The changing daylight hours thread

[johnholmes]

This is the one aspect of the job I am not looking forward to if I get into the Met Office!

 

You might only have to do it for 10-15 years Nick and then the rest you can spend on a 9-5 job being in admin!

There again if you get a good enough degree you may do just the same or maybe the other way round!

[Kentish Man]

The only change I'd make is to move the start of BST to the first weekend rather than the last weekend of March. We waste a lot of usable daylight next month especially by the time we reach the Spring equinox.

[laserguy]

Done all the shifts 06:00-14:00, 14:00-22:00, 16:00-01:00, 09:00-17:30, 07:45-16:30 etc etc...

 

 

 

 

I too do all the shifts under the sun (and moon), twelve hours+ and they can change with little notice. All these folk bleating about wanting to fiddle with 'the clocks' oughtta get a grip of themselves. My shift 'pattern' is crap, but the money's spectacular. Swings and roundabouts....

Edited February 25, 2014 by laserguy

[Jax]

Still think we should stick with GMT, why should the selfish ones on 9-5 expect the time shift when the shiftworkers and such will see no real benefit from it?

 

I am used to going bed early as it is a shift and it is a job, it is hard work on the body sometimes, more so if I am trying to sleep in the still light evening when others still have a few hours of their day left and I do not, but I do feel that the only way to be fair is one time and be done.

[Kentish Man]

I'd say to the two shiftworkers above - glad you're being paid well for the unsocial hours but frankly you can't expect the 95% of the population who aren't shift workers not to arrange the clock in a way that suits them best. If you had GMT all year round London in June would have first light just before 3am but curtailed summer evenings which is ridiculous. Equally with BST all year the December sun wouldn't rise until after 9am and 10am in northern Scotland. Virtually all mid latitude countries have some form of daylight saving and being marginally inconvenienced twice a year is a small price to pay.  

[Jax]

I'd say to the two shiftworkers above - glad you're being paid well for the unsocial hours but frankly you can't expect the 95% of the population who aren't shift workers not to arrange the clock in a way that suits them best. If you had GMT all year round London in June would have first light just before 3am but curtailed summer evenings which is ridiculous. Equally with BST all year the December sun wouldn't rise until after 9am and 10am in northern Scotland. Virtually all mid latitude countries have some form of daylight saving and being marginally inconvenienced twice a year is a small price to pay.  

I am paid a hell of a lot less than my old 9-5 job I can tell you, and just get by now, but that is OK, when I am too tired to think due to being kept up in the day I can leave your important network/phone/bill/emergency problem on the back burner so whilst I am too tired your up and running fine.

[laserguy]

...... being marginally inconvenienced twice a year is a small price to pay.  

 

Exactly my point - folk doing a cushy nine-five wailing about wanting more daylight when it suits.... moving the clocks an hour fore or aft is a piddling affair compared to the constant wrench us shift-workers endure. Honestly, my heart bleeds for y'all.

[Bottesford]

It's not just about moving clocks to suit the whims of 9-5 worker you've got energy considerations too. Having it light, thus not requiring electrical lighting, when most people are awake makes more sense than having it at 4-6am when most are not awake!

[Jax]

so a shift worker should be expected to pay more not a 9-5 one then? so if (and these days it is a big if) they get a bit extra then lose it on bills and can show no other benefit of shoving their body out on odd hours, having to live and eat at strange times then? (that last bit fornicated me the last time, too much older and the body could not take it and it put me in hospital, so you have the added NHS bill then), now have health issues that run ongoing costs thanks to working shifts.

[johnholmes]

I think some comments about the additional costs to shift workers seem a bit OTT. I did shifts for 28 out of 38 years. Never crossed my mind it was more expensive for my family-I doubt it. Anyway I chose the job that involved shift work so I could hardly blame it on those with a 9-5 job.

[Bottesford]

so a shift worker should be expected to pay more not a 9-5 one then? so if (and these days it is a big if) they get a bit extra then lose it on bills and can show no other benefit of shoving their body out on odd hours, having to live and eat at strange times then? (that last bit fornicated me the last time, too much older and the body could not take it and it put me in hospital, so you have the added NHS bill then), now have health issues that run ongoing costs thanks to working shifts.

 

It's not about how much a certain group of people should pay or have their life quality improved/reduced. It is simply down to saving energy by having daylight present (as much as is possible) at times when the majority of people are awake. This reduces the energy required for electrical lighting.

If you look at most groups of people - working adults, children at school, babies, students, pensioners, the unemployed and so on you could probably say 8am-8pm would be the time with the most people awake, perhaps an hour later at the weekends. Certainly the period noon to 7pm - barring shift workers - I can't think of any group of people who are asleep in those times - even those that like really long lie ins! 

[towbar0]

Oh for heaven sake, we have brains. Wake up when it's light. GMT is a simple concept. Just stop messing with mother nature.

[Jax]

There are far more shift workers than the figure being put around I am sure, as for choice, some of us have to take work rather than choose it, the last few years have really seen to that and I feel as more join that brigade and the rest want an all on 24/7 service it will only grow in numbers.

[ANYWEATHER]

Certainly can see the changing light, Please keep the clocks on GMT, don't see there is any need to change to BST in my Back yard. Afterall .you can fiddle the clocks, but you wont change or Fiddle the normal light which naturally changes throughout the year  

Edited February 26, 2014 by ANYWEATHER

[Jax]

How about then that instead of trying to move time the ones that want the different time (BST or BST+1) all shift their time and move their hours in real time and leave the rest to GMT? after all why screw time for 100% of the population when you can restrict it to 95% or what ever of it?

 

If they get up an hour earlier or later (08:00 instead of 09:00), only they are affected, makes no difference as that is what the time change does, but not everyone is included only those that need to or choose to.

 

Like those that choose to work a working shift pattern, you choose a lifestyle/job that needs a time change after all.

Edited February 26, 2014 by Jax

[Bottesford]

The problem is most of us cannot choose the hours that we work. 9-5 isn't really GMT compatible in summer (unless you like getting up with the sun and clock watching waiting for it to be time to get the bus to work) but your customers still want stuff at 4:30pm so if you turn up at 7am and are gone at 3pm who's going to sort the problem out? I had exactly this issue only today but in reverse when the IT staff at our client were nowhere to be seen at 3:10pm so software testing ground to a halt when we hit an issue. Until tomorrow.

I totally agree that we should all move our hours to suit the sun but its simply not that easy to actually do in reality. Society is very much skewed that most stuff happens in the PM part of the day so of course when more light is available in summer lets put it into the evening instead of at 3-4am in the morning!

Sure its only numbers on a clock but its embedded in our brains - 6pm feels like 6pm.. 8pm feels like 8pm.. you know what I mean? Its far easier to spend 5 mins changing the clocks than to change bus timetables, shop opening hours and so on twice a year!

[cheese]

I am paid a hell of a lot less than my old 9-5 job I can tell you, and just get by now, but that is OK, when I am too tired to think due to being kept up in the day I can leave your important network/phone/bill/emergency problem on the back burner so whilst I am too tired your up and running fine.

I'm not sure what point you're trying to make here - you're complaining about people prioritising their own lives and that is exactly what you're doing as well. Humans are selfish by nature. I am unlikely to put your needs head of mine.

Edited February 26, 2014 by cheese

[laserguy]

Oh fer gawd's sake it's only an hour here and there - leave things be. Folk chelping about it getting dark at 10pm in midsummer when they could squeeze out another hour. Sheesh.

[Weather-history]

A faint twilight glow to the west northwest even at 7pm.

[Weather-history]

A faint twilight glow to the west northwest even at 7pm.

Lingering twilight season is only about 2 or so months away now.

[Bottesford]

Oh fer gawd's sake it's only an hour here and there - leave things be. Folk chelping about it getting dark at 10pm in midsummer when they could squeeze out another hour. Sheesh.

 

How much electricity is consumed from 6pm-7pm during the average March for electrical lighting? How does it compare to usage 6am-7am? This is why its an issue...

[Evening thunder]

I wonder how much difference ones location in the country makes, obviously north-south will come into it but what about east-west?

 

Great Yarmouth had sunset at 17:28 today, whereas at Lands End it was 18:01, over half an hour later.

 

This could make a difference in someones perception, where someone living in Great Yarmouth may feel they'd like a little more light in the evening whereas if they lived in Cornwall they may feel happier with how the clocks are set.

Edited February 27, 2014 by Evening thunder

[Summer Sun]

I wonder how much difference ones location in the country makes, obviously north-south will come into it but what about east-west?

 

Great Yarmouth had sunset at 17:28 today, whereas at Lands End it was 18:01, over half an hour later.

 

This could make a difference in someones perception, where someone living in Great Yarmouth may feel they'd like a little more light in the evening whereas if they lived in Cornwall they may feel happier with how the clocks are set.

 

Sunset here in Darlo today was 17:39 Monday its 17:47 and the sunrise is 06:51 once the clocks go forward in 4 weeks the north south split will be getting under way

[Tony27]

Oh fer gawd's sake it's only an hour here and there - leave things be. Folk chelping about it getting dark at 10pm in midsummer when they could squeeze out another hour. Sheesh.

yeah we only get about 16-18hrs of daylight in summer that ain't enough is it 

[Jax]

yeah we only get about 16-18hrs of daylight in summer that ain't enough is it 

sponge light? (squeeze it and get more?)  but less left then after it is dry?