# What were those Time service phone numbers you could call? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [October 11, 2009, 3:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-those-time-service-phone-numbers-you-could-call/513377 "2009-10-11T03:09:27Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![shellofmyformerself](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/5f8ce5/32.png) [@shellofmyformerself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/shellofmyformerself)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2009, 12:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-those-time-service-phone-numbers-you-could-call/513377/41 "2009-10-12T00:11:46Z")
> [@AHunter3](#): > > The ones I recall did not repeat the time, they just gave you the CURRENT time as of the time you made the call. Automated service, provided by various local businesses. Often included the temperature as well. > > First State Bank operated such a service in Valdosta GA when I was a kid. And… I’ll be damned, I still remember the phone number! 912-242-1000 > > Hmm, doesn’t seem to be extant any more. I grew up there and remembered the number before reading what you typed! ---
**Author:** ![tumbleddown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e9bcb4/32.png) [@tumbleddown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tumbleddown)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2009, 2:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-those-time-service-phone-numbers-you-could-call/513377/42 "2009-10-12T02:06:40Z")
412-391-9500 gets you automated time and temperature in Pittsburgh, provided by Duquesne Light, the most expensive electricity provider in the U.S. last time I checked. It makes me want to shake somebody and say “It’s 2009, knock this crap off and lower your rates a penny a kilowatt!” (Or whatever measurement they use.) ---
**Author:** ![coffeecat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/coffeecat/32/3405_2.png) [@coffeecat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/coffeecat)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2009, 2:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-those-time-service-phone-numbers-you-could-call/513377/43 "2009-10-12T02:47:34Z")
In Boston, it was and still is 617-637-xxxx, a.k.a. 617-NESTLES. A comedian did point out that if you wait till late enough at night, you can call pretty much any number you want and get the same information for free. ---
**Author:** ![Mk\_VII](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Mk\_VII](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mk_VII)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2009, 10:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-those-time-service-phone-numbers-you-could-call/513377/44 "2009-10-12T10:01:46Z")
The national number here was 123; it used to be 846, which corresponded to TIMe on the dial. For that reason it was often known as Tim, even though the association had ceased. In later years it was sponsored by Accurist, and included an announcement to that affect. ---
**Author:** ![gotpasswords](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c57346/32.png) [@gotpasswords](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gotpasswords)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2009, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-those-time-service-phone-numbers-you-could-call/513377/45 "2009-10-12T15:42:22Z")
[QUOTE=stanger] Funny how the ladys voice doesn’t seem to have changed after all these years. [/QUOTE] [Jane Barbe](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jane_Barbe) is probably one of the most famous voices that people can’t name. ---
**Author:** ![Gary\_Robson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gary_robson/32/3448_2.png) [@Gary\_Robson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_Robson)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2009, 10:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-those-time-service-phone-numbers-you-could-call/513377/46 "2009-10-12T22:36:20Z")
We also had POPCORN (or POP-anything) > [@doubled](#): > > But why were there so many of these free time services back then? They don’t exist as much today but I can’t think of anything that changed since then which would have made them less relevant. (Everybody back then had as many clocks as we do today, right?) Did people just sit around back then saying “Wow, I wish i knew if my watch was correct down to the very second?” Even today, there are times when I’ll walk around the house and see a 5-minute difference between the clocks. Twenty years ago, I’d sometimes see a 10- or 15-minute difference. Nowadays, I set them from my WWV clock, which sets itself from the time signal transmitted from the cesium clock folks in Colorado. Before I had that, I used [nist.time.gov](http://nist.time.gov). Before that, I’d make the phone call. How I wish all my clocks could be synchronized! The clocks that are synched: - my cellphone - my wife’s cellphone - my computers - my wife’s computer - The WWV radio clocks - The DVR/satellite TV controller The ones that aren’t - alarm clock - antique school clock - my wristwatch - my pocketwatch - grandfather clock - my wife’s watches (several of them) - microwave - oven - coffee maker - my truck - my wife’s car - DVD player (why does it have a clock?) - VCR - wall clock in the garage/shop - hot tub timer Post-power-outage adjustments are a pain in the butt. ---
**Author:** ![guizot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guizot/32/3636_2.png) [@guizot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/guizot)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2009, 11:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-those-time-service-phone-numbers-you-could-call/513377/47 "2009-10-12T23:03:44Z")
> [@InvisibleWombat](#): > > Nowadays, I set them from my WWV clock, which sets itself from the time signal transmitted from the cesium clock folks in Colorado… …who are pretty lax when it comes to accuracy. > [@InvisibleWombat](#): > > …How I wish all my clocks could be synchronized! > > The clocks that are synched: > > - my cellphone > - my wife’s cellphone > - my computers > - my wife’s computer > - The WWV radio clocks > - The DVR/satellite TV controller > > The ones that aren’t > > - alarm clock > - antique school clock > - my wristwatch > - my pocketwatch > - grandfather clock > - my wife’s watches (several of them) > - microwave > - oven > - coffee maker > - my truck > - my wife’s car > - DVD player (why does it have a clock?) > - VCR > - wall clock in the garage/shop > - hot tub timer Could it simply be that you just have too much time on your hands? ---
**Author:** ![Mk\_VII](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Mk\_VII](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mk_VII)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2009, 8:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-those-time-service-phone-numbers-you-could-call/513377/48 "2009-10-13T08:33:44Z")
You might frequently have just one or two clocks in the house and if you went away for a few days and let it run down, where do you get an authoritative statement of the time? ---
**Author:** ![Hampshire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hampshire/32/4887_2.png) [@Hampshire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hampshire)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2009, 2:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-those-time-service-phone-numbers-you-could-call/513377/49 "2009-10-13T14:41:43Z")
That seems like a good question to ask a teenager. “What do you think we used as a reference to get the correct time before the internet, cell phones, cable/satellite tv, etc?” ---
**Author:** ![Gary\_Robson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gary_robson/32/3448_2.png) [@Gary\_Robson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_Robson)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2009, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-those-time-service-phone-numbers-you-could-call/513377/50 "2009-10-13T18:13:43Z")
> [@guizot](#): > > Could it simply be that you just have too much time on your hands? 😃 Good one! ---
**Author:** ![Rayne\_Man](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/df705f/32.png) [@Rayne\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rayne_Man)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2009, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-those-time-service-phone-numbers-you-could-call/513377/51 "2009-10-13T19:01:41Z")
> [@Mk\_VII](#): > > The national number here was 123; it used to be 846, which corresponded to TIMe on the dial. For that reason it was often known as Tim, even though the association had ceased. In later years it was sponsored by Accurist, and included an announcement to that affect. It still is 123 ( but no longer sponsored by Accurist or anyone else) ---
**Author:** ![TBG](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@TBG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TBG)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2009, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-those-time-service-phone-numbers-you-could-call/513377/52 "2009-10-13T19:36:01Z")
When you hear the tone, the time will be 3:36pm. _BEEP_ ---
**Author:** ![TBG](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@TBG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TBG)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2009, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-those-time-service-phone-numbers-you-could-call/513377/53 "2009-10-13T19:37:09Z")
When you hear the tone, the time will be 3:36pm. _BEEP_ Well, it would’ve been if the hamsters hadn’t had a stroke… ---
**Author:** ![pan1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/e495f1/32.png) [@pan1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pan1)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2009, 9:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-those-time-service-phone-numbers-you-could-call/513377/54 "2009-10-13T21:20:52Z")
Philadelphia had TI-6-1212 ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2009, 10:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-those-time-service-phone-numbers-you-could-call/513377/55 "2009-10-13T22:52:24Z")
I just rang the USNO number given earlier in the thread and watched as the clock on my PC clicked over to the new minute exactly in sync with the beep. It was cool. I also saved the number to my cell phone just in case I’m ever in a situation that I need to be able to call a recording, like you see in so many old movies. ---
**Author:** ![Arnold\_Winkelried](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Arnold\_Winkelried](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arnold_Winkelried)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2009, 12:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-those-time-service-phone-numbers-you-could-call/513377/56 "2009-10-14T00:26:00Z")
> [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](#): > > Later it was usually 853-1212. Where I live (probably to avoid people getting annoyed by misdials), any 4 digits after 853, i.e. 853-xxxx, would connect you to the talking clock. In the old days, when I wrote checks in stores and was asked for my telephone number, I invariable gave 853-1212 or a variation. Only once was I questioned about it (the grocery cashier lady asked me “that’s the number for time! Do you work there?” uh, yeah, I’m the one who tells you what time it is, I snuck out for groceries but I have to hurry back! 🙂 ) AT&T discontinued this service in September 2007 in Southern California. [Los Angeles Times: Our wonder of Wonder Bread](http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/la-oe-daum1sep01,0,6861786.column) In an age of disposable objects, it’s nice to see that one product’s passing can still stir nostalgia. By Meghan Daum September 1, 2007 > [@](#): > > Starting in September, Southern Californians will no longer be able to call 853-1212 and find out what time it is. According to an AT&T spokesman, the service was deemed no longer necessary because people could more easily look at their cellphones or check the Internet to see what time it is. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-those-time-service-phone-numbers-you-could-call/513377.md?page=2)