Re: CHAT: postcodes

--- Roger Mills <romilly@...> wrote:

> US postal codes are based on relatively large
> regions; telephone codes on smaller regions.
Other way round. DC has one area code; but numerous
zip codes.

> Needless to say, there is no correlation between the
> two systems.
Also, the area code system doesn't place similar codes
next to each other the way our zip codes are done. You
can tell the general location of a person by the zip
code: 0xxxx is up in the north east; 9xxxx is out
west. We've now got nine digit zip codes (that specify
the block or something) but the last four digits are
optional.

As far as area codes, those are often one to a state
(all Maryland was 301 until quite recently). The
proliferation of cell phones, fax machines and the
like have not only quadrupled our area codes but have
forced us into the horror of ten digit dialing (the
area code is required for all calls, not just long
distance).

The old system of telephone exchanges was neat. The
first two letters of your telephone number represented
a name, which was the exchange name. The other numbers
were the actual telephone number. Any Glen Miller fan
knows the telephone number Pennsylvania6-5000;
Simpsons fans know the Springfield exchange is
KLondike (also used in Ohio and California). Our
exhcange is WAverly (92); the other exchanges in town
were WIndsor (94) and CLinton (25), though I'm not
familliar with any 25x phone numbers in town.
Apparently WI8 was a DC metro area dialing exchange;
while WA6 was a local dialing exhange only.

> US license plates, which used to exist in wondrous
> variety, have almost all
> gone to the three-letter three-digit model (with >
variations).

They've certainly gotten more colorful and design
oriented. Unfortunately, they've also gotten more
illegible.

With the exception of trucks, MD has had the three
letter three number model for years and years.

My favourite plate motto is DC's "Taxation Without
Representation". It beats seven kinds of hell out of
Pennsylvania's "WWW.STATE.PA.US", anyway.

Padraic.


=====
beuyont alch geont la ciay la cina
mangeiont alch geont y faues la lima;
     pe' ne m' molestyont
     que faciont
doazque y facyont in rima.

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