Daylight Savings Time brings unwanted task

By MIKE BOLLINGER

“Does anybody really know what time it is?”

That’s the title of a song by Chicago released in 1969, but it could have applied on March 13, or more accurately the night of March 12, when it was time to turn clocks ahead an hour for Daylight Savings Time.

I think the whole exercise is pointless. Let’s pick either Daylight Savings Time or Standard Time and leave it at that. A quick poll of the Johnston Now office revealed the majority would prefer no time change and to have DST yearround.

This was actually done from Jan. 6, 1974, until April 27, 1975, due to the Arab oil embargo. Supporters pointed to more time for recreation, reduced lighting and heating, reduced crime and reduced car accidents. Detractors said having DST all the time had children leaving for school in the dark and increased the likelihood of industrial accidents in the mornings.

The country then returned to standard time for four months from October 1974 until February 1975 when DST resumed. When this trial ended in October 1975, the practice of having DST in the summer resumed.

Arizona has not observed DST since 1967. Hawaii has never observed it. In Indiana, 12 counties observe Central Daylight Time and 80 observe Eastern Daylight Time.

However, since I don’t control such things, it was time to change the clocks. All the ones in the house were fairly easy to change. A couple of things I own, not so much.

I wear a watch. That probably dates me a little, but that’s another topic for another time.

Here are the instructions for setting said watch. And, these instructions did not come in writing with the watch. I have to look them up online twice a year.

In TIME mode, press and hold SET/ RECALL. Time zone will flash. To set, push + or – to select first or second time zone. Press NEXT. Hour digits flash. Press + or – to change hour including AM/PM. (Scroll through 12 hours to get to AM/ PM). Press NEXT. Minute digits flash. Press + or – to change minutes. Press NEXT. Second digits flash. Press + or – to set seconds to zero.

I can never do this correctly the first time. I always get irritated to the point

I want to throw the watch out of the window until I slow down, take a deep breath and figure it out.

Then there are car clocks. I’m convinced they are not really meant to be changed.

I have an older car. Really old, as in 2003. First of all, in order to gain access to the clock to change it, you have to punch in a radio code. Fortunately, the person who bought this car new wrote the code in the owner’s manual, which is unbelievably still in the car after all these years.

Once you put in the code, following are the instructions for setting the car clock. To set the time, press the CLOCK (or FM) button until you hear a beep. The displayed time begins to blink. Press and hold the Preset 4 button until the hour advances to the desired time. Press and hold the Preset 5 button until the minutes advance to the desired time. Press the CLOCK (or FM) button again to enter the set time.

Fortunately, this exercise only happens twice a year. If it has to be done, I much prefer doing the “spring forward” one since that means longer days and warmer weather are on the way.

And, at least we don’t have to fiddle with our clocks again until Nov. 6.