How does he know what time it is?

[jamesy boy]

My wife's mate has a riddle which he reckons can be solved using logic, but it's beyond me.

A man is drugged and kidnapped.When he wakes up, he is in a completely dark room with no windows or doors.For all he knows, he could be at the bottom of the sea.There is a clock on the wall with a luminous dial.It reads eight o'clock.The man knows FOR A FACT it is 8:00 a.m.  

How does he know it is morning and not night?

Any ideas? or is he winding us up?

[jamesy boy]

Sorry, forgot to mention, there is no sound, so he can't hear tweeting birds, etc.

[mollymoo42]

either it is a 24 hour clock or he is still wearing his own watch set to 24 hour clock

[ann_h]

Stubble growth?

Does it mean a luminous dial as in a normal clockface, or does it mean an LED clock? - If the latter, 8pm would be 20:00 not 8:00

[mollymoo43]

either it is a 24 hour clock or he is still wearing his own watch, set to the 24 hour clock

[jamesy boy]

I've ust cleared this bit up;

No watch.

it's a 12 hour clock.

(Personally, I think it's a wind-up, but I'm open to suggestions.I like the stubble thing,though...)

[gen2]

I think he has an alarm watch that is set to go off at 8am each day.

[gen2]

sorry, cancel that.  I see you have added 'no watch'.

[gen2]

C'n ye no git yer wife's mate tae pit us a' oot o' oor miz'ry 'n' tel us yon anser?

[jamesy boy]

How odd, Gen2, my wife's mate is Scottish...

[Del424]

Perhaps thats it, perhaps its the clock on the wall that is the wind up.  No help I'm afraid Jamesy. I am desperate to know the answer though.

[gpb]

Is it a talking clock as well as having a luminous dial, tho' I think there is a clue in the luminous bit-does it not need some light to make it luminous? Don't know but would love to find out the answer.

[crofter]

Perhaps, he's been told that the ransom has to be paid by 12 noon (say) the following day - or he will be killed!

The fact that he's still alive means that there are still four hours to go to the deadline!!

That makes it 8.00am and not 8.00pm!!!

[jamesy boy]

Right then.I thought Crofter's answer was pretty good, but after speaking to the fiend who posed this question, a few things have been cleared up:

1.) This man could have been there months and shaved when asleep, so the stubble thing is irrelevant.(What sort of fastidious kidnappers would do that, I don't know, but...)

2.)There is no ransom.(They must be new to this kidnapping lark.)

3.)The clock is illuminated rather than luminous.(Like the sodium glow of the street lamps I can see as I am lying awake at night.)

4.)The man who told my wife this kees placing unusual emphasis on the phrase "He knows for a fact", as if this is the key to the whole thing.

Anyway, I'm off to play the violin, smoke a ludicrous pipe and think about this further...

[gen2]

Did you ever get an answer to this puzzle?

We've all been waiting a long time.

[Dinkypuzzled]

There is a message on the wall in luminous ink saying breakfast at eight - and he can smell toast!

[jamesy boy]

Since I posted this, Sunderland have been promoted and relegated, The new James Bond has been chosen, and my wife and I have had a new baby.

I still don't know what it's all about, but I don't think it's a wind-up, the bloke who asked us it seems pretty genuine.

[jamesy boy]

I still don't know.