View Full Version : Change or not?
Once again the controversy rages back and forth regarding the need to alter clocks twice a year for summer time and winter time. The debate is as hot as ever. On BBC Breakfast this morning one person was raising the question of safety for children going to school. As a child I often went to and from school in the dark in the depths of winter despite changing the clocks. I don't remember anyone being knocked down.
The increase in parents 'bussing' their children to school poses a bigger problem since it causes increased traffic and a great deal of congestion around the schools during drop down and pick up times. Surely it makes more sense if parents made sure their children were fully aware of road sense from a very young age. I am frequently seeing parents with children taking risks when crossing the road simply because they cannot be bothered to go to the nearest safe crossing. Just the other day a mother with a push chair and three toddlers in tow sprinted across the road between traffic - idiot!
Where I live the road becomes almost to a stand still because of the number of school run cars picking up at the end of school. When I was a kid I travelled by bike, on foot or by bus. Anyway... there is no discussion about these children being out on the streets after dark in the evening! Seems like a lame argument to me. :confused
annemarie482
30-Oct-10, 09:19
to be honest, i dont really see the point of changing the times other than to confuse us! :lol:
surely us humans are bright enough to adjust ourselves to the limited daylight without having to fiddle with the clock. :confused
orkneycadian
30-Oct-10, 09:29
Far easier solution. Go to bed earlier and get up earlier! The countries habits seem to be slipping round the clock and now they want to move the clock to compensate for it!
I was in a newly opened cafe in Kirkwall the other day and they start doing breakfasts at 0930 on a weekday! No wonder folk complain theres not enough daylight in the day if they are only crawling out of their pit in time to have breakfast on a weekday between 0930 and 1130!
Midday and midnight are called that for a reason. Given a bit of leeway depending on your longitude, they are the middle of the day and middle of the night respectively. Having midday at 2pm and midnight at 2am is just plain daft.
Get your backsides out of bed at a sensible GMT hour and no clock shifting would be required! After all, shifting clocks does not manufacture daylight!
Mystical Potato Head
30-Oct-10, 09:45
Far easier solution. Go to bed earlier and get up earlier! The countries habits seem to be slipping round the clock and now they want to move the clock to compensate for it!
I was in a newly opened cafe in Kirkwall the other day and they start doing breakfasts at 0930 on a weekday! No wonder folk complain theres not enough daylight in the day if they are only crawling out of their pit in time to have breakfast on a weekday between 0930 and 1130!
Midday and midnight are called that for a reason. Given a bit of leeway defending on your longitude, they are the middle of the day and middle of the night respectively. Having midday at 2pm and midnight at 2am is just plain daft.
Get your backsides out of bed at a sensible GMT hour and no clock shifting would be required! After all, shifting clocks does not manufacture daylight!
Were you in Orkney during the late 60's when they didnt change the clock's as part of trial and it was overwhelmingly rejected on various grounds,farmers,dockers,almost everyone was against it then,the people of Shetland were not keen on it still being dark at around 10 a.m. either.
orkneycadian
30-Oct-10, 09:46
I am but a mere youngster!
orkneycadian
30-Oct-10, 10:14
I think your poll needs some more options, such as....
No BST at all - Clocks stay on GMT all year round
Status quo - GMT in winter, GMT + 1 hour in summer
Permenant summer time (GMT + 1 hour) all year round
Double summer time - GMT + 1 hour in winter, GMT + 2 hours in summer
Permenant double summer time (GMT + 2 hours) all year round
Mystical Potato Head
30-Oct-10, 11:30
I am but a mere youngster!
Me too. ;)
IMHO time should be a constant. If changes need to be made then it should be left to schools, workplaces etc to organise themselves. If children need to have more time in the evening for extracurricular activities let them start an hour earlier and so finish earlier in the evening. The same with workplaces let them choose whether they want to use the lights in the morning or evening.
orkneycadian
30-Oct-10, 14:03
The same with workplaces let them choose whether they want to use the lights in the morning or evening.
If my line of thinking is right, averaged over the year, a workplace, school, shop, etc would use the least amount of artificial light if their 8 hour day commenced at 0800 GMT and finished at 1600 GMT, as they would be taking most advantage of the daylight centred around midday. Conversely, we would make the most of the years average darkness by centring 8 hours sleep around midnight, so bed at 2000 and up at 0400!
Short of monks, nuns and dairy farmers, not sure how many folk would support that idea...:confused
I think your poll needs some more options, such as....
No BST at all - Clocks stay on GMT all year round
Status quo - GMT in winter, GMT + 1 hour in summer
Permenant summer time (GMT + 1 hour) all year round
Double summer time - GMT + 1 hour in winter, GMT + 2 hours in summer
Permenant double summer time (GMT + 2 hours) all year round
Nope - the idea was to remove confusion, not add to it. Personally, I am pro no BST at all (sorry, that's what I meant as my 2nd option).
One thing that intrigues me - those in the North seem to favour moving the clocks because it gets dark (ooo.. scary!) but why do they call Scandinavia the land of the midnight sun?
IMHO time should be a constant. If changes need to be made then it should be left to schools, workplaces etc to organise themselves. If children need to have more time in the evening for extracurricular activities let them start an hour earlier and so finish earlier in the evening. The same with workplaces let them choose whether they want to use the lights in the morning or evening.
My school do exactly this - we start at 8.30 and finish at 3.00 (30 mins for lunch)
Me too. ;)
I'd like to say "me too"......
but I'd be lying!:lol:
orkneycadian
30-Oct-10, 14:17
One thing that intrigues me - those in the North seem to favour moving the clocks because it gets dark (ooo.. scary!) but why do they call Scandinavia the land of the midnight sun?
I think its got something to do with winter and summer.... :roll:
orkneycadian
30-Oct-10, 14:18
Nope - the idea was to remove confusion, not add to it. Personally, I am pro no BST at all (sorry, that's what I meant as my 2nd option).
OK, so I should vote for the second option then. However, does that mean that some folk that meant to vote for permanent single summer time, or even permanent double summer time have voted for "no BST at all?"
I think its got something to do with winter and summer.... :roll:
That's what I thought - so when its their winter (earth tilted away from the sun) they call it the land of the long dark? :eek:
orkneycadian
30-Oct-10, 14:21
Pretty much!
http://nfb.ca/film/land_of_the_long_day
Pretty much!
http://nfb.ca/film/land_of_the_long_day
Wow! A movie! Thanks for the link, Orkneydude. :D
Perhaps you should be like me and treat time as a guideline, not a target to aim for. I live my life to the 'ish' philosophy, basically I'll be there but can't gaurantee it will be to your time. Even though I have to clock on at work it's very rare I'm there exactly on time, though I very rarely clock out on time either, usually it's an extra 20-30 mins later. Summer and winter time is irrelevent to me.:)
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