Operator, Oh Could You Help Me Place This Call?

Several years ago there was a typo in the Yukon phone book, and the number for one of the local radio stations was wrong. Instead of the right number, which was one digit different than our home phone number, the number listed for the station was our own number. The radio station got on things right away. They sent out flyers with their right number on it, and kept repeating the right number on air, but for a couple of years, at least 4 or 5 times a day we'd answer the phone to hear these words: "I'd like to request a song...."

Finally the radio station got all new numbers that were nothing like ours, and the wrong number phone calls gradually petered out. There've been no rogue phone calls for at least 4 years, but this morning, in the space of an hour, I had two phone calls intended for the radio station.

Guess where the callers got the number they were calling? From 411, the local directory assistance. I've been trying to create scenarios for the directory assistance operator using a 10 year old list of phone numbers, but I haven't come up with anything yet.

I hope those two people get their money back. And their song played, too.

Tags: Directory Assistance, Telephone numbers