You know how you used to be able to dial 411, and you would get a local operator who had a clue as to local geography.
They’d ask “What City?”, and you’d say “Brentwood”, or “Westwood”, or “Downtown”, and they’d know what you meant.
Not anymore, though. Now you get someone sitting in a cubicle 2000 miles away, and if the “city” is a huge spread out one like L.A. you don’t know where to begin.
Yes, we’ve been noticing this in the Boston area for many years, ever since New England Telephone got absorbed by Nynex which got absorbed by Bell Atlantic.
Call 411 and ask for a number in Allston and most of the time you’ll get no listings. If you’re lucky the operator will say:
“I show a G. McGillicutty in BOSTON, but none in Allston.”
Grrr! They’ve managed to list it under Boston.
Though sometimes, if you try to beat the system by telling the operator “G. McGillicutty in Boston” they find nothing, “but there’s one in BRIGHTON.”
Double Grrrr!!!
The USPS recognizes Allston (and Brighton and Jamaica Plain, etc etc) as separate entities, why can’t Bell Atlantic?!
It’ll probably only get worse, folks.