Eastern Standard Time

Discussion at work raised a couple of questions. One is, if you give a time as 8 am-8 pm EST, does it make sense? I said it should be ET, for Eastern Time, because EST (Eastern Standard Time) exists in contrast to EDT (Eastern Daylight Time) and is only in effect half the year.

I was shouted down, with the others saying “everyone knows EST means Eastern Time and nobody cares about the technicality you mention.”

But – was I right?

The second question is more obscure. I have a vague memory from childhood that something here didn’t change to Daylight Time. It may have been the trains, or something to do with government. Later they packed it in and, whatever it was, it now runs on the same time as everything else. Does this ring any bells for anyone else?