The original assigning of area codes to phone numbers had to do with rotary phones–the most popular areas, the ones that many people would be dialing often, presumably, were given lower numbers so they were quicker to dial (213 for in Los Angeles, 212 New York). The less “popular” areas were given higher numbers (717 Pennsylvania).
So something we use now is a result of outmoded technology that we don’t even think about.
Here:
“The rationale for this low number/high population scheme was based on the fact that phones had rotary dials in those days. Lower numbers resulted in shorter dial pulls so it was reasoned that the regions with the most people in them should require the least work to call.” [read more]
September 11th, 2007 at 1:52 pm
right by my house there is a neon sign with an even older format. Cl.5-8347 or something to that effect. Do you know the origins of that?
September 14th, 2007 at 4:42 pm
CI is the two-letter abbreviation for the exchange number. According to this site, it is “circle” so you’re calling CIrcle 8347. You still hear this format sometimes on old movies when they say phone numbers. Wikipedia explains it pretty well too, if you’ve got the time: telephone exchange names