Can someone explain to me how to convert the time given in Canada and Europe, where hours go beyond the number 12, to the time I'm used to, where no hours go beyond the number 12? In other words, what does 18:44 mean? I'm sorry, but I've simply forgotten!
Posted by Grandma Judy (Member # 3278) on :
Subtract 12 from the 24-hour time given & you'll get what you're looking for. 18:44 -> 6:44 PM
Posted by sojourner (Member # 3134) on :
Thanks, Judy. I seemed to remember it was 24 hour clock kept going "Well, 13:00 is 1PM, 14:00 is 2PM, 15:00 is 3 PM . . ." and so on, and frankly, doing that "in my head," I ran out of fingers! Knowing all I have to do is subtract 12 is SUCH a big help! (Why I didn't think of doing that, I don't know--would you believe math was my best subject in high school? But I'm getting old.) Anyway, thanks again for making my schedule reading and planning so much easier.
Posted by George Harris (Member # 2077) on :
I have seen clocks, but not recently and I forget where, that have an additional set of numbers around the dial in addition to the normal set, 13 outside 1, 14 outside 2, etc. up to 23 outside 11, but there is no such thing as 24:00. 24:00 is usually written as 0:00, or sometimes 00:00. Occasionally someone gets fancy and writes 24:00, but the next number after that is 00:00:01. If you have a wall clock that you are willing to do it to, take a marker and add the numbers yourself. Write 0 above the 12, not 24. Some digital watches also have a 24 hour clock mode if you push the right set of buttons, but that sometimes requires a fairly high level of electronic literacy.
George
Posted by EmpireBuilder (Member # 2036) on :
Just for the record, that type of clock is used only in French-speaking Canada. So if you were taking a trip from Manitoba to British Columbia, for example, you wouldn't need to worry about it. Besides.....it doesn't take long to master if one just tries to think in those terms for awhile. Just maybe try to visit a message board in which the times posted are in the 24 hour clock, and just try to figure out when each one over 13 was posted....just one way I think it could become easier quicker.
Posted by sojourner (Member # 3134) on :
I think the VIArail website seems to use the 1300 clock.
What still has me a little confused is when it says 12:30. That is 12:30 PM, right? You only start subtracting 12 at 1300, right? . . . so what do they call 12:30AM? 0:30? 24:30?
Posted by David (Member # 3) on :
quote:Originally posted by EmpireBuilder: Just for the record, that type of clock is used only in French-speaking Canada. So if you were taking a trip from Manitoba to British Columbia, for example, you wouldn't need to worry about it. Besides.....it doesn't take long to master if one just tries to think in those terms for awhile. Just maybe try to visit a message board in which the times posted are in the 24 hour clock, and just try to figure out when each one over 13 was posted....just one way I think it could become easier quicker.
The "24 hour clock" is widely used throughout the Dominion. VIA timetables, as well as the Website, use it. So do airlines and Toronto-based GO Transit. It makes a lot of sense and is quite easy to master. Just like the number indicating the day of the week (1 means Monday, 7 is Sunday, etc.) eventually you won't have to calculate it. Railway timetables at one time used light-face type for a.m. and bold-face for p.m.
Because of the confusion for 12:00 noon vs 12:00 midnight, trains rarely departed at these times. Normally in the 24-hour system, a minute past midnight is expressed as 00:01 although occasionally I have seen it as 24:01, but that is now rare.
Posted by CHATTER (Member # 1185) on :
Correct. Midnight is 2400 hours, but then one minute past midnight is 00:01. 12:30AM is 0030 hours; 12:45 AM is 0045 hours, and so forth. Posted by CHANGEATJAMAICA (Member # 3737) on :
A l-o-n-g time ago (1955 to be exact)I went to work for TWA right out of high school. I had the entry position in their International Crew Scheduling department. The office operated around the clock and each shift had to maintain a log. The day shift log read "0800 to 1600", the twilight shift log was "1600 to 2400"; but the folks who worked the midnight shift always wrote theirs as "0001 to 0800". I could never figure it out and when I was "fortunate" engough to finally be assigned to the midnight shift I wrote my resume "2400 to 0800". It drove the boss mad.
Posted by Geoff M (Member # 153) on :
Car insurance in the UK always used to run from 23:59 on day 1 to 23:58 on day 365 (or 366) to avoid confusion over midnight. Nowadays, as it's done by computer, you're insured within minutes and it's timed to that minute.
Railways here tend to use 00:01 or 23:59 rather than midnight (which is more often written 00:00 than 24:00).
I know somebody who almost missed his flight from Bangkok because it was timed at 01:15 on 15th April - and he was about to check-in at 22:00 on the 15th until I pointed out the error in his planning!
Geoff M.
Posted by RussM (Member # 3627) on :
Time is an interesting subject. The railroads were the key reason that standard time zones came into being. In the old days, each community would use local solar time, which created chaos with railroad schedules. Pressure to create standard time zones grew as the railoads expanded, and finally in 1884, the Meridian Conference was held in Washington, DC, attended by delegates from 25 nations.
Posted by Mr. Toy (Member # 311) on :
quote:Originally posted by Grandma Judy: Subtract 12 from the 24-hour time given & you'll get what you're looking for. 18:44 -> 6:44 PM
Or just subtract 1 from the first digit and 2 from the second digit. 22:00 becomes 10:00pm.
Posted by clevelandbrown (Member # 3654) on :
The US military uses the 24 hour clock, and I have often heard it called military time.
I wish we would all switch over to it. Particularly in airline schedules, I am convinced that there is little agreement on 12 am and pm, with some believing 12 am is noon, and some believing it is midnight. And at 1215 am, are we sleeping or lunching?
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