There used to be a fault line running through Seabrook. Not literally a geological one or a metaphorical one between rich and poor, but rather a fault line of wires between GTE and Southwestern Bell. SWB handled most of the calls for the Houston area, but GTE handled most of it for Galveston. Seabrook was caught in the middle of the two, with some having GTE and others SWB. Unfortunately, I was on the GTE side of the divide and unless you got a "metro" line you were unable to call Houston. Or, for that matter Pasadena. In fact, to give you an idea, it before 911 came long it was long distance to call the fire department. It was long distance to call our own cell phone. As GTE became Verizon and SWB became SBC, the line fell and the two are nearly interchangeable now.
As my faithful readers know, I bought a cell phone a couple of days ago. I was reasonably pleased with the purchase until I went apartment hunting. I couldn't remember the phone number for my new phone, so I decided to just call it from Eel's landline.
It's a long distance phone call.
I bought the stupid thing about twenty blocks or so from here down the same road. I started getting flashbacks from 1996, when I couldn't call girls from
ACME and was at an inherent disadvantage when it came to pursuing the female-types. Except that in 2004 I don't have to worry about getting a girl, I just have to worry that once I get my own place my girl won't be able to call me!
I went down to the cell phone people and talked to them. They said that my prefix was new and that Omni-Touch (yeah, the same one I was looking for work with and apparently the handler of the phone system up here) was dragging their feet to get their system to recognize it. My phone number ending in 0534 it made sense. They said it would get fixed within the next couple of weeks. Then Eel will be able to call me. So all's good, right?
Well, except that I'm looking for both an apartment and a job. So what exactly am I supposed to tell a potential employer? My phone number is 208-555-0534, but it may tell you that it's long distance. Don't worry, though, because it's not. Just dial the "1", pretend it's not a long distance call and just trust me, someone that you don't even know and that is already asking you for something (job or apt.). I'm sure that would go over really well. The only other option is to continue using Eel's landline. Except that I explicitly got the cell phone so that I wouldn't have to do that. It also presents a problem because I have to stay offline on any time or day that I'm expecting a call.
I calmly voiced my concerns with Cellco and they were kind enough to hand me a cough drop for my throat, increasingly sore from yelling - I mean, from calmly voicing my concerns. They said that it was only a problem with a nearby town. Except that's not where Eel lives. So then they assured me that it wasn't a problem. To demonstrate this, they called from their location and to rub salt in the would, said, "If it's not long distance from here, it can't be long distance from your place twenty blocks from here, can it?"
Except that it is. They're not going to charge me for the cell phone until they get the problem fixed. Except, of course, in their eyes the problem is fixed. So they agreed not to charge me until I contacted them. While theoretically that means that I could have a cell phone for free for as long as I don't call them, I'm too honest for that and it helps me not a bit with the job and apartment hunt.
Meanwhile, I'm under contract. I'll go ahead and give them a couple weeks before contacting the Better Business Bureau because I realize their hands are tied.
But really, what are the odds?!
>> So what exactly am I supposed to tell a potential employer? My phone number is 208-555-0534, but it may tell you that it's long distance. <<
Put your number down and put (mobile) beside it in parentheses.
Any legitimate business surely knows of this glitch in the local switching operations, and even if not, legitimate businesses don't flinch at making a long-distance phone call.
Turn it to your advantage. It gives you a conversation starter if nothing else. It's really not that big a deal.
One other option might be to get the cell phone company to give you a # with an OLD prefix that forwards to your new #, until the switching issue is resolved. You should still be in a grace period as far as your contract goes (check it to be sure), so I bet a cancellation threat might get them to move if they're reluctant. Try national customer service if the local folks are no help. AT&T is circling the drain -- they won't want to lose a new customer.
I might should get out of the "Houston" mindset, which is that employers will use any excuse they can find to eliminate you as a candidate (simply because of the hundreds of applicants). An opening here would have to be harder to fill.
I asked about getting an old prefix but that didn't fly. They give prefixes out as they come at this particular location. I don't see a grace period in the contract, looking it over. I hadn't thought of national customer service. I get the feeling it's all franchised, but if it reflects badly on the national company (which it would), then they might be more inclined to act.
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