There is a difference between EST and EDT. Many, if not most, people think that “standard” time is the time it is where you are. Or that it is the standard time for the time zone.
Right now, September 4, 2007, the “normal” time in New York is EDT (Eastern Daylight Time) not EST (Eastern Standard Time).
If you say today, that we have a meeting at 4:00 PM EST, that is a hour off from 4:00 PM in New York, because New York is on EDT right now.
Better to say 4:00 PM ET. That to me is Eastern Time. Standard or Daylight, whichever is in effect at the time.
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You are correct but I have never heard of any confusion on this issue as if someone were to show up late because of nomenclature.
I have however heard of people who are dumb enough to think that if we have daylight savings time the curtains will fade more quickly
mark on September 4th, 2007 at 5:21 pm | Link
This is a perfect example of why I am addicted to this site. I do this.
I didn’t even realize this before you pointed it out like so many ot the other things I’ve read here at My Biggest Complaint. Thanks for pointing this out. I am now officially on “ET - Eastern Time”.
But on the same token if you Say ET then people will think your an Extra Terrestrial.
Mark on September 5th, 2007 at 10:30 am | Link
Granted, it was a bigger problem in areas surrounding Indiana when they did not change with DST every summer. In Indianapolis it was EST all year long. Now it is EDT in the summer, and EST in the winter.
Problem is that if you had tickets to say the Indy 500 they said race starts at 11:00 AM EST.
People on the East coast think that means 11 am NYC time, when it is really 12 noon NYC time…again, they would not be late, they would be early.
I’m not sure how saying 4pm ET would ever be thought of as Extra Terrestrial.
But then again, I’m usually saying CT…
wow I never realized that anyone would ever print tickets with the incorerct time on it. Some real rocket scientists on the project!
The ET thing its a joke!! Ok Rembember the movie ET?
Mark on September 6th, 2007 at 7:53 am | Link
I got the joke…
Printing the tickets with EST was not incorrect. Indiana at that time did not observe DST so they were always on EST.
I’m sure the confusion was part of the reason Indiana now observes DST. While I wish they had chosen CT over ET, it is at least consistent.