy to do it their way in many other areas, so let them move to GMT in the winter if they want to, leaving everyone else on BST.

After all the Scots make up only 8.3% of the population - 5m out of 60m - and if they don't like it they can always move .

In this particular case it really does seem that the tail is wagging the dog.:rolleyes:

Iom-rf

CopperPlate wrote: »

There's an idea!! :rotfl: Perhaps we could all stay the way we are up here and everyone elsewhere can stop putting the clocks back... :cool: :rotfl:

Scottish Summer Time/Greenwich Mean Time...

Nah I meant can't they just have a different time zone in Scotland?....

ejw_2

In the USA there are different time zones within the same country, and they seem to manage OK. So I don't think the business community here and throughout Europe can complain too much, especially as the EEC is getting bigger.

Dairy farmers, I think, need to milk their cows at the same time each day or they don't produce as much milk. I suppose they're a bit like my father-in-law, his routines get all messed up when the clocks go forwards or back.

The only time I'd like to see things seriously changed from the way we do it now is if it'll save money, for my own heating and lighting.

halia

flying_teddy wrote: »

The poll didn't include the most obvious answer, and that is not to put the clocks forwards in the spring.

The fact is that the mornings don't get lighter (or darker, or whatever it is) the fact is that we do things earlier or later.

For example, Take the trip to school. During the winter, the kids undertake the trip to school to arrive by 9 o'clock (say). In spring, when the clocks go forward, this journey is undertaken an hour earlier, at 8 o'clock; It's just that we CALL it 9 o'clock by virtue of moving the clocks. So why not just go to school at 8 o'clock - because that is ACTUALLY WHAT YOU ARE DOING!

The messing about changing the clocks is so stupid. If you need to have daylight for school journeys, change the school opening by an hour. I repeat - THIS IS WHAT IS ACTUALLY HAPPENING. it's just called a different thing.

Not moving the clocks would have so many advantages. Overnight operations (Trains, planes, TV & Radio, hospitals, buses, newspapers, police, electricity supply, gas, water, garages etc., etc., etc) will no more have to mess about gaining and losing chunks of the day. Overnight trains and planes will no longer arrive an hour late (or early), an hour of TV programming will no longer disappear (or need obtaining), arguments about getting paid an hour's overtime (for the 17% of UK workers who work nights) will no longer happen.....

And additionally, there will no longer be thousands upon thousands of wasted man-hours changing all the nations clocks twice a year. We have 15 clocks in our house, clocks in cars, clocks in microwaves, clocks in VCRs etc., mantle clocks, wall clocks, alarm clocks (but not clocks in PCs which generally change themselves), all of which require manual intervention. Multiply this by 25 million households, and that's a lot of clocks! This could be regarded as OK, but what about all the clocks in business and service premises which need to be changed on overtime - someone has to pay.

The arguments about business hours are equally fatuous. If we want to do business with Europe, then get to the office an hour earlier - I repeat, this is what is actually happening, we arrive at 8 o'clock, but we call it 9 o'clock. We seem to be quite happy to do business with China, Hong Kong, America etc. with many hours difference quite happily. And all the confusion because America changes a week later than Europe.. nightmare.

And no, the cows don't give a hoot (or moo I suppose) what the time is. Farmer has to get up when the sun does no matter what you call the time.

So, to sum up: change the time you do things, not the clocks. That way you cut out half the problem.

God Bless GMT!

Completly agree, stick to ONE timezone for the whole year. I do have a kid and I dont' have a problem with them being out in the dark either on the way to school or on the way home - because I WALK WITH THEM! or they come home with friends!

Former_MSE_Lawrence

Poll ran between 13 - 19 Nov 2007: Should the clocks have gone back? Results

It’s been a couple of weeks since the clock went back heralding earlier evening darkness. There’s been much debate on whether we should adopt Central European Time; meaning later winter sunrises, but also an extra hour of daylight in the evening. There’s always a lot of talk on the impact on Scotland as it's more northerly, so I’ve split out Scottish MoneySavers to see if geography makes a difference.

Which of these is closest to your view?


A. Don't put the clocks back. I'd rather an extra hour in the afternoon. 77% (4839 votes)
B. Put the clocks back. I prefer morning light. 16% (1023 votes)
C. Don't put them back (I'm Scottish). I'd rather an extra hour in the afternoon. 5% (331 votes)
D. Put them back (I'm Scottish). I prefer morning light. 3% (200 votes)

Total Votes: 6319

This vote has now ended, but you can still discuss below.

CopperPlate_2

As I said before, I think all this discussion is academic, as we don't have the option to NOT put the clocks back since the EU has legislated (albeit in secondary form via Directives, but nevertheless, this still has to be incorporated into our own law, so the essence of it and its intention will have to be followed) for summer time arrangements so as one country we can't just please ourselves and do our own thing.

chunkymunky_3

this morning i went to work in the dark, worked a shift without leaving the building then drove home in the dark, i seriously think im suffering from S.A.D if we stopped messing with the clocks at least i may get the chance to drive home in the light, maybe even spend five minutes enjoying it