The time zones, they may be a-changin'

Maine is considering a controversial bill:

Members of the State and Local Government Committee unanimously endorsed a bill that, if approved by voters, would put Maine on Atlantic time along with Canada's Maritime Provinces.

The proposal would eliminate daylight-saving time, so the change would be noticeable for just five months of the year - from the end of October to the beginning of April. During that period, Maine would be an hour ahead of Boston, New York and Washington, D.C., for example. In the summer, Maine would be on the same schedule as its U.S. neighbors.

The bill now goes to the Senate and House. If it is approved, voters will decide in a November 2006 referendum. Final approval is required from the U.S. Department of Transportation.

Some people appear to be getting a great deal of mental exercise trying to guess how much the proposed changes would affect every sort of activity and business arrangement. For the Portland Press Herald report by Trevor Maxwell that looks at some of the fuss, use title link.

I grew up along a time zone border, one that veered oddly right where I lived, snatching just a fragment of my state into the neighboring state's time zone. It really wasn't such a big deal once you got used to it. Sure, you had to calculate when to make phone calls or head out for concerts, and television schedules sometimes needed decoding. So what? You do learn to either add or subtract an hour when necessary. Honest.

Now then, joining the mini-revolution to eliminate daylight savings time might complicate things, of course. No question. You can't just learn one formula, but you would have to change procedures depending on the time of year, at least until the mini-revolution catches on in neighboring states. That could be interesting, sure enough.

Hat tip: James Taranto at Best of the Web.