It now requires ten numbers to dial my next-door neighbors. I understand why the phone companies have gone to this, but that doesn't mean I like it. My youngest child isn't sure what my cell number is. Now I have to add three more digits to a number for him to call me. My Webelos Scout son is going to have to redo our Important Phone Numbers list that is tacked to the cupboard above the kitchen phone. And this morning, I realized I had to have a talk with my kids to make sure they understand about the new dialing system thanks to a potentially very scary event in my neighborhood last night.
I went to bed much later than usual for me, and when I heard pounding on my front door I thought it must be time to get up. It was actually 1 a.m., but my neighbor was at the door asking frantically if either of her kids or her babysitter was there. She and her husband are both nurses and periodically they both have to work a late-night or all-night shift at the same time. She had just gotten home to find no one there. I hustled upstairs and threw on my clothes so I could go help her out. There were a couple of other neighbors at her house, and we started canvassing other neighbors to see if anyone had seen or heard anything. The police were called and we started searching places around our homes they could be. Even though these weren't my children, my adrenaline was pumping and even writing about it this morning makes my fingers shake. To make a long story short, all three were found a short distance away, walking to the hospital where my neighbor works. It turns out the babysitter had some serious behavior problems with the older child, a boy, and she had tried to call their mother at work to ask her for help. But because of the new dialing system (which she was, at fourteen, unaware of...my kids certainly weren't aware of it), she wasn't able to get any of her multiple attempts to go through. So once the boy settled down a bit, the three of them set out for the hospital to catch my neighbor at work. She was in the process of driving home and had somehow missed seeing them. Everyone was returned safe and sound, but I realized last night that I need to make sure my own children understood the new requirements for dialing, in case they were having problems at home and needing to get a hold of me. Before I left my friend's house I reassured the babysitter that she was welcome to come bang on my door any time of night if she needed something and couldn't get a hold of the children's parents for some reason.
This morning after scripture reading I had a talk with my kids about the new dialing system. I'm going to be posting a reminder on each phone in the house to help them remember. There's just nothing worse than being in a panic or worried about something and not being able to get a hold of help.
2 comments:
Why do you have dial 10 numbers now?
We have ten digits now because the phone company claims we are running out of phone numbers in our current area code, so they are doing an area code overlay. I could conceivably have neighbors across the street that have a different area code than I do. It wouldn't be long distance, but I may have to dial a new area code. The phone company claims this is supposed to save businesses money so they don't have to reprint letterhead and other business documents, but they're going to have to anyway because now they'll have to include their area code on everything. It's stupid.
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