Johnny Carson Talls about 12am
Reading a Letter from Greenwich, England
Parking tickets are a universal pain, but Dennis Hart took his frustration to a whole new level. In a case that landed him on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson, Hart challenged the very notion of "12:00 pm" - and in turn, the validity of his parking ticket.
The Midnight of the Matter
Hart received a parking violation for exceeding the time limit on a sign that clearly stated "No Parking After 12:00 PM." However, Hart took a rather...unique approach to interpreting the time limit. He argued that since there is no such thing as "12:00 pm," the sign was invalid, and therefore, his parking ticket shouldn't stand.
His reasoning? Hart believed that "noon" referred solely to the moment the clock strikes twelve midday, a fleeting point in time that doesn't actually exist. Think of it as the blink of an eye - it happens, but it's gone so fast you can barely perceive it.
Taking it to Carson
Determined to fight the ticket, Hart landed himself on The Tonight Show. Now, Johnny Carson wasn't exactly known for legal expertise, but he sure knew how to make entertainment out of absurdity.
To settle the timey-wimey debate, The Tonight Show producers reached out to Professor Stuart Malin in Greenwich, England. Professor Malin, bless his academic heart, likely had a good chuckle before confirming the existence of both 12:00 am (midnight) and 12:00 pm (noon) - widely accepted concepts for the past, well, forever.
Watch Johnny Explain the Situation