Dial the “1”

    I just heard a standup comic* joking about how old people always insist on giving out long distance numbers by preceding it with a one. The joke is that everybody knows you dial a 1 first, and that old people are too set in their ways to adapt and drop the obvious reference.
    Well, let me tell you, way too many people do not know they need to dial the 1. Too many people when they see “800-800-8000” on a billboard or on TV will dial exactly those ten numbers — which does nothing more than piss off the unfortunate sod who has 800-8008 for a phone number.
    I speak from experience. My neighboring area code is 248 and in a cruel twist of fate my phone number at work has a 248 prefix. Thus, hilarity ensues. Much too frequently (especially this morning as it turns out), we’ll get calls for AAA, the public library, a law office, the power company (DTE)…all because businesses are following that standup comic’s advice and assuming it’s safe to drop the 1 from their ads. And because too many people are too stupid to know they need to dial that 1 first.
    In short, do not be swayed by that standup comic. Don’t make fun of old people for reminding us to dial 1. Cherish them, teach them to dial the 1, quit calling me.
    [ *The standup comic? It was that hump, Jay Leno. ]