"Permanent" Phone Numbers?

[Razors Edge ★]

With both cell phones and IP-phones, is it likely that your current phone number will be essentially your "permanent" phone number from here on out?  I assume there could be a disruptive tech that completely ends the traditional phone number, but until then, do you foresee any reason not to keep your current phone number for the next several decades?

[bikeman564™]

I see my currentl cell phone number being my last one. I've had it since aboot 1998. I know someone that moved from Michigan to Tennessee and kept their cell w/ the Michigan number. Now that long distance means nothing, why change it?

[ChrisL]

Not mine as it’s a company provided phone but for my wife & kids probably.  They have had the same numbers for ages and don’t plan to change them. They also carried over their numbers when my daughter left our plan & started her own plan and when my wife changed providers.

[ChrisL]

1 minute ago, bikeman564™ said:

I see my currentl cell phone number being my last one. I've had it since aboot 1998. I know someone that moved from Michigan to Tennessee and kept their cell w/ the Michigan number. Now that long distance means nothing, why change it?

And programming, nobody really knows a number any more, we just tell Siri to call Bikeman!

[Razors Edge ★]

2 minutes ago, bikeman564™ said:

I see my currentl cell phone number being my last one. I've had it since aboot 1998. I know someone that moved from Michigan to Tennessee and kept their cell w/ the Michigan number. Now that long distance means nothing, why change it?

Yep.  I know a lot of folks who have moved about the country, and the number I have for them from back in the early cell days is still the one that works for them.

[Parsnip Totin Jack ★]

Yeah, this is probably my last number. I plan on putting the number on my tombstone with an asterisk. The footnote will say: “leave a message, I’ll get back to you”

[Razors Edge ★]

4 minutes ago, Old No. 7 said:

Yeah, this is probably my last number. I plan on putting the number on my tombstone with an asterisk. The footnote will say: “leave a message, I’ll get back to you”

...and some poor teen who gets your reassigned number will be like, "Who the heck are all these hospital bill collectors, and why do the keep calling me #7???"

[Parsnip Totin Jack ★]

3 minutes ago, Razors Edge said:

...and some poor teen who gets your reassigned number will be like, "Who the heck are all these hospital bill collectors, and why do the keep calling me #7???"

At that point, it’s not my problem. 

[Razors Edge ★]

10 minutes ago, Old No. 7 said:

At that point, it’s not my problem. 

You're starting to come around to my position!!!  I like it

[Kzoo]

24 minutes ago, ChrisL said:

we just tell Siri to call Bikeman!

Not me. I've never said that.  I've never called The BikeMan.

[Prophet Zacharia]

25 minutes ago, ChrisL said:

we just tell Siri to call Bikeman!

And yet he never answers. 

[ChrisL]

8 minutes ago, Prophet Zacharia said:

And yet he never answers. 

Whatchu talkin bout, he answers me????  Aint that right Brain???

[Razors Edge ★]

25 minutes ago, Kzoo said:

Not me. I've never said that.  I've never called The BikeMan.

But you can just ride by his place anytime you want.  The rest of us, not so much.

[JerrySTL ★]

One issue I've seen is that area codes are tied to physical locations and this is locked into some databases. Two of my children have moved to areas with different area codes but kept their old numbers. So now when your caller ID says that the call is from, say, area code 513, it doesn't mean that the call is from the Cincinnati area.

In the St. Louis area we now have to dial all 10 digits as the three local area codes often have the same 7 digit phone numbers.

[Razors Edge ★]

1 minute ago, JerrySTL said:

One issue I've seen is that area codes are tied to physical locations and this is locked into some databases. Two of my children have moved to areas with different area codes but kept their old numbers. So now when your caller ID says that the call is from, say, area code 513, it doesn't mean that the call is from the Cincinnati area.

In the St. Louis area we now have to dial all 10 digits as the three local area codes often have the same 7 digit phone numbers.

Agree.  But we KNOW no one wants their ACTUAL location noted in the caller's information!  If your daughter has a 513 area code (Cincy?), but lives in St Louis now, and is calling from vacation in LA, what "location" should show up?

[Thaddeus Kosciuszko]

 

I can't see changing my phone number anytime soon...

 

[Bikeguy]

7 hours ago, Razors Edge said:

keep your current phone number for the next several decades?

We had our landline for 37 years from 1982 to 2019.  Now we each have a cell phone.  I'd expect that WoBG and I well have our phone numbers probably (unless technology changes) for the rest of our lives.   Several decades would be very optimistic... more likely impossible.

7 hours ago, ChrisL said:

nobody really knows a number any more,

A few years ago...  we both forgot our phones when we drove 160 miles to WI to visit our daughter.  I realized... if something unexpected happened...  we had NO idea how to contact ANYONE, except my parrents, who have had the same landline number since 1961, when I lived there.  

[Bikeguy]

7 hours ago, JerrySTL said:

we now have to dial all 10 digits

We have had to do that for about 20 years now.   

In a few months, ALL of the US will get to dial all 10 numbers. https://www.fcc.gov/consumers/guides/ten-digit-dialing

[MoseySusan]

I’d been assigned a cell number that previously was used by a Joe Padilla. A woman kept calling, but when I’d answer she’d demand to speak to Joe. After a number of tries, she gave up and believed me that I had no idea who Joe was. Then the number was assigned to someone named Diego while it was still my active number. I kept getting calls for Diego from the bank, properly management, places he’d applied to work, and people in NYC. So, I decided to change my number instead of making Diego redo the number on all of his applications since it seemed like he was relocating and trying to get himself sorted out. 
But my contacts would text me, and he’d reply with “Who dis?” So, I sent him a message to explain that he’d been assigned my number and could expect a few messages until I’d notified everyone to change my active number. I let him know I’d answered a few calls that seemed important and he should probably follow up. So far, no situation with my current number. This could be the one. 

[Bikeguy]

17 minutes ago, MoseySusan said:

I’d been assigned a cell number that previously was used by a Joe Padilla. A woman kept calling, but when I’d answer she’d demand to speak to Joe. After a number of tries, she gave up and believed me that I had no idea who Joe was. Then the number was assigned to someone named Diego while it was still my active number. I kept getting calls for Diego from the bank, properly management, places he’d applied to work, and people in NYC. So, I decided to change my number instead of making Diego redo the number on all of his applications since it seemed like he was relocating and trying to get himself sorted out. 
But my contacts would text me, and he’d reply with “Who dis?” So, I sent him a message to explain that he’d been assigned my number and could expect a few messages until I’d notified everyone to change my active number. I let him know I’d answered a few calls that seemed important and he should probably follow up. So far, no situation with my current number. This could be the one.

When I worked for the electric utility, for the several years I had a company cell phone.   Then the last 2 years, I got to 'bring my own device' to work for work calls. Yeah my phone... some people purchased an additional phone for work, me I didn't want to carry 2 phones.    I'd get calls at ALL times of the day and night for power outages, etc..   When I retired, I the fist thing I did was change my phone number.  I feel sorry for the person who got my old number.  I'd bet they changed it soon after the first storm.

[Tizeye]

My mother still has the landline number from when I was a kid - but they did change the area code on her as the local area got a new one with Tampa maintaining the old 813 area code. Doesn't use it as her cell phone is now the primary, where she has had that for decades. Maintains the land line just "because" and when rings, she state..."another salesman." 

Likewise mine and wife's cell phone with same number for decades...but I still can't remember her number and have to look at my contacts when filling applications that require it. Remember jumping through hoops to save it when upgrading a phone that required adding a line that I could dump after 3 months. Instead of allowing them to assign the new number with the undesirable 321 area code to the new phone, had her old number with the traditional 407 area code assigned to the new phone.

Would I change my number? Probably not as is used for business contacts for photo jobs, etc. When self employed, it becomes an issue, and that along with your email is critical for contact. About the only reason would change is if relocated to another area of the country. While the current one would certainly be valid, having a local area code number would be more desirable for business.

[Tizeye]

10 hours ago, Thaddeus Kosciuszko said:

 

I can't see changing my phone number anytime soon...

 

I still remember my phone number from the 1950's that started with a word.

RA (Raymond) 45617. An easy one to remember and stuck with me. I wonder if anyone has the newest version, 904-724-5617

[Zephyr]

18 hours ago, ChrisL said:

Not mine as it’s a company provided phone but for my wife & kids probably.  They have had the same numbers for ages and don’t plan to change them. They also carried over their numbers when my daughter left our plan & started her own plan and when my wife changed providers.

This.  I will have to get my own number when I retire and get my own phone

[groupw]

I wonder if any of the phone companies even offer 867-5309…

[Kirby]

I'd want to keep my phone number because it has the traditional area code for this area.  With the explosion of phone numbers, they've started using some wonky area codes for cell phones.  I like the tradition  of the old area code.  I remember when they divided the area codes for NYC and our traditional 212 number became 718 - so much less classy. 

[groupw]

I have a work and personal cell. I will not miss the stress of after hours phone calls and texts. 
WoW has our previous landline number as her cell number. 

[MickinMD ★]

18 hours ago, Razors Edge said:

With both cell phones and IP-phones, is it likely that your current phone number will be essentially your "permanent" phone number from here on out?  I assume there could be a disruptive tech that completely ends the traditional phone number, but until then, do you foresee any reason not to keep your current phone number for the next several decades?

I like having the same number I had at my birth then after retirement.

When I entered 1st grade at Saint Rose of Lima School, I told my teacher my home phone number was State-9.... (ST9...).

By the time I got to high school, it was all digital and ST9... became 789...

When my last parent, my mother passed away, we kept the empty house and the phone because of the house alarm system.

After I retired, I bought my siblings-interests out and downsized to my parents' house and I kept the landline and phone number.

Now when I run into an older relative I haven't seen in ages and am asked for my phone number, I get, "Wow! That was your mother's phone number the day you were born!"

So I've had the 789... number, intermittently, for over 70 years!

[Airehead]

19 minutes ago, MickinMD said:

I like having the same number I had at my birth then after retirement.

When I entered 1st grade at Saint Rose of Lima School, I told my teacher my home phone number was State-9.... (ST9...).

By the time I got to high school, it was all digital and ST9... became 789...

When my last parent, my mother passed away, we kept the empty house and the phone because of the house alarm system.

After I retired, I bought my siblings-interests out and downsized to my parents' house and I kept the landline and phone number.

Now when I run into an older relative I haven't seen in ages and am asked for my phone number, I get, "Wow! That was your mother's phone number the day you were born!"

So I've had the 789... number, intermittently, for over 70 years!

I love this.

 

I plan to keep my current cell phone number until i can no longer remember how to use the phone

[MoseySusan]

36 minutes ago, groupw said:

I wonder if any of the phone companies even offer 867-5309…

Not sure. But I do know there is a Zaphod Beeblebrox in the ABQ phone directory.