long distance directory assistance in that area code.
Just called my local T&T number, and it was 5 minutes slow.
Come to think of it, I’m not sure I’m remembering it right, because I’m also remembering a phone number WE1-1212.
As I recall the only numbers that mattered for POPCORN were POP, at least in the California Bay Area up through the early 2000s everything in the 767-#### exchange was the time announcement.
Here in San Antonio one of the hometown banks has a time announcement number (226-3232) that makes you sit through about a 10 second ad before the time (only to the minute), date and downtown temperature is announced.
I know I used to use the time announcement growing up in Northeast Wisconsin as a kid, I was a stickler for my watch being right, but I’ve long forgotten the number.
In Denver it was 222-8811 (or actually the last two digits could be any digits, but 1 was the fastest one). This went away when Denver got rid of the whole 222 exchange. But you could still call the atomic clock in Boulder.
Here in Central MD (former C&P Telephone country), dialing 200-200-xxxx would read you back the number you were calling from. A lineman had me do it once when he was working on our phones. I haven’t tried it lately.
And this brings us neatly onto the Irish obscene phone call:
“Hello darlin’ … Would ye be wearin’ frilly knickers now? … Would ye have a nice lacy bra on? … Do ye have nice perky little boobs? … And will ye stop tellin’ me the time when I’m talkin’ to ye?”
In the days of my youth, it was RI7-1411. At some point, you could also get time and temp by dialing 544-5444. But the service was discontinued, at least a couple if decades ago.
For the hell of it, I just tried dialing both of these numbers. Both “have been disconnected.”
My guess is that they’ve never been reassigned. Some folks have long memories, and it would be pretty lousy to be on the receiving end of mistaken calls.
I just called the number from where I grew up, and it’s still operating.
No, Kaylasdad, it was 853-1212. I remember, because it was originally in the old ULRICH exchange.
Yep. 216-WE1-1212. I just dialed it…still works. Used to have to dial it every day, and always remembered it as WE(ather)1-1212 since it is for Time and Temperature. Nowadays I have to add the 216…miss the days when I didn’t have to.
Bob & Ray:
“At the tone, it will be exactly 10 minutes before the correct time.”
Bob & Ray’s clock was slow. Kermit Schafer had one that kept proper time.
He published this blooper: “At the tone, it will be the correct time.”
Me too. Ffx County Virginia.
867-53…Nm
I was testing a new bluetooth setup today, and needed a number I could call multiple times. Locally, we have 954-748-444 for time and temperature.
You can still get the time from the U.S. Naval Observatory Master Clock by calling 202-762-1401.