Why The Alabama Daylight Savings Bill Is The Stupidest Thing I Have Ever Heard Of

By Nathan Young on November 4, 2014

Our lawmakers in Alabama don’t want to deal with taxes, education, healthcare, and improving our quality of life, but one lawmaker wants to make sure Alabama never has to change their clocks ever again. Seriously, I think dealing with our messed up tax code has more merit than making Alabama different than the rest of the country, when it comes to their clocks. Since Daylight Savings Time was introduced, there has always been some enemies. And now, Sen. Rusty Glover wants to mess up business and commerce in Alabama by always keeping Daylight Savings Time.

Currently, most of the country observes Daylight Savings Time. Only Arizona and Hawaii don’t observe it, and there are some good reasons why those states don’t observe it. Arizona does not observe it because it helps to lower the energy costs when everyone is running their air conditioners in the Summer. Hawaii does not observe DST because they are close to the educator, and moving their clocks would not save any daylight. One state that used to not observe DST is Indiana, but it was brought back because it messed up business, transportation, and commerce.

So, Alabama wants to stick out like a sore thumb, and be the only state in America to stay on Daylight Savings Time year around. Sen. Rusty Glover says he has heard from constituents and businesses from around the state and they say they hate changing their clocks. He also says the legislation will make sure that children riding the late afternoon school bus, or working people who get off at 5 o’clock, won’t have to come home in the dark. So, instead of getting dark at 4:30 pm in December, it will get dark at 5:30 pm in December, people will still come home in the dark.

I am against the idea of staying on DST year around, and here are four reasons why I think a move to a year around DST would hurt Alabama, big time!

1. Kids Will Be Standing At The Bus Stop In The Dark

The Senator says kids will get to come home in daylight, but what he failed to mention is kids will be standing on the side of the road, in the dark, waiting for the school bus. If we stayed on DST year around, the sun would not rise until after 7 am in December and January. That means kids will be standing in the dark and cold, this would increase the risk of kids being hit by a car, because the driver can’t see clearly in the dark.

2. Sleepy Drivers Will Be Driving In The Dark

Think about it, drivers are more aware during the evening commute, because they have been awake and alert for most of the day. During the morning commute, drivers are often still tired, and are distracted like drinking coffee, or eating breakfast on the go. If we stayed on DST year around, morning commutes would be mostly be in the dark during the Winter. Would you want to have more sleepy and distracted drivers driving in the dark?

3. Transportation Will Be Messed Up

Everything from trains to tractor trailers relies on the current clock and time zone system to make sure the products or people are delivered on time. If we stayed on DST year around, it would mess up the transportation infrastructure during the Winter months, while the rest of the country is observing Standard Time. If you want to see your Christmas packages delivered late, or even after Christmas, than support Alabama staying on DST year around.

4. Your Favorite TV Programs Will Come On Later

Currently, I get to enjoy The Walking Dead at 8 pm Central on Sunday nights. If Alabama stayed on DST year around, I would have to see The Walking Dead at 9 pm on Sunday nights while the rest of the country observes Standard Time during the Winter. If Alabama stayed on DST year around, your programs will come on later, just like the folks in the Eastern time zone are used too. That means less sleep for everyone.

And plus, there is the fact that the Federal Government might not even allow Alabama to stay on DST year around. I have a better idea about the clock thing, how about Alabama just move to Eastern Time? If you look at this map below, most of Indiana and Michigan are in Eastern Time, and more west of Alabama, who is in Central Time. Moving to Eastern Time, and still changing the clocks twice a year, would provide the extra hour of daylight in the evening, without having Alabama sticking out like a sore thumb.

The only reason I would support staying on Daylight Savings Time, or Standard Time year around, is if the entire country did it at the same time, that way nothing would screw up. But until that happens, Alabama needs to continue changing their clocks, it only takes about 10 minutes to change your clocks, it will not kill you to do it.