Israel’s Crazy Clocks
I am a great believer in that you put the clocks forward in the summer to gain the greatest economic advantage to as many people as possible.
For instance, in the UK, I’d like to see us go to the same time as most of the EU. Not only would it make it easier for business and travel with the continent, but it would also give us longer leisure evenings for a greater period of the year, so perhaps outdoor activities would benefit. Horse racing would be able to stage many more evening meetings, which properly handled might create a lot of new jobs. But there are lots of other examples.
So what are the Israelis doing. They’re moving the date the clocks go back forward to fit in with religious groups, who have a strong hold in the Knesset. According to The Independent, it’s not very popular. Even the Jewish Chronicle reports that Israelis are angry.
In the report in the Jewish Chronicle this is said.
A campaign against the early end to summertime is being spearheaded by Dr Shimon Eckhouse, chairman of Nasdaq-traded medical device company Syneron. He also wants to adopt the EU norm and has collected over 90,000 signatories on a petition.
Starting winter time before the end of October “will shorten quality time that parents have with their children, increase the chance of road accidents and cost the Israeli economy millions of shekels”, he said.
There are estimates that the 48 days between September 12, when Israel changes its clocks, and October 31, when the UK and the rest of Europe change their clocks, will cost Israel £4.6 million in higher electricity consumption.
“The only reason to end summertime early is because it supposedly shortens the fast on Yom Kippur,” Dr Eckhouse added. “This is warped because either way the fast continues for 25 hours. I am a Jew who observes tradition and fasts on Yom Kippur.”
Let’s hope Dr. Eckhouse’s reasoned approach succeeds. If nothing because it is better for global warming.
The Anonymous Widower 
Hear, hear. The evening meetings here at Epsom Downs are great fun – less crowded and a good way to get the children out walking on the Downs. They could carry on later into the year if evenings were longer.
Comment by Viv O'Leary | September 12, 2010 |
I also spoke to someone, who used to run a major football club and he said that matches in daylight are better attended and are cheaper to run because you don’t need so much lights.
Interesting what you said about kids and racing. Under 16s go free at most meetings and most enjoy the spectacle. This never gets mentioned when they are talking about what to do with what to do with the kids in the long summer holidays.
Comment by AnonW | September 12, 2010 |
As I have always understood it the point of fasting is that is causes discomfort and sometimes even distress, it gives you opportunity to think, to realise what people less well off than yourselves go through all year, not just during times of fasting.
So fiddling with the time is cheating!
The Jews are not the only religion which do this I should point out
Comment by Liz P | September 12, 2010 |
I really can’t see the point in changing the clocks; we should stick to summertime all the year round. The timing of events can be scheduled to suit the daylight at the time of the year and the location of the event. Whatever we do with clocks it will never please the whole of the UK as the daylight hours in the north of Scotland are very different from the daylight hours in the south of England. It is much better to move events than clocks.
Comment by John Wright | September 13, 2010 |
They always say that farmers won’t like it, but I’ve never found one, who didn’t say feed his cows at a time determined by the light and temperature and not a clock. One once told me, that his cows couldn’t tell the time!
Comment by AnonW | September 13, 2010 |
Hmm. Not sure how adjusting the clocks would impact the fast at all – since if I’m not mistaken, it starts at sundown, ends the next day at sundown – “official” time notwithstanding. Dr. Eckhouse is right about the idea being warped – thats for sure.
OTOH, time zones, daylight savings, etc are a pain in the butt anyway. My wristwatch is set to UTC. 😛
Comment by Joe Sniderman | September 15, 2010 |
Years ago, we did an expeiment in the UK and went Summer Time all long. There were no serious consequences. I feel for business and travel reasons, that the UK should be on European Time. I’ve got mixed up once coming by train from Brussels to London and on to Cambridge. It cost me £40, as I had to take a taxi home, rather than get picked up. I was also caught out in the US and was late fot an appointment because Tennessee is in two time zones. But if allo of India can have the same time, surely Europe and the mainland United States can have the same times in all the constituent states or countries.
Incidentally, do you know why India is five and a half hours ahead of the UK? I’m not sure, but I suspect, it’s because if you’re in India on UK time and you turn your watch upside down, you get Indian Time. Or it might be vice-versa!
Comment by AnonW | September 15, 2010 |
The experiment had a major impact on me, my mother was convinced that something bad was going to happen to me in whichever was darker, the morning or the evening, on my school journey. She drove me crazy and made life very miserable indeed.
I have got caught out several times by the time differences between UK and France! In fact probably most times I have been!
Comment by Liz P | September 15, 2010 |