You Know You Are Old When

[WinterDeere]

The cell phone discussion in another thread reminds me that you may be old if you had a phone number with the exchange in it. I still remember my parents' number from when I was little (rotary dial phone, of course): FL6-3390. The FL exchange was for "Flemming".

I memorized many old phone numbers (grandparents, aunts, uncles) who were old enough to still be giving them out with the exchange name in the 1970's. They lived in the farms around New Hope, in east-central Bucks County PA, and all had the exchange "LY8". But now that I look it up, it doesn't seem to make a whole lot of sense, "LY" supposedly standing for Lycoming County.

Guess I have a new rabbit hole to explore, some quiet evening.

 

[goeduck]

As far as getting anything done, it always seems to take a lot longer now a days

It's usually not my wife leaving anything in the pockets, I'll have to admit it's me, my, I and usually a wadded up blue paper towel.

For me I think it is that the research time is way, way more than before the internet. Back in the day if I didn't know how to do something, I asked someone who did a few questions and went at it. Now it can be analysis paralysis.

 

[not2old]

The cell phone discussion in another thread reminds me that you may be old if you had a phone number with the exchange in it. I still remember my parents' number from when I was little (rotary dial phone, of course): FL6-3390. The FL exchange was for "Flemming".

I remember when it was CR xxxx. After a number of years it was CR8 xxxx. An interesting fact: my mom and dad only had one phone number in their whole life.

 

[not2old]

We had 7 digit numbers. As a kid it always made me wonder on tv shows when they asked the operator to get them a number it would be like Mayberry 555.
What my parents had until the 80s was a partyline.
Pain as a teen getting calls and having to keep them brief. Or trying to make a call and the line was busy.
One of the gossips liked to listen in.

We didn't have a partyline for long. My dad was a commercial fisherman and didn't get to pick and choose when he called home, mostly to see how my sister was doing, who spent a fair time in the hospital when very young. It only took a few calls in the middle of the night to get us a private line.

 

[bigtiller]

Up until the early '60s our ph. number was 349. Then we caught up with modern times and were given a 7 digit number. People sure got fired up about all the extra numbers. Some were joking about getting a blister from the rotary dial with all that spinning.

 

[CalG]

Adams 5-2343, was the earliest home number I had to memory. I recall when we dropped the party line and added the prefix.

 

[Fuddyduddy1952]

For years ours was BR-549, later given to Alvin Samples Jr.

 

[Jstpssng]

my mom and dad only had one phone number in their whole life

As did mine. My mother is now in an assisted living apartment; still with the same number.

Oops, I haven't called her this week. Thanks for the reminder.

 

[steve tym]

For years ours was BR-549, later given to Alvin Samples Jr.

BR-549 was a country band.

 

[Fuddyduddy1952]

This laundry bag was Grandad's. Phone 604.
How old is THAT?
Growing up everyone's phone all around our area, even the city was Victor. Ours was VI 5626. My in-laws had same number since 1932 until 2007 when Mom passed, number when they bought their new house. A party line with fewer people until late 70s. When she passed looking at her records she never owned the phone but paid 50 cents/month rent. $450 rent!!!!!
Phone company didn't want it back, it's heavy (bakelight?).