What time zone is Jackpot Nevada in?

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Poll
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6 votes (42.85%)
1 vote (7.14%)
1 vote (7.14%)
1 vote (7.14%)
3 votes (21.42%)

14 members have voted

July 2nd, 2014 at 8:04:06 PM permalink
Wizard
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Member since: Oct 23, 2012
Threads: 239
Posts: 6095
As some of you know, I don't do well with ambiguity. In my last thread I expressed my frustration at not knowing the fine for taking a durian on the Singapore subway.

I've found something new to keep me up a night. What is the timezone in Jackpot, Nevada? I was just there two days ago.

Before arriving, I thought all of Nevada was in the Pacific time zone. However, when I arrived I found the clock in my room was on mountain time. Keep in mind that Jackpot is right on the border with Idaho, which observes Mountain Time, and judging from the license plates in the casino parking lots, gets about 90% of the customer base from Idaho.

I then ask a few people in the casino about it and they all insist that Jackpot is on Mountain Time. One sited as evidence that the sign just south of town that says "entering Pacific Time." As I left town, I noticed the sign. Nobody even suggested that there was the slightest debate about the time zone question.

However, according to Wikipedia, Jackpot is only unofficially on Mountain Time. Pause. Exactly what governing body decides where the time zone borders are? If everybody in town, plus the sign, back up the town being in the Mountain Time Zone, does that make it so?

I'm sorry, but I now MUST now know what time zone Jackpot is in! I may never go there again but this is the kind of thing that will get under my skin until the next annoyance comes along.

I don't care for this officially/unofficially thing. There should be no such thing as "unofficially." The question for the poll is what time zone is Jackpot Nevada in?
Knowledge is Good -- Emil Faber
July 2nd, 2014 at 8:33:49 PM permalink
Evenbob
Member since: Oct 24, 2012
Threads: 146
Posts: 25010
"Most of Nevada is in the Pacific time zone. But two towns are in the Mountain Time Zone. West Wendover [near Utah] and Jackpot [near Idaho] are in the Mountain Time Zone." "Jackpot, Nevada is officially in the Pacific Time Zone, however, unofficially Jackpot, NV observes the Mountain Time Zone"

I'll tell you exactly what it means because the same thing
happens in parts of IN. The people in the town vote they
want to use the other time zone because they do most
of their business there. It's officially still in the right zone,
but they observe the other one.

Blue Chip Casino in Michigan City IN was on MI time
when they opened. IN didn't go on DST but MI City
did because they got all their business from MI. Makes
sense. Now all of IN goes on DST.
If you take a risk, you may lose. If you never take a risk, you will always lose.
July 2nd, 2014 at 9:05:23 PM permalink
Wizard
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Member since: Oct 23, 2012
Threads: 239
Posts: 6095
Quote: Evenbob
It's officially still in the right zone,
but they observe the other one.


I still want to know who this official time zone authority is. As I recall, there was a lot of time zone foolishness just before 1/1/2000, on who would be the first place on earth to see the year 2000. I'll refrain from using the word "millennium," lest we get into a debate, again, on when that started.

Also, the fact that the Pacific time zone sign is south of Jackpot holds a lot of water with me about Jackpot being in Mountain Time. I know from going through the paperwork to adopt a highway that Caltrans is very picky about what can be on the sign. Maybe they are more liberal about it in Nevada. If I can be convinced that Jackpot is officially in Pacific time zone I'll write to the Nevada department of highways and request they move the sign to the state line.

By the way, may I assume you're the bigot vote?
Knowledge is Good -- Emil Faber
July 2nd, 2014 at 9:12:29 PM permalink
Wizard
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Member since: Oct 23, 2012
Threads: 239
Posts: 6095
I'd like to add that Wikipedia says, "The time zone boundaries and DST observance are regulated by the Department of Transportation." I would imagine that they are also in charge of where to put highway signs. The fact that the Pacific time zone sign is south of Jackpot would seem to argue that Jackpot is officially in Mountain Time.

In fact, I'm going to update the Wikipedia page. Let's see how long it lasts.

Before change:

Nevada – all, except for the border town of West Wendover (near Utah), which observes the Mountain Time Zone. Also, the border town of Jackpot (near Idaho) unofficially observes Mountain Time.

After change:

Nevada – all, except for the border towns of West Wendover (near Utah) and Jackpot (near Idaho), which observe the Mountain Time Zone.

Change made at 9:17 PM Pacific time.
Knowledge is Good -- Emil Faber
July 2nd, 2014 at 10:00:16 PM permalink
1nickelmiracle
Member since: Mar 5, 2013
Threads: 24
Posts: 623
I was at a casino and noticed different machines had different time stamps differing by 15 minutes, so I know the feeling. I didn't know what was what.
July 2nd, 2014 at 10:16:39 PM permalink
Evenbob
Member since: Oct 24, 2012
Threads: 146
Posts: 25010
It's a local decision, not an official one. You can decide
in your house in Vegas to be on Central Time if you
want. The people in Jackpot all want to be on Mountain
Time, it's just that simple.
If you take a risk, you may lose. If you never take a risk, you will always lose.
July 2nd, 2014 at 10:27:45 PM permalink
1nickelmiracle
Member since: Mar 5, 2013
Threads: 24
Posts: 623
If you shut down your phone there, what time does the cell company insist it is when you turn your phone on?
July 3rd, 2014 at 3:31:12 AM permalink
AZDuffman
Member since: Oct 24, 2012
Threads: 135
Posts: 18136
To partially repeat what others said but to add to it, the question is not "What time zone is Jackpot in" but rather "what time do they observe?"

A few places have weird time things.

AZ in in Mountain time but does not observe Daylight Time, except where it does. A co-worker once I swear wanted to start a fight over AZ being 2 or 3 hours back when I corrected the statement "what time is it in AZ?" What I get for keeping some poor customer from being called at 7:00 AM. Another time a female coworker got mad when I disagreed with the statement that in summer AZ is on Paciffic Time then we go back in fall. I said, "No, AZ is on Mountain Time but does not observe DST, except on the Navajo Reservation." The main idea, other than I just can't win no matter what I do, is that Time Zones are more static than local time.

Lets remember that Time Zones are a railroad and not government invention. In 1800 it didn't matter if Pittsburgh and Philadelphia had synchronized time. By 1850 it somewhat did and by 1900 it totally did. However, as late as the 1960s some counties here allowed bars to skip DST if they liked, allowing an extra hour of business during peak consumption. They had to open an hour later, but except for a few night workers there was not much business at 7:00 AM, if the bar wanted to open that early at all (a few here still do for that market.)

As best I can tell, Time Zones are set by the Interstate Commerce Commission with input from states involved. Chances are very low that all of that government will make an official exemption.

However, the question is "why does it have to be official?" The town could just say "we are going to observe MT, stop us." What really happens? An airport or train station would have to keep the "right" time. Bars, banks, or other businesses that might have laws to open/close times could just keep the clock set at MT but say, "we close at 3" when the law says they close by 4. If both sides are happy who cares? Any contract labor union or otherwise that is written to end at 11:59 or 12:01 will be written with a time zone included anyways.

So I go with the answer, "Jackpot is in the Pacific Time Zone but observes Mountain Time."
The President is a fink.
July 3rd, 2014 at 5:31:07 AM permalink
Pacomartin
Member since: Oct 24, 2012
Threads: 1068
Posts: 12569
Quote: Wizard

I then ask a few people in the casino about it and they all insist that Jackpot is on Mountain Time. One sited as evidence that the sign just south of town that says "entering Pacific Time." As I left town, I noticed the sign. Nobody even suggested that there was the slightest debate about the time zone question.

I don't care for this officially/unofficially thing. There should be no such thing as "unofficially." The question for the poll is what time zone is Jackpot Nevada in?


Jackpot is officially on Pacific Time

Just check the airport times. The airports and post office have to use official time.

https://nfdc.faa.gov/nfdcApps/airportLookup/airportDisplay.jsp?airportId=06U
Jackpot/ Hayden Field Jackpot UTC-8(-7DT) NEVADA

https://nfdc.faa.gov/nfdcApps/airportLookup/airportDisplay.jsp?category=nasr&airportId=twf
JOSLIN FIELD - MAGIC VALLEY RGNL UTC-7(-6DT) IDAHO

Since there are only 2K people and all the gamblers come from Boise, it makes sense that the casinos would unofficially hold Mountain Time. There is no law specifying what you set your clocks at for a business.
July 3rd, 2014 at 7:42:35 AM permalink
Wizard
Administrator
Member since: Oct 23, 2012
Threads: 239
Posts: 6095
Quote: Evenbob
It's a local decision, not an official one. You can decide
in your house in Vegas to be on Central Time if you
want. The people in Jackpot all want to be on Mountain
Time, it's just that simple.


I think that if a bar in California decided they were on Hawaiian time, to serve alcohol for two more hours at night, the authorities wouldn't buy it and fine the bar for serving alcohol at 2:01 AM Pacific time.

Quote: Pacomartin
Just check the airport times. The airports and post office have to use official time.


Good point. You're right. I might add that in my near 24 hours in Jackpot I saw not one flight come or go from that airport. I might try to call the post office there later today and ask what they do.
Knowledge is Good -- Emil Faber
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