Andrew / November 4, 2009 11:24 AM

Or perhaps the question should be, do you give a damn?

If you've got a suggestion for a good Fuel question, send it to inbox@gapersblock.com

Brian / November 4, 2009 11:32 AM

Who "dials" a phone number anymore? 90% of my phone calls are made by looking up someone's name in my phone's Contacts list. Plus, with so many non-natives in Chicago, many of us have non-local area codes and have been ten-digit dialing for years anyway.

New area code = Much ado about nothing.

John / November 4, 2009 11:42 AM

Maybe getting the word out to people about this will help alleviate all of the calls I get from people who forgot to put the 1 in front of 866, and as a result got me instead of someone at Home Depot customer service.

charlie / November 4, 2009 12:52 PM

what?

flange / November 4, 2009 1:02 PM

why couldn't it have been a better number? i mean seriously, 872? you gave up too soon, ANPA.

Mall / November 4, 2009 1:12 PM

Wait, we only need 10-digit dialing? Everything I've heard is that we're moving to 11-digit dialing. 10-digit I can live with -- that's how my phone's programmed now -- but 11-digit will mean me sitting in front of the TV for an hour Friday night and programming a '1' in front of every saved phone number.

Andrew / November 4, 2009 1:42 PM

@Mall: With a cellphone, you generally don't have to dial a 1. Landlines require it, though.

aack, who's the old guy? / November 4, 2009 3:48 PM

Hate it. Last man on the planet without a cell phone, and most of my calls are local to other land lines.
On the other hand, my phone bill is always c.$25/month [plus $10/month for DSL] and yours isn't, so there is that.
Amen to email.

mary / November 4, 2009 3:50 PM

echoing brians sentiments, it doesnt really matter to me as i generally just use my cell contact list to dial.

as for work, i have to dial 12 digits most of the time anyway (8 to get an outside line). i almost always dial the full 12 digits even when im dialing within my own area code....

Anthony Lewellen / November 4, 2009 4:46 PM

I just wish someone would explain why.

Cheryl / November 4, 2009 4:48 PM

Aack, I spend about $10 a month on my cell, and that's my only phone.

Yay for looking people up in the address book and hitting a button--though I have to admit I don't know anyone's phone number anymore.

Suburban Man / November 5, 2009 12:02 AM

Wish we could put that guy Dex into an area code from which he never comes back again. I find those commercials with him most annoying, and generally the Yellow Pages very difficult to navigate. Often my idea of the key word is different from there's for subject area.

maardvark / November 5, 2009 7:05 AM

"I just wish someone would explain why."

It's an overlay code, which means that it occupies the same geographic area as existing 312 and 773. Because there is now more than one area code for the same geographic area, you need all the digits even when calling within your area so that the phone will know whether it's (312) 234-5678 or (872) 234-5678.

The main reason they now prefer doing overlay codes is that it prevents them from having to reassign phone numbers every time they split area codes. Also, most cell-phone users, and many others as well, have been 10-digit dialing for a long time now anyway, so for most people it's not a big deal.

Mucky Fingers / November 5, 2009 10:40 AM

Maardvark - thanks for the explanation.

I liken this change as being the price of convenience.