Telephone directories

[Cliff Ton 10,465]

An interesting sign of the times.

 

In the old days, there were always jokes or comments about people who were so strong they could tear up telephone directories with their bare hands. Now, I suspect almost anyone could do that. The new BT directory came through the door today and it's about the size of an average magazine - a fraction of the area and thickness of a directory in the pre-mobile days.

[sue B 48 1,226]

Mine came though the door a couple of days ago, I had to laugh I thought just the same.

It's even thinner than last years. Does anyone even open them now.

[DJ360 6,730]

We moved into our present house in 1976.  Because of a mix up on the part of the builders, (they sort of 'forgot' to build one of the houses... ) our number was changed shortly after we moved in.  However, by this time the 'wrong' number had been recorded by BT/GPO or whoever it was back then. After trying for several years to get them to change it in the phone book I gave up. It turned out quite handy at times because I can sometimes say to nuisance callers.

"Yes, Mr XXX speaking.  Just for my own peace of mind what do you have as my address?"  They then tell me the incorrect house number and I tell them that they are holding incorrect information on their computer, which is a breach of Data Protection Law.  And I don't tell them the correct number.  Soon shuts them up.

Col

[BilboroughShirley 1,120]

Back in the 1970s I worked in a school where behaviour was quite challenging and a colleague started getting phone calls from parents during evenings and weekends.  When I told my husband about this he said we would change our number and be ex-directory.  We have been ex-directory ever since.  We give our number to friends and trusted business contacts and that is all.  Nuisance calls used to get through when cold callers just kept increasing a phone number by one and dialling. I gave them a hard time!  Now our son has set up call minder on the new phones and this is great.  At one time our ex-directory number was very close to that of a local garage and also a hairdressers.  Occasionally I gave callers some interesting answers!

[DaveN 1,118]

I suppose the amount of people that are now ex-directory must have an impact of the size of the directory entries.

[BilboroughShirley 1,120]

I agree DaveN and also now many people do not have a land line, just a mobile phone.  This also reduces the phone directory.  Also Yellow Pages and other local business directories seem smaller as more companies use websites  and social media to advertise.  Tonight we booked a hotel for a weekend away.  I looked online for photos and facilities then phoned the hotel and had a nice chat to the man.  Booking sorted.  He and I agreed that it is so much nicer to do business through personal contact/conversation.  It is sad that we are losing the personal touch in these matters and misuse of phone directories by cold callers is having a negative impact on so many people.

[radfordred 6,284]

Remember @ me Mams having the Yellow Pages a telephone directory & the Thomsons Local stacked on the telephone table & note pad & pen, they now got straight in the recycling bin.