Hawaii’s approach to time is unlike anywhere else in the U.S. Could Hawaii’s “off-the-clock” lifestyle be the key to a simpler solution? Or is there more to this story than meets the eye?
Hawaii’s approach to time is unlike anywhere else in the U.S. Could Hawaii’s “off-the-clock” lifestyle be the key to a simpler solution? Or is there more to this story than meets the eye?
Growing up in Alaska, the sky was pitch black when I went to school and pitch black when I got back from school, regardless. It’s weird to read the arguments related to darkness. In the winter as an adult, you drive to work in the dark and you return from work in the dark. Changing twice a year is disruptive, though. You get used to when the sun rises and sets and how it fits into the daily schedule. If anything, the time change feels more disruptive to life in Alaska than it feels when I’m living farther South. Because you become extremely sensitized to the light / exactly how much light and at what time of day. That’s just my 2 cents. I’d do away with the time change but rest assured, kids can get to school safely whether the darkness is earlier in the day or later in the day (or both, and make sure to watch out for moose).
Actually I would prefer if Hawaii went to permanent Hawaii Daylight Time. The reason is that it would make it easier to do business with the West Coast if there was only a two hour difference if the permanent Daylight Time is observed on the West Coast. Also much of the reason for Daylight Time now is so that people can recreate later in the evening when there is sunlight. Since Hawaii is close to the Equator, our daylight pretty much fixed at 6:30 to 6:30 Give or take a half hour. Having the sun set at “7:30” would be nice.
Not so fast, Arizona, the 48th State of the Union in 1912, also does not use Daylight Savings Time and is on Arizona Time currently, always placing it 3 hours from Hawaii, regardless of Standard Time or Savings Time. This creates an unusual situation, where we are also 3 Hours from the East Coast at this time of year, but as the Nation changes, places us, but 2 Hours from the East Coast and 1 Hour from the West Coast, remaining 3 Hours from Hawaii Time.
so now we have something in common ….
The majority of the voters in California voted to get rid of the time changes and stay on daylight savings time permanently but the governor ignored the results of the vote by the people and denied us what we want. I’m all for dumping the time changes and having a set time year round.
Not true. We voted to give the state Legislature authority to put California on permanent DST when federal law permits it. The governor has absolutely nothing to do with it, and no state can legally switch to permanent DST until the federal DST law is changed by Congress.
The earth’s “tilt” and not it “wobble” is the reason for the seasonal changes in the amount of daylight parts of the earth experiences. The wobble is slight and pretty much not important in the short term.
I like the time in the summer so jump ahead and fall back
Come on Mainland. We the people, that enjoy life, and love the great outdoors, need more time to enjoy it! I love being able to arrive on the Hawaiian Islands and know the standard time is there. THank you Hawaii!
I have benefited by daylight savings times most of my life and believe it is best for late day activities and social interaction. I don’t have much sympathy for those that experience stress from adaptation and mental math of dealing with dst. The fact of the matter is the US straddles 6 or (or 7?) time zones. Learn to deal with it for the sake of mental health, activities and human interaction.
I hate DST…I live in Northern NV near lake Tahoe and it’s a pain if you have to drive to work in the dark. I understand people who sleep in later might want more light later, but honestly, it’s better to have more light when kids are going to school and working people have light on roads to see better.
Aloha BOH. My opinion is to just pick one and stick with it. It doesn’t matter which one, but no more changing twice a year. It’s not good for a person’s health since they lose sleep because their circadian rhythms are off. The older I get, the harder it is to adjust. Thus, my productivity is off for a couple of weeks. The person who said kids ride the bus or their parents drive them is spot on. They don’t even walk to the bus stop. Their parents drive them and sit in the car until the bus arrives.
I wish the continental US would go back to year round Standard Time. I much prefer having more light in the mornings. I like to relax in the evenings and the nightfall is welcomed. I live in southern California but I have lived in Milwaukee many years ago and yes, it starts to get dark there around 4:30pm in the winter. But I liked it as it made the evenings cozy and the fireplace seem more magical.
“Kids may have to go to school in the dark.” All the kids in Alaska and the Nordic countries seem to manage. Not a valid excuse.
Yeah and I feel sorry for them. I bet they would rather live in Hawaii!
I live in California and love daylight savings time. It gets hot here and I work in my garden with light until after 9 p.m. in the summer. Every time I’m in Hawaii, I wish the state was on daylight savings time. Walking on the beach with light at 8:30-9:30 would be wonderful. At home, I just love being outside with sunlight in the later evening time. I’m not a morning person so I don’t care if it’s dark in the early morning. The one year when the country stayed on daylight savings time all year–I really liked that!
The latest the sun sets on Maui is 6:31 PM in July. It would take a radical time shift to move sunset as late as 8:30 or 9:30 PM, not just the 1-hour shift of DST.
That is not totally accurate. Do you live on Maui? The sunset in July is around 7pm or a little later and the skies are still bright for a while longer most of the time.
Just to keep things interesting, the Navajo Nation within Arizona observes DST while Arizona does not. A road trip from California through Arizona and Utah involved time travel. 😅 Arrived an hour early for a canyon tour reservation.
Not a “hot button” issue for me, snooze button more like.
Yes, I saw that as well. Quite interesting ……
Arizona does not change time either. Stays same. Nice 👍
Actually, I recenty learned that Arizona doesnt change the clock either? I am definitely happy to be on “island time” here on Maui!
AZ resident here. Most of the state stays on Mountain Standard Time year round (we’re 3 hours ahead of Hawaii year round). However, the Navajo Nation, which is in the northern part of the state, does follow Daylight Savings Time. Even though the majority of our residents don’t change our clocks, we still have to do the mental math twice a year to figure out how far ahead/behind we are to most of the rest of the country. Fun times!
Make just two time zones for the continental USA. Next spring the east stays on EST
The central and mountain zones spring forward as usual.
The west springs forward two hours instead of one. Keep this
permanent as Pacific and Atlantic time zones one hour apart. China used to have 5 time zones, now they have one.
Worring about kids going to school in the dark is stupid. Most kids ride busses or parents drop them off. Its dark most of the winter in the morning, especially in the northern states, Canada, and Alaska. I actually walked to school from 1st grade on in the northwest and survived.
Spot on, Nordic and Russian kids survive going to school in the dark too.
Arizona also doesn’t do DST. They remain on standard time.
In addition to Hawaii, Arizona sticks with standard time year ’round. We don’t need sunshine and 110 degrees (or more) at 9PM in June, July and August. Be great if the rest of America joined the two of us.
Don’t forget, Arizona is also on standard time year round.