To wonder when we stopped reciting our number when answering the phone

[bearbehind]

Not sure why this popped into my head but it occurred to me that when I was growing up in the 80's everyone used to pick up the phone and say their number.

I can still remember some friend numbers 30 years later as I can hear their Mum's answering the phone but I couldn't tell you my husbands mobile number now.

When did everyone stop doing this? Were we all subliminally conditioned to stop on the same day?

[BoffinMum]

I have relatives who give out the old numbers before the codes were lengthened. Vair confusing.

[Dellarobia]

After reading this thread I've realised that my Dad stopped doing this at some point. I wonder when??

[Theimpossiblegirl]

My friend still answers Village 4535 when he answers. When I ring him I always think I have accidentally phoned the forties.

I never even say my name on answering, as I don't want to confirm who I am until I know who I'm talking to, too many cold callers.

[bearbehind]

President I think the theory is that cold calls are random and the caller won't always have had your number visible or your just number one on a long list so if you say the number then they know you answer so can make a note of that

[Sadmother]

Why just the last 3/4 digits?

[MiffleTheIntrovert]

I think it went the way of people regularly using pay phones, and being in the arranged place at the arranged time otherwise it was rude

In my jewellery box there is a scrap of paper with my DH's then landline written on, that he gave me the night we met. My DC think this is hilarious and/or slightly pitiful - "you had to know numbers off by heart? Oh My god right, and write numbers down for each other hahahaha I can't even"

[ivykaty44]

When we were advised to stop doing it by the 'authoroise'
For safety reasons, whatever the safety reasons were.

[RB68]

when they made the numbers so bloody long

I was delighted when I got a work ext number that was the same as my childhood phone number - 4250 but I also remember my grandmother only having 3 numbers

[alltouchedout]

My mum used to make my brother and me laugh so much with her "hello-oh, five eight three eight double four-or" in a weird sing song voice. Her answerphone message these days is equally funny for the opposite reason- she's decided their security depends on her having a cold and unfriendly outgoing message. She's funny :)

[Owllady]

I thought it was more to do with phones having a dial rather than buttons
Can you remember? If you were impatient it would always be a wrong number

[SavoyCabbage]

I've only seen this on One Foot in the Grave.

4291

[cozietoesie]

Apparently, Savoy, they always use fake numbers for movies because there are people who just 'have' to phone numbers they hear on screen. (It's just something I was told once - I don't know the truth of it.)

[TrixieBernadette]

It seemed to stop when they lengthened numbers from 4 digits to 6.

[Witchend]

My parents never did. Always said surname only. I'm not sure whether that was due to dad's work being a little secure though.

[Homemadearmy]

SadMother
Our phone number as only 3 long when we got out phone, unless the area code was used. So I remember being told to answer the phone. With the town name then the number.

[Redderred]

I never knew people used to do this (young).
Why on earth would you need to, were people not aware of the number they were ringing? Could people not say their names?

[SavoyCabbage]

I think I saw something about that Cozie when they didn't use a fake number on Eastenders and then the person got loads of calls.

[SylviaWrath]

Maybe when they realised it hadn't made sense to do so for about 40 years by that point?

[GigotdAgneau]

I remember mine from the Sixties. Everyone did it then, I think it was to assure the caller that they had the right number. I thought it stopped with mobile phones (but I seem to have missed the Eighties phase of caller ID on landlines).

[HellonHeels]

American TV show phone numbers always start with 555

[giraffesCantReachTheirToes]

There's a Michael mcintyre sketch about this

[PresidentCJCregg]

Nah, that makes no sense. Either you're on the list for cold calls or you're not! Repeating the last four digits of your phone number is not some secret code to Gary in the call centre.

[JustABigBearAlan]

It's funny really isn't it? My grandparents still do it, but I remember people being advised not to give your number for 'safety reasons.' So the rest of us stopped.

What I do often wish, is that we had a kind of standardised way of answering the phone in this country. In some countries they answer by giving their surname, which kind of makes sense - so you can be sure you've phoned the right person. Somehow just saying 'hello' seems a bit inadequate. You still have to go through the rigmarole of checking you're through to the right person.

[sparechange]

My deeply unpleasant stepmother still does it

If you like, I can post her phone number here, and you can all phone it to check for yourselves..?