The radical plan to destroy time zones

[MikeTheActuary]

Therefore, if different parts of the world do this, we can all run on one time system; it's just that the personal definition of sunset and sunrise changes based on where a person is. It would cost tons of money and nobody would want to do this, so it probably won't happen.

Probably the two biggest stumbling blocks to abolishing time zones are:

• Potential headaches if the date changes during "waking hours".  In some places, if you have a meeting on "Wednesday" the functional day that the meeting occurs will depend on the hour associated with that Wednesday meeting.
  
• Many people in Western societies have near-religious belief in that certain things should happen when certain numbers appear on the clock.  Lunch should be at noon.  Carson should be on at 10:30 or 11:30pm.  Et cetera.  Such arguments always prove to be an obstacle whenever the potential abolition of DST is discussed.
  

Members of my team at work can be found in India, England, eastern North America, and British Columbia.  Coordinating meetings would be MUCH easier if we were on a common time zone (or if folks were more conversant in UTC, at least).  However, awareness of local time zones does come in handy when evaluating whether a meeting time is "too early" or "too late" for some folks.

In terms of "waking hours", you can get down to 2 or 3 time zones. Two major dividers, Atlantic and Pacific, make placing those "time superzone" boundaries relatively easy so that date change occurs during "sleeping hours". Those who are working night shifts may deal with date change anyway. 
At least, having single time zone for Americas isn't totally crazy from my perspective.

I agree, but complaints from people upset that "It'll be dark at 8am", or "I work 9 to 5, but in winter sunrise will be after 9 / I'll have to change my work hours" or "my prime time TV shows will now start at 6pm" will keep even this simplification from ever happening.

Some folks have very strong desires that certain things typically happen when certain numbers appear on the clock.  Time zones and DST help satisfy those expectations.  Apparently changing those expectations (e.g. it's OK for lunchtime to be when the clock reads 1700 hours despite the sun being near its zenith) is unthinkable for many.

[1995hoo]

I agree, but complaints from people upset that "It'll be dark at 8am", or "I work 9 to 5, but in winter sunrise will be after 9 / I'll have to change my work hours" or "my prime time TV shows will now start at 6pm" will keep even this simplification from ever happening.

Some folks have very strong desires that certain things typically happen when certain numbers appear on the clock.  Time zones and DST help satisfy those expectations.  Apparently changing those expectations (e.g. it's OK for lunchtime to be when the clock reads 1700 hours despite the sun being near its zenith) is unthinkable for many.

Heh. My mother just returned from a trip to Arizona, Utah, and Nevada. One of her e-mails remarked on how early the sun set in Arizona. Of course that's due to the state's non-observance of DST, for which there are good reasons, but it underscored to me how people become used to the idea of certain things happening at certain times.

With that said, I can't help but wonder how people who feel that strongly about the time of day would deal with travel to the Southern Hemisphere and the reversed seasons, such as Christmas coming right at the beginning of summer. (I've never been to the Southern Hemisphere, but to me that particular example might not feel so odd because I spent enough Christmases in Florida between 2010 and 2019 such that I no longer find 75° weather on Christmas to be odd, but people from further north who always celebrate it at home might be confounded.)

[Takumi]

I agree, but complaints from people upset that "It'll be dark at 8am", or "I work 9 to 5, but in winter sunrise will be after 9 / I'll have to change my work hours" or "my prime time TV shows will now start at 6pm" will keep even this simplification from ever happening.

Some folks have very strong desires that certain things typically happen when certain numbers appear on the clock.  Time zones and DST help satisfy those expectations.  Apparently changing those expectations (e.g. it's OK for lunchtime to be when the clock reads 1700 hours despite the sun being near its zenith) is unthinkable for many.

Heh. My mother just returned from a trip to Arizona, Utah, and Nevada. One of her e-mails remarked on how early the sun set in Arizona. Of course that's due to the state's non-observance of DST, for which there are good reasons, but it underscored to me how people become used to the idea of certain things happening at certain times.

With that said, I can't help but wonder how people who feel that strongly about the time of day would deal with travel to the Southern Hemisphere and the reversed seasons, such as Christmas coming right at the beginning of summer. (I've never been to the Southern Hemisphere, but to me that particular example might not feel so odd because I spent enough Christmases in Florida between 2010 and 2019 such that I no longer find 75° weather on Christmas to be odd, but people from further north who always celebrate it at home might be confounded.)

It was interesting going to the mall in South Africa in early November and seeing that Christmas merchandise was being sold. It was even more interesting that said Christmas merchandise was still red and green and winter themed despite it being spring and summer there during this time.

Also they don't observe DST so the sunrise there was very early, like fully light by 5 AM in spring, but sunset was fairly reasonable, around 7 PM.