# How Does Texing On Cell Phones Work?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-texing-on-cell-phones-work/592384>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [August 11, 2011, 10:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-texing-on-cell-phones-work/592384 "2011-08-11T22:31:49Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![AndyLee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/898d66/32.png) [@AndyLee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AndyLee)\
**Post date:** [August 11, 2011, 10:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-texing-on-cell-phones-work/592384/1 "2011-08-11T22:31:49Z")

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I noticed for the first time today, though it’s probably been around longer, the bus stops in Chicago allow you to text to see when the bus will show up.

So you enter 411411 in the send field and then the words CTABUS and the number on the sign.

My question is what is that 411411 going to? Is it an email address or a phone number or what?

When I text a friend I use his cell phone number. But 411411 isn’t a whole phone number or is it?

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**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\
**Post date:** [August 11, 2011, 10:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-texing-on-cell-phones-work/592384/2 "2011-08-11T22:37:45Z")

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They are [SMS Short Codes](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Short_code). They can only be addressed by SMS and MMS services. In the US, the standards and code assignments are maintained by a consortium of cell carriers.

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**Author:** ![AndyLee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/898d66/32.png) [@AndyLee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AndyLee)\
**Post date:** [August 11, 2011, 11:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-texing-on-cell-phones-work/592384/3 "2011-08-11T23:19:20Z")

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Cool thanks

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**Author:** ![Mr\_Downtown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Mr\_Downtown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr_Downtown)\
**Post date:** [August 12, 2011, 4:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-texing-on-cell-phones-work/592384/4 "2011-08-12T04:27:34Z")

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It’s only 41411. The CTA BusTracker SMS program has been active since January 2010, though they only got the stop numbers put on all the signs last summer (the stickers won’t adhere in cold weather). There’s also a (privately run) [plaintext alternative](http://www.ctabytext.com/) to the stop numbers.