Thick Londoners - a rant

[8ace]

Only because you can't rate it as 0.2 of a star.

When someone starts a thread even more boring than this one, can someone let me know with a cheeky mention or tag?

I didn't think you could rate a thread at all.

 

[Lord Bracknell]

0207 signifies inner London while 0208 signifies the suburbs

Not any longer. There are new numbers being allocated to lines in central London that use the format 020 8xxx xxxx.

And what about 020 3xxx xxxx numbers, that have been in use since 2005?

 

[Simster]

Not any longer. There are new numbers being allocated to lines in central London that use the format 020 8xxx xxxx.

And what about 020 3xxx xxxx numbers, that have been in use since 2005?

Ahem, post #15.


You see, now it's getting interesting!

 

[Dave the OAP]

Now you see, if you'd started a thread about how insular people from the USofA are and how when they book teleconference meetings always do it at a time that suits them and only ever include the US dial in number on the invite etc then it may have had some merit.

welcome to my world ade.

10:30 last night!!!!

 

[Bozza]

Who and how did someone rate this thread?

 

[Simster]

Who and how did someone rate this thread?

Probably HKFC abusing his mod powers YET AGAIN.

He's worse than hitony.

 

[Lord Bracknell]

Ahem, post #15.


You see, now it's getting interesting!

While we are talking about Americans ... does anyone else get irritated by the way they automatically assume that the symbol "#" is understood throughout the world to mean "number"?

 

[Dave the OAP]

While we are talking about Americans ... does anyone else get irritated by the way they automatically assume that the symbol "#" is understood throughout the world to mean "number"?

no I thought everyone knew that

 

[8ace]

While we are talking about Americans ... does anyone else get irritated by the way they automatically assume that the symbol "#" is understood throughout the world to mean "number"?

That doesn't confuse me, the fact that they call it the "pound sign" does.

 

[LowKarate]

While we are talking about Americans ... does anyone else get irritated by the way they automatically assume that the symbol "#" is understood throughout the world to mean "number"?

No that is probably just yourself there. I find it easier writing # than writing 'Number' or 'No.'

As for the original focus of this thread, I am sure that I received a communication from BT recently saying that dialing 020 7/8 numbers (or #s - did you see what I did there LB?) would soon not be possible without dialing the full 020 prefix as well, so regardless of how these numbers are written, the white vans of London need to show the full 11 digits.

 

[Lord Bracknell]

No that is probably just yourself there. I find it easier writing # than writing 'Number' or 'No.'

As for the original focus of this thread, I am sure that I received a communication from BT recently saying that dialing 020 7/8 numbers (or #s - did you see what I did there LB?) would soon not be possible without dialing the full 020 prefix as well, so regardless of how these numbers are written, the white vans of London need to show the full 11 digits.

That will also apply to 01273 numbers as well.

01273 Area Code - UK Area Code Finder

UK area code 01273 covers Brighton and the surrounding area in the county of East Sussex.

Other areas using 01273 numbers include Barcombe, Glynde, Hassocks, Henfield, Hove, Hurstpierpoint, Kemptown, Lewes, Newhaven, Peacehaven, Plumpton, Portslade, Poynings, Ringmer, Rottingdean, Shoreham-by-Sea, Southwick and Withdean.

Forthcoming Number Changes

Regulator Ofcom plans to remove the ability to make calls locally in this area without dialling the 01273 area code, as a means of making more numbers available. This is expected to happen before 2016.

Ofcom | Geographic telephone numbers - Safeguarding the future of geographic numbers



I'll skate over the way Hassocks, Henfield, Hurstpierpoint, Poynings, Shoreham-by-Sea and Southwick are described as "the surrounding area in the county of East Sussex".

 

[Badger]

I see what you've done here Sim, 2 days before the end of the year you've managed to sneak in a contender for "Dullest thread of 2011" and when the inevitable poll gets posted it will still be fresh in people's minds. Clever. Very clever.

 

[Gullys Cats]

How long ago did the phones switch from 0171/0181 to 020 7 & 020 8?

It must've been 15 years ago now. So why are so many Londoners too THICK to realise that their STD code is now 020 and NOT 0207 or 0208?

Tell me I am not alone in finding it irritating to see white fans with numbers displayed as 0208 xxx xxxx instead of 020 8xxx xxxx.

I know it's a small thing, but the point is that from London you can dial from a "020 7..." to a "020 8..." number without the proceeding "020", which means the 020 is the STD code, and NOT 0207 or 0208.

This hasn't been sufficiently complex for the good people of the Southampton/Portsmouth area, or Northern Ireland, so why is it so incredibly difficult for the thick portion of Londoners to grasp?

P.S. I'm quite surprised and disappointed to see that the official Palace site has given their phone number in the correct format: 020 8768 6000
I was all set to use it to illustrate my point

P.P.S. However Millwall have catered for their thick mongs with: 0207 232 1222

Why are you so angry, chill out man.....

 

[kevo]

I think it's been proven that eight digits are considerably harder to memorise than seven digits. Seven digit phone numbers have been in existance for a while in the UK, and are easier to recite and remember. This, together with the fact, that when the numbers changed to 0207 and 0208 they signified inner and outer London, meant it was natural to adopt this as the dialling code. I always break my number up after 0207 because it is easier to remember that way (and most people I know do the same) - and I don't give a monkeys what anyone else thinks! Tbh, I hardly ever use my 'land line' these days anyway - who does?

 

[Man of Harveys]

I see what you've done here Sim, 2 days before the end of the year you've managed to sneak in a contender for "Dullest thread of 2011" and when the inevitable poll gets posted it will still be fresh in people's minds. Clever. Very clever.

Thank god, now that makes sense. For a second I was getting worried that the great man actually CARED about this stuff.

Christmas/New Year - it's an emotional time.

 

[seagullsovergrimsby]

0207 signifies inner London while 0208 signifies the suburbs - if you back to the days of 01 for London you'll find most London numbers had 7 digits after 01 hence the reason most people give their number as 0208 xxx xxxx or 0207 xxx xxxx.

When the dialling code changed from 01 to either 071 or 081 (1990) and 5 years later to 0171 or 0181 (1995) there was a huge snob value in having an inner London number and when the code changed to 020 (2000) this continued with 020 7XXXXXXX numbers. Since 2000 the correct dialling code format has been 020 + XXXXXXXX

 

[MattBackHome]

Good thread.

An interesting Wiki page if you love this sort of thing: List of dialling codes in the United Kingdom - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

I used to know LOADS of dialling codes off by heart back when I worked at BT. I remember a woman from London completely flipping her lid at something to do with the distinction between 0171 and 0181 - to the point where I was genuinely worried she might have some sot of coronary.

 

[seagullsovergrimsby]

I think it's been proven that eight digits are considerably harder to memorise than seven digits. Seven digit phone numbers have been in existance for a while in the UK, and are easier to recite and remember. This, together with the fact, that when the numbers changed to 0207 and 0208 they signified inner and outer London, meant it was natural to adopt this as the dialling code. I always break my number up after 0207 because it is easier to remember that way (and most people I know do the same) - and I don't give a monkeys what anyone else thinks! Tbh, I hardly ever use my 'land line' these days anyway - who does?

When the dialling code changed to 020 there were already several exchanges set up to add 020 7XXXXXXX numbers in outer London and 020 8XXXXXXX numbers in inner London. How do Londoners cope with a London number starting with a 3 ?

 

[seagullsovergrimsby]

Good thread.

An interesting Wiki page if you love this sort of thing: List of dialling codes in the United Kingdom - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

I used to know LOADS of dialling codes off by heart back when I worked at BT. I remember a woman from London completely flipping her lid at something to do with the distinction between 0171 and 0181 - to the point where I was genuinely worried she might have some sot of coronary.

When I worked at BTI you were expected to memorise over 230 country codes within the 12 weeks probationary training.

 

[surrey jim]

When the dialling code changed from 01 to either 071 or 081 (1990) and 5 years later to 0171 or 0181 (1995) there was a huge snob value in having an inner London number and when the code changed to 020 (2000) this continued with 020 7XXXXXXX numbers. Since 2000 the correct dialling code format has been 020 + XXXXXXXX

You are joking right? Who in their right mind uses a phone number to show they are inferior!