Bill Starr has a good column on time zones in the Evansville Courier Press. He endeavours to explain to eastern time zone advocates why eastern time sounds so extreme to central time zone proponents.
I think most people would agree that the thought of putting Buffalo, N.Y., on Central time sounds pretty outlandish. Buffalo is 11.1 degrees (565 miles) east of the middle of the Central Standard Time zone (which runs approximately through Peoria, Ill.). The sun rises and sets in Buffalo about 45 minutes before it sets at the middle of the Central time zone, but only 15 minutes later than at the middle of the Eastern zone.
Indianapolis is in almost the reverse situation. It lies 11.1 degrees (590 miles) west of the middle of the Eastern Standard Time zone (which runs approximately through Philadelphia). The sun rises and sets in Indianapolis about 45 minutes later than at the middle of the Eastern time zone, but only 15 minutes earlier than in the middle of the Central zone.
So, for Central advocates like me, Indiana observing Central time looks about as sensible as leaving Buffalo on Eastern time. And, conversely, leaving Indiana on Eastern looks about as ludicrous as moving Buffalo to the Central zone. Indianapolis lies about as far from the center of the Eastern zone as Buffalo is from the center of the Central zone.
He also mentions how much longer we’ll have to wait under Eastern Daylight Time for the sun to begin rising earlier than 6:30 a.m. which is an inconvenience for those who prefer to get an earlier start on the day.
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