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The American Airline Flight #14 crew almost didn't get to the airport last night for the "red-eye" to LAX. Their arrival time in El Lay determines their departure time from Mau'i. Normally the crew is picked up by Speedi-Shuttle from the Maui Coast Hotel at 8:05pm. In daylight savings time, there is a three hour difference from Hawai'i to California. During standard time the difference is only 2 hours. This is because Hawai'i stays on standard time all year. We are so close to the equator that we do not have a need to play the semi-annual game with the clocks. Since flight #14 would arrive after the time change in California, it's departure time is now an hour later. Someone failed to take this into account. Speedi-Shuttle arrived at the normal 8:05p pickup time and then departed empty. The flight crew comes down to the lobby, expecting a 9:05pm pickup and the van never appears.
Oops!!
Speedi-Shuttle is called and refuses to send another of their buses, which is where I became involved. The only way the crew was going to make the flight was by taking a cab, actually 2 cabs. We got the crew there asap and then a problem developed. There were supposed to be vouchers waiting at the ticket counter to pay TMR and me. There were not. It took a few hours of phone calls between our dispatcher and American's HQ in Dallas, Texas, before a resolution was accomplished.
People's concept of reality seldom takes reality into consideration.
This is the last time that the mainland will do the time switch on the last Sunday in October. Starting in 2007, the country switches back to DST on the SECOND SUNDAY in March and reverts to Standard Time on the FIRST SUNDAY in November. This will make it safer for the keikis (children) next Halloween. It will still be twilight, or brighter, while the small ones go "Trick or Treating" in their neighborhoods.
This whole time change BS is antiquated and should be eliminated. Originally it was installed to aid the farmers but there are few small family farms left. Most farm operations are 24/7 agribusinesses owned by multi-national corporations. The need for the change is a relic of the early 20th century. We should just establish DST as the NEW "Standard" and keep it in place year round. It would save fuel for electricity production. Its not like there isn't a precedent, we did it during the oil embargo of the '70's, during WWII, and a couple of other times. It is time to shed this mantle of our past and move into the 21st century.
Continuing with this "time" theme, have you changed the batteries in your smoke detectors/alarms? If not, do it now, please.
Oh, Australia went onto DST on Sunday. Its getting close to summer there. On November 1st, at least in the State of Victoria, they'll institute some severe water rationing rules. They are having a very prolonged drought and barely had any rain this past winter (and longer).
I hope no one arrived an hour early for church or work today.
THE PICTURE GALLERY
Hale Kai 'O Kihei
The View From Kamaole Beach Park #2
Keawakapu Beach
All The Following Are Kamaole Beach, Which Is Divided Into Three Separate Beach Parks Along South Kihei Road.
Mau'i Sunset
"Let's all be careful out there!"
