#DaylightStupidTime is STUPID!

#DaylightStupidTime is stupid.  My wife nudged me and said, “It’s 6:00,” but my body said, “No, that’s not possible.  She’s clearly wrong,” and my head agreed, so we went back to sleep.  Twenty minutes later, she nudged me again.  “Hunny, it’s after 6:20.”  I actually rolled over to look at the clock and see what she was on about.  I’d heard the words clearly—both times—but the meaning was utterly lost.

My bedside clock read: AFTER 6:20 YOU’RE LATE!

“Oh my god!  You were telling me it was after 6:20!”  I rolled, bleary-eyed, out of the bed and failed to put on my robe.  I couldn’t quite get my mind into gear.

“Ok, I’m up,” I said.  As if this would somehow change reality.

“YOU’RE STILL LATE!” my clock told me.

Frantic showering, grooming and dressing ensued.  This was follow by every cautious driving because it’s raining and people (like me) are obviously tired and late and angry about all those things.  I heard of three accidents on my stretch of road when usually we have none.

Be careful this week.  Studies show that the switch to Daylight Stupid Time (DST) creates a lot of havoc with the usual sleep patterns and alertness.  This results in an increase in car accidents, lost revenue and even damaging/fatal health impacts. 

I’ve been anti-Daylight Stupid Time for decades.  I know that the concept has the very best of intentions, but in almost every aspect of Daylight Stupid Time has failed, and it’s only caused a rash of other issues that exacerbate the problem.  We don't even have to apologize to Benjamin Franklin for DST because he didn't "invent" it.  Franklin proposed waking up with the sun rather than at an artificial clock-determined time—which is what Daylight Stupid Time makes us do!

Further, lets drop the myth that Daylight Stupid Time is a benefit to farmers.  Farmers, and by extension their farms and animals, don't give two shakes of a lamb's tail what time the clock says.  They are usually up before dawn and don't really get to stop until long after sunset.  There's is always work to be done, and Daylight Stupid Time doesn't give them a single benefit.  In fact, farmers led the charge against Daylight Stupid Time because it can impact their bottom line.

If you happen to live in California, Assemblyman Kansen Chu has a bill for you.  AB2496, perhaps one of the simplest pieces of legislation you will ever see, will “. . . establish United States Standard Pacific Time as the standard time within the state during the entire year.”  Seriously, that’s action of the bill.  One line, and it ends forever this foolish experiment that has plagued us for generations.

You can help support Assemblyman Chu, by registering, clicking on “Comments” and selecting to “Support” the bill.  Drop Mr. Chu a comment.  I’m sure he’d love to hear your support!

Alternately, you can use the Petition2Congress.com site to address this issue directly to you President Obama and your federal representatives in the House and Senate.  It's quick, it's easy, they even provide a pre-fab letter and automatic email system.  As of this blog, over 108,000 letters had already been signed and sent.

#DAYLIGHTSTUPIDTIMEIS STUPID!