Dear Action Line,
Can something be done about the digital clock in front of Walk-In Chiropractic? Why is it always running eight to 10 minutes fast? Signed, Tardy
Dear Tardy,
Has anybody else noticed the trend in this town that nothing starts on time? People often say that mountain towns and rural locations have a more relaxed, laid back attitude. The same certainly seems to be true of Durango, where meetings and events can officially start anywhere from five to 20 minutes after their advertised start time.
I’ve come to call it Durango Time. The rest of the timely world can wait when there’s always one more rapid to raft, trail to bike or beer to drink. It’s cool, be chill, we’re in Durango.
Now I’m beginning to wonder if Durango’s tardiness is because of a relaxed attitude, or a mis-timed digital clock. If you don’t have a well-calibrated wristwatch, or these days, an all-knowing mobile phone, an inaccurate clock will certainly lead you astray.
For those who haven’t had their spines aligned, the clock in question is at the intersection of Main avenue and 14th Street at the curve where Camino del Rio turns into Main Avenue, near Burger King.
Action Line went on a fact finding expedition this week to see the clock for ourselves. It indeed appears to be running 10 minutes ahead.
This led us to walk-in to the lobby of Walk-In Chiropractic, where we explained to the front desk staff that we didn’t have an appointment for any aches and pains, but we did have a burning question about the clock in front of their establishment.
The front desk worker explained that this is in fact a regular topic of conversation for visitors of the clinic. People worry that they’re running late for an appointment, only to learn that they are 10 minutes ahead of the time on the sign. Other times, people are just curious, like this columnist.
The chiropractic office knows that the clock is off – it jumps ahead by one minute every year or so – but they don’t know how to fix it. It’s supposed to change automatically, but clearly that feature doesn’t work or is broken. The sign and the clock it houses belong to the building’s owner, who is also stumped about how to change the time.
Action Line’s observation is that the temperature reading on the display is more or less accurate. Just be careful about trusting the time.
We also wondered what time Durango’s other digital clocks display. Are they accurate?
There’s a clock in front of an office building at 799 East Eighth Ave., and rest assured, the time is correct. There’s another one near the medical office building on Dominguez Drive that’s on your right if you are exiting the Walmart parking lot on the south end. That clock is accurate too.
The moral of the story is that you can’t trust every clock you see in Durango, and maybe there’s someone out there who knows how to fix the broken one.
Submit questions to actionline@durangoherald.com or mail questions to Action Line, The Durango Herald, 1275 Main Ave., Durango, CO 81301.
