[tz] 2-hour DST during 2020 Tokyo Olympics?

Robert Elz kre at munnari.OZ.AU
Sat Jul 28 22:54:40 UTC 2018


    Date:        Sat, 28 Jul 2018 21:26:51 +0000
    From:        Matt Johnson <mj1856 at hotmail.com>
    Message-ID:  <BN6PR22MB06916D450199840D93353682C2290 at BN6PR22MB0691.namprd22.prod.outlook.com>

  | It always boggles the mind when people think it somehow helps to move the
  | clocks instead of just changing the event times.

What boggles my mind is when people seriously make that infantile argument.

First, let's assume for the sake of argument, that starting the Marathon (in 
Japan, 2020) at UTC 20:00 makes sense (which it might for all kinds of
reasons, not the least being the European TV viewing public, and somewhere
in there just perhaps the health & comfort of the athletes).

Now of course it could simply be held in Japan (UTC+0900) at 05:00 local time,
which accomplishes that - by changing the event times (from the more normal
07:00 start.)

But now, consider yourself having a product to sell in Japan (running shoes, energy 
drinks, ...) for which the Marathon is a natural "big event" - the audience are
your marketplace.   Which would you be willing to pay more for, TV ads in the
05:00-08:00 timeslot, or TV ads in the 07:00-10:00 timeslot (local time) ?
Which is likely to have the bigger audience?  Which will the tV companies make
more profit from, and hence lobby for?

And then there is the event itself.  One of the things the organisers want is a 
whole lot of local people (and random tourists in to watch the Olympics)
lining the streets and cheering the athletes.   It looks good on TV.   Is that
more likely to happen at 05:00-07:30 or 07:00-09:30 (local time) ?

Of course, people could be convinced to wake up earlier if working hours, and
school hours were moved from 09:00-17:00 (or 08:00-whenever, whatever they
are) to 07:00-15:00 (or 06:00 to ...).   So, let's do that as well.   Now people 
will be awake, go out onto the streets, or watch on TV   But now those people
need to get to work (or school) earlier (local time) so the busses and trains all
have to move peak hour forward by two hours - lots more trains and busses need
to be running earlier.   But that's now moved their working day out of "nprmal"
hours, and into "double time" hours according to the union agreements, so the
drivers (and station workers, and...) all have to be paid more, so the ticket 
prices all need to be raised, and ...    The flow on of other changes needed
to keep society working is almost beyond comprehension.

Or .... the clocks can be moved forward by 2 hours.   Now the event is 07:00-10:00
(prime morning viewing time) people are awake to go out and watch the runners
go past, the busses are running as normal, with the drivers all paid normal 
wages.   All that has changed (locally) is the local time of sunup/sunset/...
(and the sun really does not care!)

Of course, there are other considerations, that's why there are discussions,
rather than simply a decision.   But to say "just move the event time" as if it
were the obvious solution, and nothing else is worthy of consideration is absurd.

kre



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