Giraffe, you so cool.
A tour bus with a random assortment of military personnel and civilians pulls up to let out the passengers for an extended tour of one site. The driver announces: "Soldiers and airmen, we will be pulling out at 1730, For you civilians, that’s 5:30 p.m. Seamen, that will be three bells in the first dogwatch. Marines, the big hand will be on the 5 and. . . "
Surely the big hand will be on the 6?
The metric system must be getting to you. 
When I was in high school, one of the teachers had a clock that ran counterclockwise.
It helps me to remember that 24:00 is Midnight, and 12:00 is Noon. So, going by that, 21:04 is 3 hours away from Midnight, which would be 9:04 PM. 
I prefer Yogi Berra’s favorite response to “What time is it?”
“You mean now?”
Almost all of the equipment that calculates time at the radio station where I work uses the 24-hour clock. On the air, however, the time is read in 12-hour format The only time outsiders ever see 24-hour clocks is when they come in to work on the pledge drives. Then, most of them lose all concept of time, numbers, mathematics, you name it. They haven’t got any idea what that box with the numbers is, what it’s for or how to read it. I’ve even had people ask me if the unit was broken, because it couldn’t possibly be 15 o’clock.
“The Sentries are back from the hill, Sir. They report Zulus- 0504 of them.”
“Very well then- take B company and establish positions behind the mealie bags on the south wall. C company will reinforce the mission building, and the Engineers will defend the Mission Station.”
“Very good, Sir…”
I’m relieved; I thought it was just another thing I had never heard of.
I have one of those. Now I can’t read standard analog clocks.
I’m going to have to get one of those binary clocks. I’ll have an excuse to be late for everything!
In a different profession (say, office worker) I could understand not knowing 24 hour time, but in professions that run around the clock (or well into the evening, like transit), any that I’ve ever worked for or seen run on 24 hour time, so they only have to say 9:00 and 21:00, without adding am and pm to everything. I guess Portland transit doesn’t run on 24 hour time, but that seems so strange to me. 
Zombie bus drivers.
The OP says that they were using a transfer ticket which is clearly part of Portland’s system. So although it may admittedly be initially a staff-training issue, it’s also part of the driver’s job.
So let me understand … the State of Oregon will let you (legally) voluntarily and legally terminate your own life, but will not let you pump your own gas?
Of course, all us old Farts and Fartresses know:
“It’s Time for Beany!”
And, of course, “It’s Howdy Doody Time!”
Time for me to go now…
Nope. If you pump your own gas, you might hurt someone, or spill Evil Petrochemicals on a spotted owl or something.
I hate those things. I know it’s just 5.2 digits of BCD, but they’re a PITA to read. I think this one might be better all round.
Yeah, or get cancer or lose a limb.
I actually like it. No getting wet or cold or having your hands smell of gasoline. My gas station even cleans my windows.
Exactly.
-Kris
But how does one get to be an adult and not know about 24 hour time? Besides, she said she didn’t understand “military time” which means she is at least aware it exists. It’s not like three bells or something.