Daylight savings. A little too far?

[brownbox]

Well, as you may have noticed, daylight savings has lasted an extra 2 weeks this year, and I have heard mixed comments about it. Farmers are saying its "a bloody useless idea", and townies are "loving it". So what do you all think? I reckon its been well overdone, and now its still dark when I catch the bus in the morning for school!

[victor_alpha_charlie]

I like it, if anything for the fact it reminds me of summer. But apart from when I get up at 5 for waterpolo, I don't notice the dark in the mornings (It's great living 5 mins drive from school!)- I don't get up until after 8

[Charl]

Mmph I'm with the farmers - hate getting up in the middle of the night, and so am still on Standard time no matter what the rest of the lunatic world is up to!
Just ask the cows...

[toprob]

Not much use to the self-employed -- as far as I'm concerned, the govt steals an hour out of my life at the beginning of DST, and gives it back at the end. Dunno why.
However, I do quite enjoy getting that hour back, I don't put my clocks back until I've had a great hour on Sunday -- then I go back and live it over again...

[ardypilot]

I've really been enjoying the hot summer days and loooooong evenings complete with bbqs and mozzies, but yesterday it properly felt like winter for the first time since '07 (I had to put a hoodie on inside, that had been tucked away in my cupboard for as long as I can remember)

I always get up at 5AM anyway, so driving to work in the dark is nothing new for me.

[ZK-MAT]

I think that this year,whilst we have had a great summer, daylight savings is about a week too long. It's started getting dark in the evening real quick over the last two weeks, and I reckon when it changes back on Sunday it will hit us like a ton of bricks - dark at 6pm etc. There goes surfing after work

[Ian Warren]

The way todays society works , lives . 24/7 this .. and that DAYLIGHT SAVING, waste off time , pointed out agriculture ( Cows) dont change clocks , idea stems back from the old world wars to get more industrial production war material , instead of having the entire country changing times , maybe company,s and people do it independently , One time 8.00AM.. with all this road stalling same time every morning , spread it out thereby traffic flows better , wow then saves fuel /anger/ production loss and extends peoples own personal time . It all comes to the idiots in Wellington who have nothing to think about other than changing clocks counting there ridiculous paychecks . NO BRAIN POLITICAN,S ----do this in Auckland , would save millions in fuel .. transport infastructure would relax saving time to do fix's .... that was simple to fix , ......................................... forgot .. they spend there time counting there personal moneys NO BRAIN POLITICAN,S

[Alex]

I think the end of March would have a good time to end Daylight Savings. Seems almost a bit silly to have it dark until 7am, and DST is not fooling anyone now that it's starting to get properly cold.

Alex

[Charl]

QUOTE (toprob @ Apr 3 2008, 08:41 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

... I don't put my clocks back until I've had a great hour on Sunday -- then I go back and live it over again...

That is actually one hellava thought.
Must be careful not to delay the hour too long in case there's a better hour coming though, you'll end up in tomorrow

[pois0n]

Can't we be like Queensland and just not do daylight saving? Seems much easier.

[toprob]

QUOTE (Charl @ Apr 4 2008, 10:04 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Must be careful not to delay the hour too long in case there's a better hour coming though, you'll end up in tomorrow

...and of course if you have a REALLY good hour (and get lucky) then you might think you can do it all over again, but be sensible...

[deaneb]

QUOTE (pois0n @ Apr 4 2008, 10:24 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Can't we be like Queensland and just not do daylight saving? Seems much easier.

When I was in Queensland for a week (last Novemeber) I found it weird. It was light at 5.00 am and swimming ot the beach at 6 or 7 am was easy and it was warm. Then it was dark about 6.30pm. Because of the time difference, getting up early was not an issue, but I'd hate to live there without daylight saving - why, because I'd rather have the daylight at the end of the working day to relax and enjoy the weather, not in the morning before work !!

Deane

[benwynn]

In regards to Queensland-

I think we have a Referendum (Again) next year about it. Seeing as all the City folk want it, they are trying to devide it up, but IMO that would never really work would it?

[AlisterC]

Geographically speaking, most of Queensland doesn't need daylight saving, as the tilt of the earth during season changes is less pronounced than somewhere like Invercargill, where it actually makes sense to have daylight saving. I think it's gone on a bit long as well, but certainly think actually having daylight saving is the right idea

[benwynn]

Yeah, I totally agree, but its really a challenge when the 2 other states, exacatly in line with us get it. Try calling a Bank or anything like that, sorry we closed an hour ago. Especially down the Coolangatta- Drive 10km, your into NSW!

[kiwibarguy]

Well i have enjoyed it! I love surfing and to have it lighter a little longer is awesome! Why anyone would want it to get darker earlier is beyond me.

'darkness, imprisoning me, all that i see, is absolute horror'

[chickenman]

You need to realise that this is an extra hours productivity for outdoor based jobs for 5 weeks, we are talking construction and the like. Yes there are the same number of hours of daylight in a day but because of when people actually go to bed and their dependence on 'indoor' support you can never start earlier than 7:30am. I calculated that the extra time at the start and end probably added at least another 50 hours productivity and effectively extended the construction season here by 5 weeks.

It doesn't matter in the height of summer but during the spring & autumn those extra hours of daylight in the evening are gold. It was definitely a good idea to extend it.

Jamie

[brownbox]

if a job is so important, lazy workers (or bosses!) can get up earlier just as easily as they can stay at work later.