>I have always heard it had something to do with not wanting schoolchildren to have to wait for the bus in the dark. Even if true, as the U.S. has become more urbanized (and suburbanized) that can't be much of a factor any more.

Last year there the school buses were operating in darkness anyway, because the financial constrains made them hire fewer drivers so they combined the lines and the ride took longer than an hour.

>One thing I know for sure is that first Sunday after savings time ends, when it's suddenly an hour "earlier," it's a bummer looking outside and seeing it dark before 5 p.m.

You're way too south. It's dark around 16:00 over here at winter solstice. We're a tad more north than Toronto.

Say, did you ever count your DST savings, with interest of course, and what will you do with them (despite widespread use of "savings" as a singular, I still think it is plural).