SURVEY SAYS – When Will Your Clocks Spring Forward?
The federal law that established “daylight time” in the United States does not require any area to observe daylight saving time. But if a state chooses to observe DST, it must follow the starting and ending dates set by the law. From 1986 to 2006, this was the first Sunday in April to the last Sunday in October, but starting in 2007, it is observed from the second Sunday in March to the first Sunday in November, adding about a month to daylight saving time.
This week we asked NewsDash readers when you’d be adjusting your clocks.
The vast majority – nearly two-thirds ( 64% ) said they would do so on Saturday night before going to bed – even though the time change doesn’t technically start until 2 a.m. (only 1% of this week’s respondents said they’d set the clocks then – as for the reasons why, see A Stitch in Time? ).
On the other hand, a full quarter weren’t going to do any “springing” until Sunday; 13% who said they would do it after they got up, another 11.5% saying simply “sometime Sunday” – and nearly 3% who said they would do it Sunday morning before they went to bed….
The remaining 7% or so said they would do so “as I stumble across them.”
There weren't a lot of verbatim comments for this survey - but here are some good ones:
| It's funny to see the people who show up for church at the wrong time on Sundays! |
| All my clocks, phones, electronics set themselves. I hope they all have a plan, or I am in big trouble. |
| I can't wait. No more working from dawn to dusk!!!!!! |
| THe kids will be way into it. Actually I didn't know it was this weekend until I read this! |
| Bedroom clock will be changed Saturday night; the rest sometime on Sunday... |
| after I'm late for my first Monday morning meeting |
| A combination. Those in my main living area will be done Saturday night before retiring. My bedroom clock most likely Sunday morning when I get up, and those in the other nooks and cranies, as I stumble across them. Oh yeah, and my car may not get done until Monday on my way to work! |
| As a collector of clocks - this is always a daunting task and I am sure I will miss one or two. But it is easier to move a clock forward than backwards, so it will be better than when we "Fall Back". |
| Friday or Saturday, so that I can start "living" on daylight savings time. The switch mucks up my Cercadian rythms for weeks. |
| I wish we could just pick a time and leave it alone! |
| I change a couple clocks before I go to bed and then catch up on the rest the next day. |
| I hate day light savings time. It is just starting to be light when I am driving to work this week. That means it will be back to driving in, in the dark again. Very depressing. Also, it is back to fighting with kids to go to bed because they have school. The school told me years ago, that students grades actually drop with daylight savings time in the spring and get better when the time rolls back. So why are we doing this again? Can you tell I live on the western side of the Eastern time zone and it stays daylight until 10 pm or later. |
| Yeah - I want this year round!!! |
| I just wish we could get rid of changing the time twice a year. It drags on my system and messes me up. Just pick one and stay there. And personally, I prefer the Daylight time frame -- light until 9-10pm. |
| I bought one of those clocks that automatically sets itself, so I never worried about forgetting to change the time. Then I moved to a place that doesn't participate in DST, but my bedroom alarm clock still thinks it's on the West Coast. Yup, I'll be fussing with changing the time like the rest of y'all, dang it! |
| I hate DST - I can never afford to lose an hour of sleep!!! |
| I approach my time change scientifically, with the goal of changing all my clocks before I go to bed on Saturday. First, I consult the US Naval Observatory time at http://tycho.usno.navy.mil/ to make sure that my watch is set to the correct (adjusted) time. Then, I set all of my clocks as precisely as possible. Ultimately, days later I find clocks that I have missed along the way. About Wednesday, my philosophy becomes, "close enough is good enough." Seriously, who needs a clock on a toaster oven? |
I wish the ubiquitous "they" would just pick a time and stick with it. The change takes place different times any way.
| I'd like to see DST abolished. The current research on energy usage and Cercadian Rythms indicates that it has more negative effects than positive ones. |
| The important ones on Saturday night, but the stove, the 28 watches, and the obscure clocks that are decorative only may or may not get changed at all. Some are still on DST from the last time. |
Daylight savings time is too early now. Most commutes to school and work are in total darkness with this change. It is a safety issue, not just an energy issue. DST should begin either the last Sunday in March or the first Sunday in April. Besides, it is still too cold in most areas this time of year for the 1 hour of extra evening daylight to make any difference in energy use.
I hate this time change, it takes me a week to be physcially insync with the time. Pick a time and stick with it.
But this week's special edition Editor's Choice goes to the reader who said: " It might depend on this weeks survey results." Thanks to everyone who participated in our surveys!