# How come you know the U.S. Time Zones? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [May 3, 2010, 10:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-come-you-know-the-u-s-time-zones/538131 "2010-05-03T10:01:02Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Harmonious\_Discord](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/74df32/32.png) [@Harmonious\_Discord](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harmonious_Discord)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2010, 10:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-come-you-know-the-u-s-time-zones/538131/1 "2010-05-03T10:01:02Z")
I’m talking about the names and general location, not the exact state by state breakdown. I learned them because of television when I was a kid. They would often put time zone maps on the screen with an announcement for when the shows or movies would be on. Knowing your time zone was important to catch your show. ---
**Author:** ![dalej42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@dalej42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dalej42)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2010, 12:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-come-you-know-the-u-s-time-zones/538131/2 "2010-05-03T12:50:45Z")
I think I first learned from live sporting events. I was in Ohio and would always wonder how they’re playing football in the sun when it was 5 in the afternoon in the winter. ---
**Author:** ![aruvqan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aruvqan/32/2891_2.png) [@aruvqan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aruvqan)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2010, 1:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-come-you-know-the-u-s-time-zones/538131/3 "2010-05-03T13:22:07Z")
Telephone customer service jobs where I was working with callers in other time zones. ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2010, 1:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-come-you-know-the-u-s-time-zones/538131/4 "2010-05-03T13:32:45Z")
I’m pretty sure it started with TV when I was a kid. I got really schooled in it when I took a course on celestial navigation. It surprises me how many adults don’t get it. I have people from the Left Coast telling me that they’ll be calling me at 4pm PST. I never know if I should be expecting that call at 7 or 8. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2010, 1:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-come-you-know-the-u-s-time-zones/538131/5 "2010-05-03T13:36:20Z")
I guess I first learned of them in elementary school. It seemed bizarre to me at first, but then when the teacher explained that the whole world was split up that way because of the Earth’s rotation and the different times that dawn arrived across the face of the planet, it made sense to me. I still forget sometimes if the continental U.S. has four or five time zones, and have to stop and think about it. It has four: [File:Timezoneswest.PNG - Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Timezoneswest.PNG) ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2010, 1:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-come-you-know-the-u-s-time-zones/538131/6 "2010-05-03T13:39:38Z")
> [@Harmonious\_Discord](#): > > I’m talking about the names and general location, not the exact state by state breakdown. > > I learned them because of television when I was a kid. They would often put time zone maps on the screen with an announcement for when the shows or movies would be on. Knowing your time zone was important to catch your show. There were time zone maps in phone books. For some reason, I used to study that thing when I was in the first grade. ---
**Author:** ![elmwood](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmwood/32/3060_2.png) [@elmwood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elmwood)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2010, 1:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-come-you-know-the-u-s-time-zones/538131/7 "2010-05-03T13:51:39Z")
> [@JohnT](#): > > There were time zone maps in phone books. For some reason, I used to study that thing when I was in the first grade. Maps for me, really. Time zones were always shown on gas station road maps. In cross-country drives, there were signs at the time zone boundaries. North of the border, there was the Atlantic time zone, but I seldom heard it mentioned in commercials promoting shows. There was “half an hour later in Newfoundland”, though. ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2010, 2:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-come-you-know-the-u-s-time-zones/538131/8 "2010-05-03T14:43:12Z")
Believe it or not, I have a cousin (once removed) who thinks people living in different time zones are actually living in a different “now” . . . so if you call someone in the next zone, you have to wait an hour for their response (and presumably if they call you, your phone rings an hour before they call). No amount of explaining will change her mind. And yes, this is the same cousin who things all dogs are male and all cats are female. And that Alaska and Hawaii are right off the California coast. ---
**Author:** ![Clothahump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/51bf81/32.png) [@Clothahump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Clothahump)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2010, 2:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-come-you-know-the-u-s-time-zones/538131/9 "2010-05-03T14:47:24Z")
> [@JohnT](#): > > There were time zone maps in phone books. For some reason, I used to study that thing when I was in the first grade. Me, too. They were strangely fascinating at that age. ---
**Author:** ![Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eyebrows_0f_doom/32/3119_2.png) [@Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eyebrows_0f_Doom)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2010, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-come-you-know-the-u-s-time-zones/538131/10 "2010-05-03T14:51:50Z")
> [@panache45](#): > > And yes, this is the same cousin who things all dogs are male and all cats are female. Where does she think puppies come from? Oh God, if she thinks all dogs are male what does she think is happening when puppies are nursing!? :eek: ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2010, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-come-you-know-the-u-s-time-zones/538131/11 "2010-05-03T14:58:10Z")
> [@Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](#): > > Where does she think puppies come from? Oh God, if she thinks all dogs are male what does she think is happening when puppies are nursing!? :eek: According to her, a dog (male) and a cat (female) have sex. The cat gets pregnant and gives birth to a litter of puppies and kittens, all of which are nursed by the cat. ---
**Author:** ![Gagundathar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a183cd/32.png) [@Gagundathar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gagundathar)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2010, 3:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-come-you-know-the-u-s-time-zones/538131/12 "2010-05-03T15:05:59Z")
> [@panache45](#): > > According to her, a dog (male) and a cat (female) have sex. The cat gets pregnant and gives birth to a litter of puppies and kittens, all of which are nursed by the cat. Is this person institutionalized? ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2010, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-come-you-know-the-u-s-time-zones/538131/13 "2010-05-03T15:10:12Z")
Baseball. Although we don’t play as many games in the Mountain zone as we do Central or Pacific, so I tended to forget about Mountain. Which is odd because I have two relatives in Mountain (well, one in Arizona who has its own idea about time). I guess I never cared what time it was at their houses - just what time the Indians game was on. Now that I have a business that deals with customers all over the world, I know a lot more about time zones than I used to. Getting stuff done by noon for your London customers can be rough sometimes. ---
**Author:** ![Electric\_Warrior](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ee7513/32.png) [@Electric\_Warrior](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Electric_Warrior)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2010, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-come-you-know-the-u-s-time-zones/538131/14 "2010-05-03T15:10:43Z")
When my youngest brother was in preschool we thought he might be autistic and we were getting him tested. One of the only tests that he failed was one where they showed him a picture of a dog and a cat, and then said “ **She** does [x thing], show us who does [x thing]?” and he was supposed to point to the cat. WTF? Back on topic, I have family in all four of the US time zones, so I learned them while traveling. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2010, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-come-you-know-the-u-s-time-zones/538131/15 "2010-05-03T15:14:21Z")
> [@Gagundathar](#): > > Is this person institutionalized? Or under the age of six? ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2010, 3:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-come-you-know-the-u-s-time-zones/538131/16 "2010-05-03T15:22:07Z")
> [@Gagundathar](#): > > Is this person institutionalized? Actually, she’s some kind of technician in a hospital. :eek: And she’s in her 50s. ---
**Author:** ![AClockworkMelon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aclockworkmelon/32/10803_2.png) [@AClockworkMelon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AClockworkMelon)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2010, 3:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-come-you-know-the-u-s-time-zones/538131/17 "2010-05-03T15:34:30Z")
> [@panache45](#): > > Actually, she’s some kind of technician in a hospital. I’m frightened. ---
**Author:** ![Kyla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/eada6e/32.png) [@Kyla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kyla)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2010, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-come-you-know-the-u-s-time-zones/538131/18 "2010-05-03T15:38:14Z")
I think everyone who grows up in the Pacific Time Zone, like I did, achieves an early understanding of time zones. A lot of the time, the “default” time people will give is the Eastern Time Zone. Things can just be inconvenient for someone living in the west, like remembering to call someone very early, because it’s later where they are. You also get ridiculously early telemarketing calls from lazy telemarketers who can’t be bothered to check what time zone they’re calling. I live in the ETZ now and it is just more convenient - for everything except following the Giants, who often start games at 10:15 pm for me. ---
**Author:** ![Driver8](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b5a626/32.png) [@Driver8](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Driver8)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2010, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-come-you-know-the-u-s-time-zones/538131/19 "2010-05-03T16:12:50Z")
I’ve only lived in the US for my adult life, but living in Pacific Time working for a company based out of Eastern Time with clients based in Central time has definitely given me a crash course! ---
**Author:** ![Xema](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/9de053/32.png) [@Xema](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Xema)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2010, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-come-you-know-the-u-s-time-zones/538131/20 "2010-05-03T18:09:58Z")
> [@panache45](#): > > Actually, she’s some kind of technician in a hospital. Yet she’s never actually spoken on the phone to someone outside her own timezone? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-come-you-know-the-u-s-time-zones/538131.md?page=2)