# Ford found my wife and her phone number **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [February 4, 2022, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ford-found-my-wife-and-her-phone-number/958930 "2022-02-04T20:47:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2022, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ford-found-my-wife-and-her-phone-number/958930/21 "2022-02-09T16:49:07Z")
Thanks, Omar\_Little. ---
**Author:** ![md-2000](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9d8465/32.png) [@md-2000](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/md-2000)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2022, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ford-found-my-wife-and-her-phone-number/958930/22 "2022-02-09T18:52:01Z")
Is this the recall where the airbag could shoot metal fragments at the occupant? Seems like a good reason to fix it. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2022, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ford-found-my-wife-and-her-phone-number/958930/23 "2022-02-09T19:19:53Z")
Indeed. ---
**Author:** ![ekedolphin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ekedolphin/32/10003_2.png) [@ekedolphin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ekedolphin)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2022, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ford-found-my-wife-and-her-phone-number/958930/24 "2022-02-09T19:25:29Z")
Reminds me of this xkcd: > **[Update](https://xkcd.com/1328/)** > > I have a bunch of things open right now. ---
**Author:** ![CC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f1d935/32.png) [@CC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CC)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2022, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ford-found-my-wife-and-her-phone-number/958930/25 "2022-02-09T19:51:49Z")
Funny. I’m guessing that a lot of people are unaware that prior to about 20 years ago, pretty much everyone was listed in a phonebook. It named the person, his address, and his phone number. Every city had one. Today’s obsession with “privacy” has made such a notion impossible to consider. But I’d argue that for law-enforcement and safety reasons, the benefits of a registry of phone numbers far outweighs the drawbacks. One example: think of how many of these recent bomb threats could be traced to the perpetrators if the numbers were available. (And don’t start ranting about “yeah, but…”) ---
**Author:** ![md-2000](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9d8465/32.png) [@md-2000](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/md-2000)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2022, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ford-found-my-wife-and-her-phone-number/958930/26 "2022-02-09T19:58:39Z")
Did phonebooks or other sources ever list cellphone numbers? I don’t recall anything like that. ---
**Author:** ![CC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f1d935/32.png) [@CC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CC)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2022, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ford-found-my-wife-and-her-phone-number/958930/27 "2022-02-09T20:23:27Z")
No. This was essentially prior to cell phones. But a cell phone directory should be available to all of us just like the land line directory was before. (I’m going to stop because this is not a spot for debate.) ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2022, 8:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ford-found-my-wife-and-her-phone-number/958930/28 "2022-02-09T20:25:57Z")
> [@CC](#): > > Funny. I’m guessing that a lot of people are unaware that prior to about 20 years ago, pretty much everyone was listed in a phonebook. Other residents of the household were not, unless specifically requested. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2022, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ford-found-my-wife-and-her-phone-number/958930/29 "2022-02-09T20:37:03Z")
A cell phone [directory thread.](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cell-phone-directory/959172) ---
**Author:** ![md-2000](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9d8465/32.png) [@md-2000](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/md-2000)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2022, 6:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ford-found-my-wife-and-her-phone-number/958930/30 "2022-02-10T06:59:34Z")
The only remedy I’ve seen is that many business cellphones are discoverable in Google. (If the owner wants to be found) ---
**Author:** ![OldOlds](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/a3d4f5/32.png) [@OldOlds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OldOlds)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2022, 12:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ford-found-my-wife-and-her-phone-number/958930/31 "2022-02-12T00:56:18Z")
But nonetheless, I agree with you. Cell phones were originally “secret” because you paid for received calls. I suppose that could still be the case for some plans, but surely its the vast minority of cases in the US. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ford-found-my-wife-and-her-phone-number/958930.md?page=1)