The very many questions-not-worth-their-own-thread question thread XXVIII

[Samson]

Wait... your cell phones adhere to a different numbering scheme than your land lines? How does THAT work?

We have particular "area codes" for cell phones, all starting 07. All costs are covered by the dialer (incoming calls are free in all cases) and the cost of calling a cell phone is higher than a land line (in many cases by more than an order of magnitude) so it is important that the caller knows it is a cell phone.

We have a few different ranges, 01 and 02 are specific geographical areas that are charged normally, 08 is generally cheap or free non-geographical and 09 are generally very expensive (sex lines and such).

 

[Cutlass]

Wait, cell phones have area codes in the US? How does that work?

You just have to dial 10 digits for every call you make.

 

[Flying Pig]

Wait... your cell phones adhere to a different numbering scheme than your land lines? How does THAT work?

Part of the reason why landlines have area codes is that you don't have to use it if you're calling within one - hence a lot of people give their numbers as 'Cambridge 123 456', though that's dying out as more people primarily use mobiles and so can't actually remember their own area code. From a mobile though you always have to put it in.

 

[bhsup]

Yeah, with us running out of numbers under the NANP where area codes could only have 0 or 1 as the middle digit, we had to abandon that and allow most combinations. That led to multiple area codes covering what used to be one area code region before, and so forth and so it. This has led to confusion from land lines sometimes as to when you need to dial (xxx)xxx-xxxx or 1-(xxx)-xxx-xxxx or just xxx-xxxx or even 1-xxx-xxxx. (xxx) is the area code, btw.

In this regard, I simply love cell phones because there is never any issue. If you always just dial (xxx)xxx-xxxx it will always go through, no matter what. Cannot always say the same for a land line. You might get told "you do not need to enter the area code" or you might get told "you must dial 1 for long distance" but hey, is that inter or intra long distance, meaning do you need or not need the area code? GAHH!!

Personally, I think the smarter solution way back when would have been to modify the final segment of the NANP to be five digits and just tacked on a 0 to everyone's current number. That would have increased the numbers under each prefix from 9,999 to 99,999. Should have been done back in the 80s, but of course nobody could have anticipated the explosion in phone numbers due to cell phones, dial-up internet, etc... hindsight, it's a thing!

 

[timtofly]

Yeah, they have the area code of where you are billed. I have bought a pay as you go one before, paid cash, and they ask you what city you live in. I THINK there is a way you can tell it is a mobile phone from the remaining 7 digits, as it does not count as a free local number.

In the US, cell phones have a different range of numbers than local ones in the 3 numbers after the area code. All area codes are given where you purchase the phone unless you are transferring a number or request a special number. Requesting a number will take longer, because the cell company will have to get permission from the local phone company to make sure it is not in use. A cell phone being mobile, does not have to change area codes unless you request a new number in the area code you move to. A cell phone does not have to dial the area code unless the number dialed is in a different area code. My cell phone has my old land line phone number and will come up looking like a land line phone number of the city I live in. Before I transferred that number, my cell number was from a different land line in a different area code that I had previously requested for it. I kept it, because I was still working in that area and did not want to dial the area code every time I made a call. To keep it simple though all cell phones register numbers as 10 digits in the contact list to keep it uniform.

Sorry cross-post with bhsup. It is worse in rural areas where they got their numbers after the 80's boom. Your next door neighbor may be a long distance number.

 

[Zelig]

Many people's cell phone number corresponds to roughly where they lived 5 years ago.

Yeah, as long as I'm in Canada I don't plan on ever changing phone numbers regardless of where I live.

In this regard, I simply love cell phones because there is never any issue. If you always just dial (xxx)xxx-xxxx it will always go through, no matter what. Cannot always say the same for a land line. You might get told "you do not need to enter the area code" or you might get told "you must dial 1 for long distance" but hey, is that inter or intra long distance, meaning do you need or not need the area code? GAHH!

I'm never at all clear on when the 1 will be required, I always just input it since it never fails to work with it.

 

[Farm Boy]

From what I can tell a 1 is required when you are calling from a line that still accrues a minute per minute long distance calling charge that is different from a flat or local minute by minute rate. When my land line switched to an unlimited anywhere in the US/Canada calling plan the necessity to dial 1 for anything went away. Most of the time cells don't seem to need it because their minute by minute rate, when applicable, is significantly more than domestic long distance ever was anyhow.

Do have to admit I kind of like dealing with intra-university calls or small town calls for those last and dying instances when you can just rattle off 4 numbers for your phone and you're done.

 

[Zelig]

I'm unlimited anywhere (cell, I've never had a land line) and it was still whining about the 1 before I started just always putting it in.

 

[bhsup]

Weird. That must be a Canuckistani thing. I have never had to enter 1 on my cell phone.

@Farm Boy: I never got to just enter the last four. However, a few -small- towns around here were still on party lines up into the early 90s. Can you imagine that fun? Pick up the phone to make a call and have to wait because your neighbor three houses down is using the line...

 

[Farm Boy]

Oh yea. That ring isn't our ring. That's Mrs. Johnson's ring. No, that one is Frank Miller's. Stop picking up the phone Timmy!

My Aunt's future husband was in Japan in service during the 50s. He got sick and was shipped home. They kept until they died the phone bill for thirty some dollars for the call he made to let them know, manual operator connections all the way back to Illinois.

 

[sophie]

Weird. That must be a Canuckistani thing. I have never had to enter 1 on my cell phone.

@Farm Boy: I never got to just enter the last four. However, a few -small- towns around here were still on party lines up into the early 90s. Can you imagine that fun? Pick up the phone to make a call and have to wait because your neighbor three houses down is using the line...

Calls here also will not go through unless you include the 1. Makes for some occasionally irritating formatting lapses when trying to return a missed call.

 

[bhsup]

Well... crap, I dunno then. You two should just move to Missouri where weirdness like that isn't done.

Now watch Hobbs or Phrossack pop up and say they have to dial 1!

EDIT: I -am- just talking cell phone calls, in case that wasn't understood.

 

[really]

Wait, cell phones have area codes in the US? How does that work?

UK mobiles have the area code 07...
Before you were able to bring your number with you when you changed companies you were able to ring someone on the same network without the 07 prefix afaik (back in the 90s)

 

[timtofly]

Well... crap, I dunno then. You two should just move to Missouri where weirdness like that isn't done.

Now watch Hobbs or Phrossack pop up and say they have to dial 1! A cell phone has a way through software to mask the need to dial a 1.

EDIT: I -am- just talking cell phone calls, in case that wasn't understood.

According to wiki it does not matter if it is a cell phone or not. It depends on the state and sometimes locality where a 1 is necessary or not. A cell phone is capable of interjecting a 1 behind the process of dialing a number.

 

[Phrossack]

Well... crap, I dunno then. You two should just move to Missouri where weirdness like that isn't done.

Now watch Hobbs or Phrossack pop up and say they have to dial 1!

EDIT: I -am- just talking cell phone calls, in case that wasn't understood.

No, I can't really recall having to do that.

 

[bhsup]

LIMEY TEAM Assemble! (pretend antilogic is blowing a horn right now)

What is this girl's accent? The bioware forum says several things. Cockney, something called "brummy" whatever, and a couple of others. I don't trust them. I'll believe what you guys tell me.


Link to video.

 

[Traitorfish]

I'd guess London, but not Cockney. (Deffo not Brummy, no idea where they got that one from.)

 

[Takhisis]

Souther England-oid, definitely not Brummy (Brummy=John 'Ozzy' Osbourne), but I'm not sure that it's a London accent.

 

[Atticus]

English speakers who have seen King's Speech: did you spot the Australian guy's accent, did you notice it after it was mentioned he was Australian, or was the accent and Australianiness all separate thigns to you?

EDIT: Here's a link for those who haven't seen it
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VNldbOKp_S8

 

[Chukchi Husky]

(Deffo not Brummy, no idea where they got that one from.)

That reminds me of something that I read a while back that said Stephen Merchant was someone who speaks with a Cockney accent.