Dialing for Time: A Blast From the Past
Remember those days when you had to actually look at something to know what time it was? Crazy concept, right? Like, who needs a watch when you can just ask your fridge? Or your car? Or your toaster? (Okay, maybe not your toaster.)
But there was a time when our tech overlords hadn’t quite taken over. A simpler time when people relied on things like... gasp actual people to tell them the time. Can you imagine?
The Time Lady and Her Magic Number
In the golden age of landlines and rotary phones, there was a magical number you could dial to get the exact time. In California, it was a number so iconic, it was known by its nickname: POP-CORN. That’s right, by dialing 767-2676, you could hear a soothing, automated voice tell you the exact time and date. It was like having your own personal time oracle.
Imagine the thrill of calling POP-CORN on New Year's Eve to hear the countdown! Or using it to prank your friends by telling them the wrong time. (Don’t judge, we were all young once.)
The End of an Era
Sadly, even the most magical things come to an end. In 2007, POP-CORN fell silent. The Time Lady, as she was affectionately known, hung up her headset for good. It was the end of an era, a time when people relied on a phone number instead of their smartphone to know the time.
So next time you’re complaining about your phone battery dying, spare a thought for the folks who had to rely on a good old-fashioned phone call to stay on schedule.
How to Channel Your Inner Time Traveler
Want to relive the glory days of dialing for time? Here are a few tips:
- How to pretend you're in the 90s: Find a rotary phone (good luck with that), dial 767-2676, and pretend you're hearing the Time Lady’s voice.
- How to appreciate modern technology: Thank your lucky stars for smartphones and smartwatches.
- How to make your own time oracle: Record yourself saying the time and date, then play it back whenever you need to know. (Just kidding, use your phone.)
So there you have it, a brief history of a time when people actually had to think about what time it was. It’s a wild world out there.
