My latest annoyance. Actually, I think it is every Ottawans latest annoyance. We were recently informed that Ottawa-Gatineau and the surrounding area had grown too large and they were running out of phone numbers.
Welcome to 10-digit dialing. Any number that you call in the area now requires the area code be dialed first. Even if you are calling your neighbour. Or your neighbour’s neighbour. And if you don’t use the area code, you are punished with the very irritating voice of the operator reminding you are an idiot and you forgot the magic three numbers…again.
I just can seem to get the hang of remembering, which is insane considering I used to live in the Virginia/Washington area where 10-digit dialing is in full swing. But for some reason I just accepted that it was their practice. In Ottawa? Nah, we’ll never need that.
I was wrong. In the meantime, while my brain attempts to wrap itself around this new concept, I feel it is my duty NOT to listen to the operator as she tells me in English AND in French about how I flubbed again but to hang up on her (hard) and quickly redial, pretending that it never happened. It sounds ridiculous, but it somehow makes me as though I have a teeny bit of say in the matter. Which is well worth it. Sort of.
