"At the tone, Pacific Standard Time will be... Eight Thirty Three...and 10 seconds...*beep*

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BoredAccountant@reddit

My dad would call this line at least once a month so he could make sure all the clocks in the house were set correctly.

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DoveOnTheInternet@reddit

This is it. Way before you had to add your area code to everything

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ArchitectVandelay@reddit

Fuck, I miss seven digit phone numbers.

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weedtrek@reddit

Lol, I remember using four digit numbers and people complaining when our town switched to seven.

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ArchitectVandelay@reddit

Wow, I didn’t know until just now that there was such a thing as a four digit phone number. Crazy times. I draw the line at 9 though. It’s getting ridiculous.

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I lived in an 867 area (south-west indiana) and that was a real number that they'd let just go to the answering machine. Sometimes they'd pick up just to fuck with people. It was like a reverse prank call.

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primusperegrinus@reddit

I got it

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jennifer_m13@reddit

Ours was 844- and any four numbers. It gave you the time and temp.

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RockShowSparky@reddit

Ours was 853-1212, outlined a T on the keypad. At the tone, GTE time will be…

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DjQball@reddit

No that was the local number for 411! The time number was 555-1234!

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OneHumanBill@reddit

We also had a 1234 but I don't remember what it did. Maybe I even got them backwards?

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SameSpecialist8284@reddit

123 in the uk.

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stay_goldism_@reddit

499-1212 over here

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HighRootz@reddit

853-1212 for me

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Money_Magnet24@reddit

Same

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Polymox@reddit

That was directory assistance for us.

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modulus801@reddit

844-1212 for me. And it still works

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PatronSaintOfCunts@reddit

233-3000

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PumpkinThen@reddit

244-5611

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Gweveraugh@reddit

GR 2-1212

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LBadwife@reddit

I sent more than a handful of confused teenage boys to this hotline when they asked for my number back in the day 🤣

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Sempophai@reddit

It helped when programming the VCR clock.

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JacPhlash@reddit

Also helped with the power went out and you had to reset all the clocks that were plugged in

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treemoustache@reddit

We also used the TV channel that had 24 hour weather (in text).

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GarblingCumfarts@reddit

I liked it when it was the weather channel + infomercials. It was the best of both worlds.

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dragon_fiesta@reddit

My hometown had a camera that panned across weather measuring stuff. In the summer a fly would get into the building and me and my friend would get way too excited about it showing up on tv

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Steveseriesofnumbers@reddit

Some sweet ass smooth jazz on the Weather Channel.

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KnownNormie@reddit

911-1212 still works

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rm78noir@reddit

Damn straight.

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Zarniwoooop@reddit

Also help when I was too high and didn’t trust my mind.

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Sad_Training_1595@reddit

I feel this.

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DomFunf@reddit

At the moan, the time will be... uhhh moan sounds

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DangerBrewin@reddit

Had to scroll way too far to find someone else who remembers Mona!

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DomFunf@reddit

She had a name?! Lol

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DangerBrewin@reddit

The one I remember calling had a message that went something like “Hi, you’ve reached Mona. At the moan the time will be 9:19. Ahhh… Ahhhhh… AHHHHHHHHH!!!!

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DomFunf@reddit

Yup thats the one

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wild--ride@reddit

937-499-1212

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Federal_Cookie@reddit

My friends and I used to dial 0 from a pay phone and ask the Operator.

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GrindinWulf@reddit

Back when I was in the 5/6 grade, I used to call a number on three-way with my friends and we would play games. I think there was one where you hunted ghosts all touch tone based.

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b33lzebubba775@reddit

We had something like that, and another one that told choose your own adventure style stories. "Press 1 to run away, press 2 to punch the monster on the nose..." something like that.

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GrindinWulf@reddit

Exactly!!!

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Old-List-5955@reddit

I still remember it, and it actually still works. (903)729-6011.

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MadamInsta@reddit

CONNECTICUT: "SPRINGS" 777-4647

Now you have to add 203 area code.

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AccountOfMyDarkside@reddit

Was everyone else's number (xxx)222-2222, or was that just my state?

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Cephalopod_Dropbear@reddit

345-5611 Time and temp! And they had a joke of the day!

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Meglade@reddit

I called it when I was expecting a phone call later than was allowed at my house. Just sat and waited for the call waiting beep (or fell asleep lol)

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chattelcattle@reddit

Same same same.

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Stop_Already@reddit

I used to call my bank and listen to the automation to wait for calls. Glad I’m not the only one. Haha.

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KDiggity8@reddit

I THOUGHT I WAS THE ONLY ONE!!!

Except I used the local bus schedule line, or... HELLO AND WELCOME TO MOVIEFONE!

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ialsohaveadobro@reddit

"...er... Why don't you just say the NAME of the movie you want to see?..."

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KDiggity8@reddit

Love it!

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ADMotti@reddit

Co-signed. I called the Channel 8 weather line in Cleveland when I was expecting a call after midnight from a girl 😂

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ialsohaveadobro@reddit

Channel 8 you got me up late

Still too young (too young) to really date

But I know a sweet someone (someone) who will wait

Until I get that beep after the weather....

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ArchitectVandelay@reddit

Absolute brilliance. I’m in awe 👏

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working_and_whatnot@reddit

This is still broadcast on a handful of shortwave frequencies 24/7 to set atomic clocks and tune radios to. https://www.nist.gov/pml/time-and-frequency-division/time-distribution/radio-station-wwv

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haymelz@reddit

Apparently 202 762 1401 still works?

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dam58b@reddit

KC's still works. 8168441212

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myfirstthrowawayhey@reddit

And golf tips..

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Quetzalsacatenango@reddit

It was either that or drive by a bank.

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According_Love2510@reddit

Pre-cellphone days, I used to give guys I didn’t like who were bugging me for my number the time and temp number from the bank one town over. Simpler times

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Scarlett_Begonias_@reddit

765-742-1212

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doodlefartss@reddit

I used to call the weather one to see what I should wear to school in the 80s.

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Lazermissile@reddit

You could also call G R A N D M A (472-6362) for the time here.

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jamessheldon444@reddit

Anyone ever do the trick where you can dial 958-xxxx (<-- last 4 of that phone's #), wait for the weird tone, hang up, and then the phone rings and does the same weird tone when you pick up?

Or the trick to get a free payphone call by sticking one side of an unfolded paper clip into the small hole under the dial pad, and the other in the center hole of the mouthpiece?

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vabello@reddit

You still can. US Naval Observatory - 719-567-6742

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MelHamRN@reddit

Yes, I called the Time and Temp line daily.

If able I’d wait for weather on the 8s on the TV to figure out what to wear for the day.

Then called the movie line to see if any good shows were playing.

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truffles76@reddit

Flavor Flav put them out of business

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erino3120@reddit

You called it when it was late and didn’t want the house phone to ring and you could answer the call waiting. But make sure you hang up that line because if you don’t when you hang up with your intended caller the phone will ring and it will be time and temp.

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EastTXJosh@reddit

I'm sure they did it elsewhere, but in my little town when you called the number, you also got the temperature and weather forecast.

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zffjk@reddit

US naval observatory Master Clock. Tick tick. At the ton, 0800 hours, three minutes, exactly. Beep.

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augustwest30@reddit

I would use the shortwave radio station to set my clocks. I even had a clock that would set itself from the radio signal.

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Gian_Luck_Pickerd@reddit

The US Naval Observatory Master Clock in DC still has a number that gives the time in Eastern Time and UTC.

202 762 1401

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Hilsam_Adent@reddit

It also has two FTP servers connected to its master clocks, the primary in DC, tick.navy.mil and the backup in Colorado (the base is now under Space Force purview, but the clock still belongs to the Navy) tock.navy.mil. They're both Cesium Beam Clocks that are accurate to a few picoseconds.

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stlredbird@reddit

The back of the phone book used to have numbers you could call to hear a joke, play trivia, all sorts of crap to do when you’re bored at Grandma’s.

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Global-Jury8810@reddit

I know that voice was recorded by a real person, but the way that it’s played out is really unsettling.

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musashi-swanson@reddit

“Time & temp”

I could also call to hear a recording of what movies were playing.

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SameSpecialist8284@reddit

123 is the number here in the uk and it still works

https://youtube.com/shorts/6BlkfYSy2_E?si=C-3wW1f6JJsS9B5B

Voiced by Alan steadman.

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boldone89@reddit

Or if you were fancy, you could spend $80 on a clock radio that you could turn to the naval observatory master clock, AM and FM. If you were REAL fancy, you could get all that AND a cassette player/recorder!

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rm78noir@reddit

We used to get the time and current weather. Good times.

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SubstanceNo1544@reddit

🍿

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_ficklelilpickle@reddit

Ours was called the third stroke man.

“At the third stroke, it will be blah blah blah, and blah seconds. beep beep beep”

I forget the number now. 1194 maybe? This was in Australia.

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billyjoelsangst@reddit

Before everyone had cell phones and smart watches this was often the only way to check the official time

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Steveseriesofnumbers@reddit

ANY phone can do that.

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Donkeh101@reddit

“At the third stroke, it will be 1:38pm”.

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Aescwicca@reddit

(202) 762-1401

US Naval Observatory Master Clock... still works. Call it every so often for giggles. Used to use it to set my watch at work before I got one that syncs with the atomic clock out of NORAD automatically.

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chicacherrie82@reddit

What about the phone line that, in addition to time and forecast, had choose your own adventure games, horoscopes, jokes of the day, serialized stories, etc?

It was called City Line where I am; Some reddit threads tell me it was Talking Fingers in some cities. Maybe it had other regional names too.

Calling that was a main form of my summer entertainment as it was a free local number. I wish we could find old recordings of it.

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hellllllsssyeah@reddit

My phone number in SF in 2001 was incredibly close to it and people would call us asking for the time.

Either that or my parents were spies

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VisiblePlatform6704@reddit

In my country there used to be a number where you dialed and immediately hung up the phone, and your phone will ring.

I used to play pranks to my dad and mom with that LOL. I'll dial that downstairs and then hear them shouting "HELLO!!!?? HELLO!!?" after picking up upstairs XD.

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somerandomdude1960@reddit

And the movie line with movie times

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saturnlast@reddit

385-7101 in Iowa for the time and temp. Plus, you used to give it out to people when you didn't want to give them your real number.

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Ok_SysAdmin@reddit

Time and temp

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OldArtichoke433@reddit

Time, Temp and weather! Yes programming your clocks I would call for the time.

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Nipplasia2@reddit

18005551212 I think…

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unicorn-beard@reddit

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throwawayfromPA1701@reddit

DJ ate her lunch in the phone booth, calling that number.

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Used-Spring-4664@reddit

412-391-9500 still gives time and temp in Pittsburgh

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Acceptable-Fold-3192@reddit

St. Louis one still works. (324)321-2522

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eatajerk-pal@reddit

Haha that’s awesome. After seeing this post and comments I thought we were the only lucky ones who got the temperature too.

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Ambitious_Jelly8783@reddit

It still exists where I am at. Called the other day tells you the time and temp.

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Correct_Pace8899@reddit

Omg, I would sit on the Popcorn line when I knew my boyfriend was trying to call me when I was mad at him 😆😆😆

That busy signal sure showed him lol!!

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ialsohaveadobro@reddit

I had a gf in college who memorized the script for the local number: "HELP when help is needed..."

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watts6674@reddit

Popcorn

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Beneficial_Weird_409@reddit

There's still one in Memphis TN. 901 526 5261. Go ahead and call it if you want to know the time and temperature in Memphis

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ScrumptiousPrincess@reddit

Just in case you didn’t have a watch, or a clock, or a sundial.

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WoodenMonkeyGod@reddit

Pro move to use it to accept an incoming call without it ringing in the dead of night

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Texas_Kimchi@reddit

555-1212!

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MashedPotatoesDick@reddit

853-1212

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TurtleToast2@reddit

SPRINGS

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ThisIsACompanyCar@reddit

Just called it a couple of weeks ago for funsies.

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Weird-Ninja8827@reddit

I think there may still be shortwave radio station that broadcast the same thing.

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BaD-princess5150@reddit

My dad called it Telly the time keeper and I thought it was a real person that was her job.

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DirectorLanky466@reddit

When did they officially get rid of it I wonder? I do remember calling the # as a kid after the power went out so I could reset the VCR timer.

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graveybrains@reddit

Because pretty much everything that needs it can connect to an NTP server or pull the time automatically from shortwave radio.

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HowDareYouAskMyName@reddit

They asked when, not why

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GrimbyJ@reddit

This specific one went away in 2007

https://www.kqed.org/news/11853891/you-used-to-be-able-to-call-pop-corn-and-get-the-time-what-happened-to-that

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bscottlove@reddit

501 521 8463. Been in operation for 50+ years

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commonsensus@reddit

I used to be able to call 1-800-GOLFTIP in the 80s and 90s, but I think it's a s*x line now

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JacksonMcGillicutty@reddit

Short Wave Radio is where the real party was.

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jimmythetuba@reddit

Hell, there used to be a phone number I'd call to hear what/when was playing at the local movie theatre.

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kalitarios@reddit

♪ ^♪ ^^♪ ^^^♪ ^♫

"Give someone time to answer the phone! Remember to let the phone ring at least 20 times before hanging up. The time, is five... (pause for dramatic effect) seventeen."

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dontletyourcrownslip@reddit

I used to do this sometimes to tie the line up when my sister wanted to get on AOL

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dzuunmod@reddit

Well, a box of red and a pill or three
And I'm calling time and temperature just for some company
I wish you were here, I wish I was too
I'll drink myself to sleeplessness, I always do

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PracticalPlatypi@reddit

Ours was called “time and temperature” and would helpfully give you both.

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frikidiki79@reddit

Popcorn!

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Asleep_Onion@reddit

I remember I figured out that 767 (pop) followed by any 4 numbers still worked. So I always just dialed 767-7777

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Adrasteia-One@reddit

Haha, kids nowadays would laugh and get a kick out of that (6 7).

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rockingdino@reddit

gif

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ValancyNeverReadsit@reddit

I don’t remember this number at all… if it still existed in the southeastern US in the 80s and 90s no one had ever told me I could call it (also I hated the phone, so why would I?) but I do remember the equivalent in the Cary Grant movie Bringing Up Baby and can quote that line ad nauseum

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