San Diego and Tijuana spring forward together at last
Clocks change in unison for the first time since 2007
by Brian Flock
Two years after the 1994 North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), Mexico adopted the daylight savings time of its northern neighbors, the United States and Canada. After years of tangled schedules and manufacturing challenges posed by differing schedules, the occurrence of Daylight Savings Time (DST) had finally took hold of virtually all of North America.
Fast forward to 2007 when the US government voted to implement an “energy savings” plan which effectively added another month of DST each spring. The result was chaos at the border in light of up to four weeks in gaps between the schedules of the two countries.
In the words attributed to former Mexican President Porfirio Díaz (1830 –1915), “Poor Mexico, so far from God and so close to the United States!”
After thirteen years of relative coordination, Mexico (and more particularly Border dependent on commerce) was thrown into a confusing clash of the clocks.
Commuters from Mexico to the US (who already had the challenge of the morning border crossing) suddenly had to arise more than an hour early due to the tangled mess. Day-trippers and vacation home owners from the US found their favorite haunts closed for breakfast or found themselves late (or early) for appointments. Even tourists on cruises and flights found confusion at the docks and airports of the Mexico’s interior.
For Mexico, the change raised a conflict between practicality and sovereignty. State and local leaders at the border clamored for adoption of the new schedule. However, Federal-level arguments ensued that the US DST change was a simply a trial and could just as easily go back to original standard.
Then in December 2009, Mexican Federal authorities voted to reconcile the Mexican schedule with the US and Canada for border towns. (Tourists on cruises and flights to the interior of Mexico will have to wait until April 4!)
Thus San Diego and Tijuana spring forward together for the first time in three years.
Yet the question remains: after all of this commotion, is anyone saving energy?
Brian Flock is a licensed California broker (01870163), as well as a degreed and certified broker in Mexico. He is a realtor and a member of both SDAR and AMPI Rosarito. Mr. Flock may be contacted at Flock Dream Homes, brian@flockdreamhomes.com , or (619) 793-5224.