It's Time to Change the Time, Again
November 2023 :
Note: This article may contain outdated information
This article was published in the November 2023 issue of The Skyscraper and likely contains some information that was pertinent only for that month. It is being provided here for historical reference only.
Once again, soon after you read this, you will be given a “present” of an extra hour’s sleep, as Daylight Saving Time ends the morning of November 5th, when we recoup the hour we lost several months ago.
Daylight Saving Time initially was proposed by Benjamin Franklin in 1784, when, during a trip to Paris, he noted that, by Parisians slightly changing their sleep habits, they could save a lot of money on lamp oil and candles. No one picked up on it, though.
However, the concept of saving money did lead this change in time to occur during World War I, although it wasn’t an immediate change across the country. That didn’t even happen in 1966, with the Uniform Time Act of 1966; then, in 1974, then-President Nixon tried to sign a law stating DST would be year-round, thereby saving fuel during the gas crisis. It was soon observed, however, that many more accidents were happening to children who were going to school in the morning in the dark. Finally, upon Nixon’s resignation, President Ford ended the practice.
For many, DST is a good thing; however, others feel it is just a waste of time, an idea whose time has come to stop. One of the best quotes concerning this is from the concept of cutting off the top of a blanket, sewing that to the bottom, and convincing yourself you have a longer blanket. Whatever your feelings, though, please remember: Sunday, November 5th, “fall back,” and have a good night’s sleep.
