Do you know your own phone number?

[An Gadaí]

On your mobile/cell phone I mean.

Do you know your SO's?
Do you know your best friend's?

I notice that with mobiles many people just don't know their own number nor those of their friends and family. This is of course because the phones store the numbers but I've been in situations a number of times where if I hadn't memorised a lot of these numbers I would have been up the creek so to speak.

[tdn]

On your mobile/cell phone I mean.

Yes.

I've had it memorized since last night.

I've had the phone for two years.

[Ichbin Dubist]

I know both my own numbers, that of my daughter and my mother (though not her cell phone), and of perhaps 2 or 3 other people. A mix of speed dial and changing numbers (and a bad memory). I don't have a single phone number related to my job memorized.

I do have them all written down in a very old address book, though.

[breaking-reality]

Yes. I've had the same number for about 7 years or so. I also know my family's cell numbers by heart. There are definitely numbers I have in my phone that I wouldn't be able to remember if I lost it, though.

[Dinsdale]

I know my cellphone number because it is the same as my home phone but with a different prefix.

I'm generally extremely lousy at phone numbers. I think the only other 2 I know by heart are my recently replaced work number, and my home phone as a kid (ME7-1770). We got new work numbers about a month ago, and I remember my extension, but not the main number.

Don't know cell or home numbers for any family members or friends other than 2 of my sisters' home numbers, but I always forget which is which.

[nicole1912]

I know my mobile number - and with some thought, I know my boyfriend's mobile number. I have no idea what our home phone number is, we just don't use it.

I also know my parents' home phone number without looking, but not their mobile numbers - and that's about it. Everything else, I'm reliant on my phone knowing the number I want to ring.

I do periodically write down the important numbers on a piece of paper somewhere, in case I drop my phone and break it permanently. I usually lose the piece of paper, though. It's probably about time to do it again...

[pulykamell]

The only phone number I currently have memorized are my own, my parents', and my SO's. And it took me over three years to memorize my SO's number and I still have to remind myself from time to time.

It's not that weird, though, since I never have to dial any of these numbers anymore. I could tell you my best friend's phone number from childhood, who hasn't lived there since 1988, but I couldn't tell you my closest friend's current phone numbers.

[tdn]

I think that the only three numbers other than my own that I have memorized are a cab company, an ex-girlfriend, and my parents from before when they moved in 1999.

Funnily enough, the display on my land line works less than half of the time, so I have to consult an old address book if I want to call anyone.

[perfectparanoia]

I refuse to use speed dial so I know all my numbers and my friends and family
(I do have an old fashioned address book for people I don't phone often).

Everyone else thinks I am nuts but it is really handy when your cell dies and you need to call someone.

[Balthisar]

I know my work cell number ('cos I have to give it out a lot), and my AT&T cell number ('cos I sometimes still have to give it out), but I have only a vague idea of what my Mexican cell number is, and I regard it as a throwaway number anyway. Oh, and "vague idea" means that I don't know it well enough to recite it, so, in a word: "no."

[ZipperJJ]

I know my cell and my home numbers, and my mom's cell (hers is one off from mine, we're on the same plan) and my parents' home.

Other than that...I dare say that if I lost my cell and I didn't have access to email, I'd be SOL on being able to contact everyone I know via phone.

[AuntiePam]

Three -- mine, my husband's, and my daughter's boyfriend's phone (she refuses to have a cell phone).

I was secretary for a community council in the 70's. I had all of their phone numbers (and addresses) memorized -- 35 of them, people I might only call once a month. No way I could do that now.

[psycat90]

I know my own phone numbers (cell, Google Voice, and work.)

I also know my husband's cell #, my oldest son's cell #, my youngest son's home #, my sister's cell #, my ex-boyfriend's cell and home #s, and my boss' work #.

Anything beyond that I rely on just being stored in my phone and Google contacts.

[Moonlitherial]

I know my own phone number, but I've had the same cell number for 16 years now. I know my husbands cell because it's the primary number on our family plan and I need it every time I call for service for our internet, cable or phones. I know my father's number because it was mine for 17 years. Other than that it's contact list only. God forbid I ever lose access to both my phone and my computer at the same time.

[sevenwood]

I freely confess that I don't know my own cell phone number. I added it to my cell phone's directory list (under the name "(this phone)") just so I could look it up when I had to.

I know my home landline number, but it's been the same number for over thirty years so I've had a lot of time to memorize it.

[Booker57]

Yes. For some reason I am pretty good with numbers. Home, Cell, Sisters land line(but not her cell) Next door neighbors, Three different Auto parts stores. Some stuff sticks in my head. Other stuff not so well.

[Bearflag70]

Yes. (310) 867-5309

[samclem]

Interesting observations.

25 years ago, while I had a card in my wallet with about 50 phone numbers, I knew about 40 of them by heart. Just what you did.

I still remember my grandmothers phone number from 1949 or so. 6089J. Reason I know it---when you're 4-7 years old, parents drill into you a phone number in case you get lost. But, can I tell you what I had to eat two days ago--not on a bet!!

[psycat90]

Ohh, a couple more - some work vendors that I talk to pretty much every day. And about a dozen 4 digit extensions for the folks at work I interact with the most, or the most by phone anyway.

[CanvasShoes]

I only have a cell, no landline, so does that count? If I only had one for emergencies probably not. And no, I don't know most of my peep's numbers by heart, they're all in my contacts. That's bad, because back in the day, I at least knew my immediate family's numbers.

[AClockworkMelon]

I know my cell phone's number (don't have a landline) and my mom's work number (same number since I was a tiny tot). Don't have any other numbers memorized.

[An Gadaí]

Interesting observations.

25 years ago, while I had a card in my wallet with about 50 phone numbers, I knew about 40 of them by heart. Just what you did.

I still remember my grandmothers phone number from 1949 or so. 6089J. Reason I know it---when you're 4-7 years old, parents drill into you a phone number in case you get lost. But, can I tell you what I had to eat two days ago--not on a bet!!

We moved house when I was 6 years old and I was verily annoyed that we changed address and phone number as I had just memorised both. I still recall them, again they are more salient in my mind than more recent, topical information!

[Sonnenstrahl]

I have to give my phone number at the video store, at the grocery store when I don't feel like finding my discount card, and whenever I make appointments so I need to have it on hand. My parents still have the same phone number as when I was small so I know that one. I don't think I know any others, and thinking about it, I realize that I no longer remember my grandparents number which I dialed daily most of my life. I'm sure it would come back if I thought about it.

I have a friend who not only can't remember her own phone number, she also can't remember her house number or any other numbers like that. The interesting thing is that she's a scientist, and I had always assumed that scientists would of course be more comfortable with numbers than arts-types like myself. Obviously not the case!

[Nava]

I know mine because I'm always having to give it to people for professional reasons. I'm self-employed in a field which requires moving a lot: my cellphone is my home phone, mobile phone, work phone, office hours phone, main contact phone... all I need is to be able to make it a fax!

Don't ask me my mother's or my brothers', though.

[Magiver]

On your mobile/cell phone I mean. It took awhile but yes.

I notice that with mobiles many people just don't know their own number nor those of their friends and family. This is of course because the phones store the numbers but I've been in situations a number of times where if I hadn't memorised a lot of these numbers I would have been up the creek so to speak. I only know 1 other number and it's because I had to dial it years ago. I'm cognizant of the fact that I don't know any numbers so I have a list in my wallet of those I would need in an emergency.

This list coincides with another thread about organization. I have a Excel file with many sheets and this is one of them. If it's something I need to keep track of it becomes another sheet within this file.

[EvilTOJ]

Yes. (310) 867-5309

Some whore answered the phone. You sure this is yours? :dubious:

[GESancMan]

I know mine, but I have to think for a couple of seconds: "Is that right? Yeah, it is."

Like others here, I can still rattle off my grandparents' numbers, all of whom have been dead for at least twelve years. Or the number my family had when we lived in L.A., which we moved away from when I was eight years old. And even a family friend's number from the same time and area. But do I know my parents' or brother's cell phone numbers today? Nope.

[Meatros]

It took a few years, but I now have my phone number and my wife's phone number memorized. Not my best friends number though...

[Leaffan]

I'm too lazy to program the speed dial, so I know all numbers I call regularly.

Mine.
Wife's.
Daughter's.
Mum's.
Sister's.
Work.

I also know my driver's license number, my bank card number, and my social insurance number.

[Baron Greenback]

I know my mobile number which I've had for more than ten years...but I still have to mentally pause to check that it's correct before I pass it on.

My Android phone backs up contact details online, but before I got it I'd have been in trouble if I'd lost my phone.

[kambuckta]

I know my mobile-phone number, but I'm lost if you ask me for my landline number.....I wouldn't have a clue. Ditto for the mobile numbers of anyone except my SO. Thank OG for the memory cards in phones nowadays, 'cos MY memory is shot to the shithouse.

:D

[Renee]

Now that we're back in the States, I know both mine and my husband's, and they're easy to remember and only one digit off each other.

But when we lived in Japan for four years, I never did manage to memorize either one--they were eleven digits long and it just seemed like too much bother.

[KneadToKnow]

I know mine and I know my ex-wife's (which is one digit off from mine). I don't know anybody else's, even my girlfriend's.

I know my mom's home number, which she has had since before I was born. I know my work number.

I should probably go back up my phone.

[Desert Nomad]

I have three active, current mobile numbers (US, UAE and Czech). I know all of them.

I also have mobile numbers for Tunisia, Uganda, Australia, New Zealand, Thailand and Georgia, but some are expired now and I don't remember any of them.

[Really Not All That Bright]

I know my own, my SO's (though I often have to think hard to recall it), my parents' business, my boss' cell, and the office.

I don't know my home landline number, since we only use it for alarm monitoring anyway.

[Alessan]

I pretty much have to know my own cell and landline, seeing as I׳m always filling them out in forms and credit card slips. Other than that, I remember my wife׳s (I think) and my best friend׳s phone number from 20 years ago. That's about it.

[Hedda Rosa]

I know my own cell number and my husbands. I know my own work number and the number for the main line.

I don't know my home number (my landline, used only for internet)
Or my mom, my dad, stepmother, sisters, brother, grandparents, children's school, nearest friends or any other ones.

I'm utterly dependant on my phone remembering all this stuff for me. I'm ok with that.

[Kyla]

No. But I've only had my current number for about a week. Give me some more time.

[Hal Briston]

Yes. (310) 867-5309Uh oh. Don't you know that identity thieves are now going to take that number and use it to steal your identity and drain your bank accounts and run up your credit cards and smuggle illegal immigrants and force your mother to do bestiality porn?

[Hal Briston]

And I know:

My home.
My cell.
My mom's home (but not her cell).
My brother's home (although I'm pretty sure he had that shut off -- I don't remember his cell).
My in-law's home (but not their cells).
My work number.

And for some strange reason, the number of a girl I dated about fifteen years ago. She always called me -- I very rarely called her. Hell, it's not even in the same area code, but for some reason it's burned into my memory. Weird.

[Todderbob]

Of course I do! 867-5309...

In all seriousness, I know my cell, my google voice, my fathers cell and with some thought his google voice, my grandparents home number and that's pretty much it. My mothers cell changes too frequently, and my home phone changes often as well.

I know a few close friends numbers, and I have a few knocking around in my head from when I was younger, but they have no function other than to gum up the works from time to time.

[gwendee]

Of the people whose phone numbers I would traditionally have memorized only two live in the same area code so that's what I look at mainly.

I do not have my own cell number memorized, but my excuse is that I've only had it a month. I know it's 602-something.

When the whole family was together at Christmas my sister joked that if any of the rest of us ended up in a bind without our cellphones our aunt and uncle should expect a call at home because they've had the same number for close to 40 years and it's the only one any of us has memorized.

I have one cousin's cell # memorized, not because I call him so much but because it's a memorable pattern: ABA CBAB

I do have memorized the number of a pizza place in my hometown that I haven't frequented for over 20 years. I really would like to use that brain space for something I actually need to know, such as my own phone number.

[levdrakon]

No, I don't remember my own number anymore. I still remember one particular friend's number because she's had it since the early 90's and I used to call all the time. Don't call it much these days, but it's still in my head.

Not only do I not know my own number, but I can never remember where it might be stored on my cell phone. It'd be nice if it were displayed someplace really obvious, like the date and time is.

[Anaamika]

Of course I memorize my own and my SOs. The rest; I keep a phone book still. It's a tiny one that fits in my purse but I'm rarely without it.

Phone only has the numbers, not the addresses or anything.

[Perciful]

I finally memorized my cell phone number. I hardly ever use the thing!

I still remember my first phone number from 1st grade. 866-8848.

[Khadaji]

I know my house number, but not the my cell phone. I rarely even turn on the house number.

[Kal]

Not a damn clue. Owned four or five mobiles over the last eleven years and have never known any of my mobile numbers (or any other person's).

Do know three landline numbers, including my own, but even then my memory can go blank halfway through dialling or if someone asks for mine.

[Hari Seldon]

I know both. My wife doesn't have a cell phone. I know my daughter's cell (it is easy to remember and for many years, till she moved from Manhattan to Brooklyn, her home number) but I don't remember her home number nor the home or cell numbers of either of my son's home or cell numbers or those of their wives.

On the other hand, I am old enough to recall my home phone number when I was growing up: GRAnite 3277, eventually GR2-3277. That goes back at least 65 years. Which proves something; I am not sure what.

Our family doctor, when I was growing up, had the same number (5460) as his house number, phone number, and license plate number.

[Rushgeekgirl]

I know mine and everyone in the family's number. Everyone I call regularly.
Then again I rarely use my cellphone so I don't much depend on the address book.

[Fuzzy Dunlop]

On your mobile/cell phone I mean.

Do you know your SO's?
Do you know your best friend's?

I notice that with mobiles many people just don't know their own number nor those of their friends and family. This is of course because the phones store the numbers but I've been in situations a number of times where if I hadn't memorised a lot of these numbers I would have been up the creek so to speak.

I don`t understand how you could not know your own phone number? What does one do when people you meet want to be able to call you? Doesn't not being able to tell others how to contact you by phone defeat exactly half the point of having a phone?

[Lacunae Matata]

I know my number, my husband's cellular, my work number, my best friend's home number, and my parents' cellulars and home number. (Oh, and my grandmother's home number, my ex-husband's cellular, and my aunt's home and office numbers.) I actually have a good memory for numbers, but my use of cell phone has seriously affected my ability to keep in touch if my own cell phone isn't available. (I can also tell you the three phone numbers I had while growing up, my middle/high school best friend's number, and so forth. But I have no clue what my own home number is, nor my son's cellular number, etc.)

I made myself memorize a handful of numbers, including my work number, after one of my co-workers had to use his one call from jail after being arrested. He was smart enough to call the hotel after being arrested on a misdemeanor charge, because someone is available 24/7 at a hotel. (And the company owner, for all of his faults, actually did go and bail his employee out.) I don't expect to be arrested anytime soon, but it would be horrible to remain in jail just because I don't know anyone's phone number!

It's funny, though: At work, I get people's phone numbers to check them in to a hotel. It's fairly shocking the number of people who don't know it/have to seriously think about it/have to consult their cell phones to tell me.

[Siam Sam]

I can remember our home phone and the wife's cellphone (I don't carry one), but ever since the advent of digital dial (I grew up with rotary dials), it's usually the pattern I remember most easily. Even though I can recall the number, I still find myself usually stopoing a moment to visualize a telephone keypad and the pattern formed by the dialing.

[BigT]

I don`t understand how you could not know your own phone number? What does one do when people you meet want to be able to call you? Doesn't not being able to tell others how to contact you by phone defeat exactly half the point of having a phone?

You have your cell phone with you, and can look it up. It's gonna take them time to get out their cellphone to put it in, so you can already have yours ready.

And, no, I dont' know my number, I might if I used it more often, and actually gave it out to people. I don't get out enough to warrant giving out anything but my house number.

I do know my dad's number, only because it's easy. Everyone else's is on my portable phone, which I always have with me. I can figure out my sisters in a few shots, if I absolutely need to, as I know the last 4 digits.

Most people I know change their numbers too often to warrant memorizing it. If I got out more, I'd probably bother memorizing the few that have everyone's number, so I can call them if my cell dies, but that's yet to happen. (My phone lasts for days. I don't talk much.)

[panache45]

I have a cell phone for emergencies only, and have used it exactly twice. There's no reason for me to know the number. But I do know my land line number.

At my age, my brain has enough trouble dealing with things it actually needs to know.

[umop ap!sdn]

I memorized my own cell # not long after I first got it (more than 3 years ago), and when I got seriously involved with a partner I memorized hers. But if I were without my phone and had to call my friends, my work, or my parents, I'd be royally screwed.

[bearman217]

Since many members of my family move around right now, college aged and just past college aged, I don't remember their numbers, but I always remember my number and that of anyone I am going out with or live with.

[fusoya]

Since I need to give it out on at least a weekly basis, I have my # memorized and can recite it without thinking. However, except for some #'s which I've used for years, I don't have ANY #'s memorized of my friends/family/work, since I dial based on their name in my cell's address book.