Re: What are one-nine-hundred numbers?

On Thu, 11 Oct 2007 21:55:02 +0100, Mike Barnes posted:

In alt.usage.english, Oleg Lego wrote:
On Thu, 11 Oct 2007 09:39:16 +0100, Mike Barnes posted:

In alt.usage.english, Garrett Wollman wrote:
In article <lb5rg35svlsn6enbu77u38rfblda20cges@xxxxxxx>,
tony cooper <tony_cooper213@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

We dial a "1" before any long distance call, so we'd dial 1-900-xxx
xxxx.

ITYM, "We dial a '1' before any area code, so we'd dial 1-900-xxx
xxxx."

ISTM that 900 numbers are non-geographical, so the concepts of "long
distance" and "area" don't apply, strictly speaking, in English usage.

They are, de facto, long distance numbers, precisely because they must
be preceded by the long distance numeral (1).

Huh? Your logic is faulty. The fact that 900 numbers require the same
prefix as long distance numbers doesn't mean that 900 numbers *are* long
distance numbers. In the same way that the fact that international calls
to the USA require the country code 1 doesn't mean that any call using a
country code of 1 is to the USA.

The '1' connects you to the long distance trunk. The 900 + telephone
number routes you to the destination, while you are still connected
through the long distance trunk.

As for the country code thing, have a look at
http://massis.lcs.mit.edu/archives/new-readers/new-users where you
will find this...

"As indicated in the above example, country code 1 is used for the
U.S., Canada and many Caribbean nations under the North American
Numbering Plan (NANP). This fact is not as well-publicised by
American and Canadian telephone companies as it is in other
countries. Note that 1 is dialed first in domestic long distance
calls; that this is identical to country code 1 is a coincidence."



.

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