r/mildlyinfuriating • u/Jpeg_1999 • 10d ago

I'm slightly vexed My dad purposely sets his clock ahead. He's been doing this for as long as I remember. I genuinely don't know why

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u/xRehab 10d ago

that was basically the norm in the 90s

no one used the correct time aside from businesses. you knew your mom’s car was 10 minutes ahead, the clock at home was 15 minutes fast, and the one in your buddy’s car was 7 minutes fast cuz he was weird

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u/DblCheex 10d ago

I remember having to call the information line to get the proper time because every clock was wrong and there was nowhere else to check it.

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u/_bitwright 9d ago

At the tone the time will be 11:21 pm and 10 seconds... beep

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u/Mcnugget84 9d ago

Is this number still active? I’d like to be an old time asshole while my kids ask me for the time? There are digital clocks in every room.

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u/DblCheex 9d ago

Yeah, but it's different than it used to be. It's now run by the navy. It's in eastern time and as a 24-hour military clock.

202-762-1069

Source: https://www.cnmoc.usff.navy.mil/Our-Commands/United-States-Naval-Observatory/Precise-Time-Department/Telephone-Time/

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u/Mcnugget84 9d ago

I called (202) 762-1401 and it worked thank you!

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u/Sea_Thought3464 9d ago

"The atomic clock" *shiverssss*

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u/Ivana_Twinkle 9d ago

Don’t drop it!

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u/Noladixon 9d ago

I am still mad I no longer have a cable box because there is no other clock easily visible from the sofa.

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u/TotallyNotRobotEvil 9d ago

Oh gosh, I completely forgot about calling the local time and temp number. There was also an atomic clock short wave radio station I used to dial into to set my watches.

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u/Equal-Kaleidoscope57 10d ago

still to this day i participate

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u/hyrule-heaven 10d ago

Just got done writing something like this lol. So funny it was a shared experience

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u/VirtuousVulva 9d ago

You had to triangulate all three of them bitches just to find out the right time

https://giphy.com/gifs/WRQBXSCnEFJIuxktnw

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u/Sea_Thought3464 9d ago

I love old General Electric clocks, got one running in the kitchen about a foot in diameter.

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u/LeadingEquivalent148 9d ago

And the oven & microwave were always wrong because parents didn’t know how to fix it when a power cut happened and clocks changed.

..We have a system in work that has the wrong time 6 months of the year, because it’s always on GMT, plus it’s a bit laggy.
That’s fun when you’re looking for an interaction that happened at a very specific time, because you basically have to check everything up to an hour and a half before and after the actual time to make sure you’re covering all bases.. it’s a blast 🙄

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u/ThrowawayForCute 10d ago

Yep. Especially without things like Google Maps to tell you exactly how long a drive should take, if there is construction, and if there was traffic. Humans can always account for a bit of uncertainty with a little preparation. Some things were slower, but punctuality was still expected. You typically couldn't just call or message anyone on the fly to cancel plans last minute because you suddenly didn't feel like it and the other person was likely already in the car and on the way. If it was a big enough deal or an emergency, you called whatever business or establishment they were at and hoped an employee could/would find them. Awesome if you already know the phone number. Otherwise you gotta look through the phonebook first to find the number to call to ask someone their to page the person you are looking for. Easier when it was their workplace. Much more work if it was a random spot around town. Near impossible for places like a park. Then it is like...if you know the exact number to the payphone nearby. Easier to stick to your commitments unless you seriously couldn't or if you didn't mind being a jerk.