Don't set your watch by Providence clocks.In recent years, downtown has seen a proliferation of clocks: clocks that make artistic statements, architectural statements . . . just not statements about the time of day.
These prominent clocks were photographed within a 15 minute period one afternoon in March:
At 1:10 p.m., the Shepard clock (shown at right) was 1 hour and 15 minutes early:
At the same time, the Johnson & Wales clock (below) read 2 hours later than the actual time:
Fifteen minutes after that, the Train Station clock (below) was 5 hours and 35 minutes fast, the farthest off the real time. . . .
while, at the same time, the Waterplace clock was 4 hours and 15 minutes fast.
Note to visitors: In the best of times, Providence is either behind the times or ahead of its time — but in any case, it doesn't run like clockwork.
