The AH Coffee Shop and Reading Room 09

[Duleigh]

I got that number over 15 years ago, I'm too old to go learning a new phone number
Fifteen years and I'm still getting calls and texts for the previous holder of that number

 

[Kumquatqueen]

Yes... it was done in the UK. In fact, some telephone exchanges were given made up names to match the area code (certainly some in the London suburbs.) The areas around London were grouped to have similar numbers and then fed into dedicated sector exchanges. When the population grew (or, rather the telephone capacity was reached), London was split into 2 codes (071 and 081) from the original 01 (02 being Edinburgh - the UK's second city and so on)

With the advent of digital exchanges, it was possible to have any number anywhere in London... and this still confuses me as I used to know where most of the areas were!

Yes, all exchanges were numbered by alphabetical codes - two letters in the 50s, then numbers added, then in the 90s prefixes went from 0 to 01 except for London going from 01 to 071/081 (cue snobbery of Central vs outer London, or inner vs Greater London), until London became 020 and its numbers became 8 digits with the first being the 7 or 8 (or a 3 or now 4).

At one point thanks to work I knew all the dialling codes in the country. I can still unnerve people by guessing where they are by their number.

 

[orangecurious]

Yes, all exchanges were numbered by alphabetical codes - two letters in the 50s, then numbers added, then in the 90s prefixes went from 0 to 01 except for London going from 01 to 071/081 (cue snobbery of Central vs outer London, or inner vs Greater London), until London became 020 and its numbers became 8 digits with the first being the 7 or 8 (or a 3 or now 4).

At one point thanks to work I knew all the dialling codes in the country. I can still unnerve people by guessing where they are by their number.

i suspect, we worked in a similar field!

 

[Candy_Kane54]

You can tell where people my age and older were born in the USA by their SSN.

 

[Kumquatqueen]

General Election called for 4th July!

I think I'll have an earworm of Things Can Only Get Better from now until August.

 

[MillieDynamite]

No, I haven't used a rotary phone. But I know about the old named prefixes. I've used them in stories, minus the trailing number, so that it is an incomplete phone number.

Ok, 999 and 000 on a rotary dial phone makes sense if you want to prevent little kids from making an emergency call, and it makes 911 easier to dial, but how many people here (looking at @MillieDynamite) have not used a rotary phone?

Here's something even worse (I don't know if it was like this in the UK or Oz) Who remembers letters/names being used in telephone numbers?
I distinctly my parent's party line phone number as Niagara Frontier 2-2315 or NF2-2315 (632-2315) That was done to make connections easier for operators who had to hear people speak the number they wanted

And with that Coffee is on!

 

[Duleigh]

You can tell where people my age and older were born in the USA by their SSN.

I learned that trick in Basic Training when they used out SSN as our ID number

But I know about the old named prefixes. I've used them in stories, minus the trailing number, so that it is an incomplete phone number.

The trailing number was an addition, it started as 2 letters, 4 numbers.
The fun starts when you turn the letters into a word. The most famous was 736-5000 (PEnnsylvania 65000) LAkewood was popularized in a movie. 24 was a popular prefix and I remember a comedy routing "Call Chowder Head 0987" But Hee Haw removed numbers with their BR-549

 

[litfan10]

I learned that trick in Basic Training when they used out SSN as our ID number

The trailing number was an addition, it started as 2 letters, 4 numbers.
The fun starts when you turn the letters into a word. The most famous was 736-5000 (PEnnsylvania 65000) LAkewood was popularized in a movie. 24 was a popular prefix and I remember a comedy routing "Call Chowder Head 0987" But Hee Haw removed numbers with their BR-549

Oh sure. Now I have Glen Miller in my head.
Actually, that's really not a bad thing....
Have a great night Duleigh

 

[MillieDynamite]

Mine was set in New York City the fall of 1945, just after VJ day. GReenwich-2147, CIrcle- 4811, PEnnsylvania-5000, room 2415 Pennsylvania Hotel, LOrraine-6252 Manhattan business district, STillwell-2942 (a Long Island number).

I learned that trick in Basic Training when they used out SSN as our ID number

The trailing number was an addition, it started as 2 letters, 4 numbers.
The fun starts when you turn the letters into a word. The most famous was 736-5000 (PEnnsylvania 65000) LAkewood was popularized in a movie. 24 was a popular prefix and I remember a comedy routing "Call Chowder Head 0987" But Hee Haw removed numbers with their BR-549

 

[jaF0]

OK, OK, OK, y'all want to get into the NPA-NXX thing and the NANP? (North American Numbering Plan).

In bigger cities the alpha exchange names were often the street where the physical switching building was located. In Detroit for example, one was on Woodward Avenue and was called WOodward. Phone numbers were 96X-XXXX, or WOX-XXXX. In some cases businesses would include the whole name in ads, WoodwardX-XXXX.

They also may have been related to some physical feature or landmark of the area.

Most cities only had one area code and that might be for a wide area including several counties in a metro area. Detroit was 313 and most of outstate Michigan was 517. The Upper Peninsula had a different one, but I don't remember it.

Many less populated states only had one area code. I believe the entire state of Colorado for example was 303.

But here's the kicker, at that time an NPA (Area Code) could ONLY have a 0 or 1 as the middle digit, 313, 517, 502, 303, 808 and so on. The second set of digits, the NXX or exchange could NOT have a 0 or 1 as the middle digit, 965, 836, 533 and so on.

That worked for decades until cell phones polluted the system and some people had three or more numbers and a family might had 10 or more numbers instead of one for the whole family. People workiing from home and having an office number or two, plus a FAX line added to the problem.


I'm not sure if anybody had a phone number of CO3-333X (633-333x, Coffeex)

 

[MillieDynamite]

Prior to 1947, there were no area codes, so long-distance calling was much more difficult. First, the operator in New York City had to context to an operator in San Francisco, ask for the number they needed, and finally, call back to the person originating the call. And by that time, Aunt Susie had forgotten what she wanted to tell little Nellie.

OK, OK, OK, y'all want to get into the NPA-NXX thing and the NANP? (North American Numbering Plan).

In bigger cities the alpha exchange names were often the street where the physical switching building was located. In Detroit for example, one was on Woodward Avenue and was called WOodward. Phone numbers were 96X-XXXX, or WOX-XXXX. In some cases businesses would include the whole name in ads, WoodwardX-XXXX.

They also may have been related to some physical feature or landmark of the area.

Most cities only had one area code and that might be for a wide area including several counties in a metro area. Detroit was 313 and most of outstate Michigan was 517. The Upper Peninsula had a different one, but I don't remember it.

Many less populated states only had one area code. I believe the entire state of Colorado for example was 303.

But here's the kicker, at that time an NPA (Area Code) could ONLY have a 0 or 1 as the middle digit, 313, 517, 502, 303, 808 and so on. The second set of digits, the NXX or exchange could NOT have a 0 or 1 as the middle digit, 965, 836, 533 and so on.

That worked for decades until cell phones polluted the system and some people had three or more numbers and a family might had 10 or more numbers instead of one for the whole family. People workiing from home and having an office number or two, plus a FAX line added to the problem.


I'm not sure if anybody had a phone number of CO3-333X (633-333x, Coffeex)

 

[Duleigh]

Prior to 1947, there were no area codes, so long-distance calling was much more difficult. First, the operator in New York City had to context to an operator in San Francisco, ask for the number they needed, and finally, call back to the person originating the call. And by that time, Aunt Susie had forgotten what she wanted to tell little Nellie.

My Aunt Ruth was an operator for Bell and she said it wasn't too bad, but they were required to pronounce "Please" like Pa-lee-azz" because 1. It couldn't be mistaken for anything else, and 2. it's what the customer came to expect

 

[TarnishedPenny]

I miss Ernestine.

 

[Duleigh]

 

[jaF0]

Is this the poster to whom I am replying?

 

[NotWise]

My Aunt Ruth was an operator for Bell and she said it wasn't too bad, but they were required to pronounce "Please" like Pa-lee-azz" because 1. It couldn't be mistaken for anything else, and 2. it's what the customer came to expect

My sister and my brother-in-law were both operators for a while--both around 1970. My sister while she was in college and my brother-in-law rather briefly before he moved on to installation. He was actually the first male operator here, and may have been the first for Mountain Bell.

I'm sure people were pretty surprised when my brother-in-law answered, with his deep voice and Texas accent.

 

[Handley_Page]

View attachment 2349777

Would that be Lilly Tomlin?

 

[Duleigh]

Ugh - Trying to write and post before the coffee kicks in, it's not for the faint of heart.
Quite a busy day yesterday but I need to concentrate - chapter 12 is almost done!

Would that be Lilly Tomlin?

Yes, back from the 70's when she played Earnestine on the truly awful show Rowen and Martin's Laugh In.

Coffee is on!

 

[jaF0]

Yes, back from the 60's when she played Earnestine on the spectacularly stupendous show Rowan and Martin's Laugh In.

Fixed your post.

 

[Duleigh]

Fixed your post.

Stop please. I was a big fan of the show until I discovered that it was not a satire of the era.

 

[NotWise]

Stop please. I was a big fan of the show until I discovered that it was not a satire of the era.

But it was hilarious, and so low-brow that it was almost British.

Speaking of low-brow. I read that the oldest known joke was found on a Sumerian tablet. It's a fart joke.

 

[jaF0]

Edith Ann
Gladys and Tyrone
Wolfgang
The Joke Wall
The Party
The Farkles
The Fickle Finger of Fate

Many I've forgotten.

Say G'night Dick

G'Night Dick.

 

[yowser]

In the 80s in San Francisco there was an auto shop specialising in Volkswagens. Owned by a couple of gay guys of course they called it 'The Buggery.' Even better, don't know if it was by accident or design, but the phone number of the place came out as UNI-FUCK. Easy to remember that.

 

[TarnishedPenny]

Edith Ann
Gladys and Tyrone
Wolfgang
The Joke Wall
The Party
The Farkles
The Fickle Finger of Fate

Many I've forgotten.

Say G'night Dick

G'Night Dick.

How could you possibly have forgotten Judy Carnes, the "Sock it to me!" girl?

 

[jaF0]

That and Heuh come da judge, Heuh come da judge ....