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From: klein@houxt.UUCP
Newsgroups: net.flame
Subject: Please Leave Only Your Phone Number Please
Message-ID: <319@houxt.UUCP>
Date: Fri, 22-Jul-83 11:23:01 EDT
Article-I.D.: houxt.319
Posted: Fri Jul 22 11:23:01 1983
Date-Received: Sat, 23-Jul-83 01:47:43 EDT
Lines: 29

The New York City (area code 212) and Greater Los Angeles (area code 213)
recently ran out of telephone exchanges and had to start giving what three
digit sequences which used to be used exclusively for area codes (middle
digit of 0 or 1) as regular telephone exchanges.  One side effect was that
to differentiate between the first three digits being an area code and a
regular telephone exchange resulting in a local call one is now required
to dial a '1' before an out-of-area call.  Certain other regions of the
country have always required dialing a '1' before an out-of-area call but
I assume that is due to an unsophisticated switchboard that does not
differentiate between an area code and a local exchange (put more simply
it does not check the second digit to see if it is a 0 or 1).
Now to my complaint:
Why is it that when certain people leave their telephone numbers and include
the area code they must leave it as 1-xxx-xxx-xxxx.  If I am calling from an
area that requires the '1' prefix then it is understood that I must dial the
'1'.  If I am calling from an area that does not require the '1' prefix before
an out-of-area (such as New Jersey) then it is unnecessary and possibly
incorrect to dial the '1', and secondly it is very presumptuous of you to
assume that the whole world has to dial the '1' just because you do.
The worst offenders are all those TV commercials that leave a toll-free
number as 1-800-xxx-xxxx instead of simply 800-xxx-xxxx.
One final note:
Most net readers (correct me if this is an incorrect assumption) must
dial a '9' before placing an outside call, why don't people who leave
phone numbers starting with a '1' leave it as 9-1-xxx-xxx-xxxx.  So next
time please leave just the 10 digit sequence of area code and phone number
I don't care what your local requirements (if I'm calling from a hotel room
I may have to call an operator to dial) are.
			NDK