We signed the papers and got the keys to our new little rental house today. I’ve been on the phone activating power/water/gas/cable/phone/etc., and I’m thoroughly sixck of automated answering services. The worst one of all is Qwest - I had to call three times to get all the way through to a human. But once I did, I ended up with an old school evergreen-2 phone number (that’s the 382 [EV2] prefix if you haven’t been here forever). That was one of the first prefixes we were given here in Bend. I’m a complete snob about phone prefixes, and have always been proud of my parent’s 389 (which has been the same for 30-odd years). We had a 317 at our last house, and while not as bad as a 617, I never liked having to have it.
So rest assured that another 382 has been taken off the market permanently.
We’ll probably start moving boxes this evening and continue through the week. Hopefully, we can be mostly settled before my week off, so that I don’t have to spend the whole time moving (not exactly the ideal vacation week activity).
Pictures to follow.
August 2nd, 2005 at 2:27 pm
I can’t remember the order the prefixes debuted — was it 382, then 389, 385, 388? I know 383 came after all those, but can’t remember.
But yes, I’m the same way — I want to make sure I have an old schoo prefix. I have a 385, as do my parents, so I’m pretty proud of that. When we had a 2nd line in the home, however, we had a 317, and that really bugged the heck out of me. Bugged me even more when Qwest tried to make that the primary number on my account and I said “Hell no, give me back my 385, damnit!”
August 2nd, 2005 at 3:31 pm
I’m not sure of the actual debut order either, else I would have posted it. I’m not sure if 388 or 385 came first. How long have your parents had their number?
I always hated having the 317 because when I would go to call home, I would ALWAYS dial 38…damn! 317….
August 2nd, 2005 at 4:27 pm
Well, we moved from the Sunriver-area (593) to Bend in 1991 and got the 385 number, but they’ve had them longer than that, I know that (we got our 385 in 2000). I know 383 was the last one setup of the 38x numbers, because it was primarily setup for the school district and the hospital to simplify their phone systems.
I also remember when the phone book was able to list all the local phone prefixes easily — now I see all these cell phone prefixes and I have no idea what’s local and what’s not.
August 2nd, 2005 at 8:51 pm
My mom thinks it went 382, 389, 388, 385, 383.
I agree - the cell phone prefixes are completely out of control. I always think they are some strange long distance call when I see ‘em on the caller ID.