I grew up there and remembered the number before reading what you typed!
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.)
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.
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.
Jane Barbe is probably one of the most famous voices that people can’t name.
We also had POPCORN (or POP-anything)
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. 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.
…who are pretty lax when it comes to accuracy.
Could it simply be that you just have too much time on your hands?
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?
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?”
Good one!
It still is 123 ( but no longer sponsored by Accurist or anyone else)
When you hear the tone, the time will be 3:36pm.
BEEP
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…
Philadelphia had TI-6-1212
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.
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
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