I agree it is a significant exception. For what other reason would one want to know the time other than to know that you have a commitment to be somewhere or to do something? That's the whole point of a shared, synchronized system we call "time". I think I'll write about "Living without a Car - (Except for When I Want to Go Somewhere)".

EDIT: Upon further reflection now I think I get it. It's not that Steve is living without time, but more accurately he's living without clocks. There's a subtle but important difference.