# I've had my phone # for 40 years. How long have you had yours?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ive-had-my-phone-for-40-years-how-long-have-you-had-yours/240547
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
**Created:** [April 17, 2004, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ive-had-my-phone-for-40-years-how-long-have-you-had-yours/240547 "2004-04-17T18:33:47Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)
#### Post date: [April 17, 2004, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ive-had-my-phone-for-40-years-how-long-have-you-had-yours/240547/1 "2004-04-17T18:33:47Z")
Today I got a phone call from someone asking for my dad. Now Pops Mercotan has been dead for over 9 years now, so it was a bit strange. But we do still have his old number.
In fact, I realized that this phone number has been in our family for about 40 years now. It would have been even longer, but back about the time Kennedy was president, the local phone exchange was upgraded, and our last 4 digits got changed. Otherwise the phone in our house has been assigned to someone in our family for at least 60 years. Before that, I’m not sure if we even had a phone here.
So, 40 years of the same 7 digit number. The area code changed a few years ago.
Can anyone else beat that?
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### Author:  [@koeeoaddi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/koeeoaddi)
#### Post date: [April 17, 2004, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ive-had-my-phone-for-40-years-how-long-have-you-had-yours/240547/2 "2004-04-17T19:00:25Z")
Not a chance, I’ve had so many that the only one I can remember without thinking is the one I grew up with.
I’ll bet yours had one of those cool exchanges like “ **PL** easant-4” or **ME** lrose-9."
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### Author:  [@Suburban\_Plankton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Suburban_Plankton)
#### Post date: [April 17, 2004, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ive-had-my-phone-for-40-years-how-long-have-you-had-yours/240547/3 "2004-04-17T19:06:17Z")
We’ve only had ours for three years since changing our local phone service, but my parents have lived in the same house with the same number for 55 years now.
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### Author:  [@legion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/legion)
#### Post date: [April 17, 2004, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ive-had-my-phone-for-40-years-how-long-have-you-had-yours/240547/4 "2004-04-17T19:10:48Z")
Can’t beat the OP. I’ve had my number since I got married, 27 years ago.
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### Author:  [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)
#### Post date: [April 17, 2004, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ive-had-my-phone-for-40-years-how-long-have-you-had-yours/240547/5 "2004-04-17T19:19:14Z")
> [@koeeoaddi](#):
>
> I’ll bet yours had one of those cool exchanges like “ **PL** easant-4” or **ME** lrose-9."
**MO** hawk-8! 😃
It’s good for some things to stay the same in our rapidly changing world.
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### Author:  [@Gunslinger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gunslinger)
#### Post date: [April 17, 2004, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ive-had-my-phone-for-40-years-how-long-have-you-had-yours/240547/6 "2004-04-17T19:27:50Z")
My grandmother has lived in the same house since the mid-1940s, and still has the same phone number (PLaza 9-\*\*\*\*). She’s also probably the only person in the world that still has pulse service.
Random trivia: PEnnsylvania 6-5000 (y’know, the Glenn Miller song, later reworked by Brian Setzer) is still the phone number of the Pennsylvania Hotel in New York City, and has been since it was built in the '30s. Try it if you don’t believe me (area code 212).
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### Author:  [@Mr.Moto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Moto)
#### Post date: [April 17, 2004, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ive-had-my-phone-for-40-years-how-long-have-you-had-yours/240547/7 "2004-04-17T19:44:49Z")
My grandmother has had the same phone number since 1948.
She’s 86 years old, and shows no signs of giving up that phone number anytime soon, either.
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### Author:  [@insomnia4AM](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/insomnia4AM)
#### Post date: [April 17, 2004, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ive-had-my-phone-for-40-years-how-long-have-you-had-yours/240547/8 "2004-04-17T19:51:27Z")
We’ve had ours for 20 years now, since we moved into this house. The area code changed, but the 7 digits have stayed the same throughout the years.
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### Author:  [@Sgt.Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sgt.Pepper)
#### Post date: [April 17, 2004, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ive-had-my-phone-for-40-years-how-long-have-you-had-yours/240547/9 "2004-04-17T19:57:23Z")
My family must have had this number for about 20 years. I can’t be sure the exact amount of time because it’s the only number I know of and I’m 26. So I guess it must have been before I can remember.
We’ve moved once as well, and the number was moved with us.
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### Author:  [@Moirai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moirai)
#### Post date: [April 17, 2004, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ive-had-my-phone-for-40-years-how-long-have-you-had-yours/240547/10 "2004-04-17T20:43:43Z")
My grandpa bought his house in the mid-to-late 1940’s IIRC, and my parents live there now, so I guess that phone number has been the same for almost 60 years!
Ha! Beat that!
And yes, they still get calls for my grandmother, who has been dead for almost 20 years! I guess having the same last name throws them.
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### Author:  [@Shirley\_Ujest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shirley_Ujest)
#### Post date: [April 17, 2004, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ive-had-my-phone-for-40-years-how-long-have-you-had-yours/240547/11 "2004-04-17T20:56:17Z")
I beleive my aunt & uncle in Florida have lived in their house since 1952ish. Same number: Sunset 9-xxxx.
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### Author:  [@Feit\_C\_Taj](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Feit_C_Taj)
#### Post date: [April 17, 2004, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ive-had-my-phone-for-40-years-how-long-have-you-had-yours/240547/12 "2004-04-17T21:04:54Z")
For my parents, it’ll be 30 years this June. And that includes the area code. (Amazing since they live in the Philly area and they didn’t have any 215/610/484/whatever the hell all the codes are in that area)
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### Author:  [@Lsura](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lsura)
#### Post date: [April 17, 2004, 9:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ive-had-my-phone-for-40-years-how-long-have-you-had-yours/240547/13 "2004-04-17T21:35:38Z")
I’ve had my current phone number a little under two years. The one before that, I had for about 2.5 years, and those are the longest lengths of time I’ve had my own numbers.
My parents have had theirs for about 35, since they bought the house just after my oldest brother was born.
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### Author:  [@CWN](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CWN)
#### Post date: [April 17, 2004, 9:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ive-had-my-phone-for-40-years-how-long-have-you-had-yours/240547/14 "2004-04-17T21:39:28Z")
Gosh my first number was fairbanks 44325
That was back in the 60’s
damn I am old
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### Author:  [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)
#### Post date: [April 17, 2004, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ive-had-my-phone-for-40-years-how-long-have-you-had-yours/240547/15 "2004-04-17T21:56:27Z")
Mine for only 2 years. My folks for about 25.
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### Author:  [@AngelicGemma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AngelicGemma)
#### Post date: [April 17, 2004, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ive-had-my-phone-for-40-years-how-long-have-you-had-yours/240547/16 "2004-04-17T21:57:36Z")
I’ve had mine since December.
I still haven’t memorised it.
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### Author:  [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)
#### Post date: [April 17, 2004, 10:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ive-had-my-phone-for-40-years-how-long-have-you-had-yours/240547/17 "2004-04-17T22:01:44Z")
My parents bought the house in which they still live in Arlington VA in 1947. Our number was JE2 XXXX. Still is.
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### Author:  [@Lamar\_Mundane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamar_Mundane)
#### Post date: [April 17, 2004, 10:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ive-had-my-phone-for-40-years-how-long-have-you-had-yours/240547/18 "2004-04-17T22:03:13Z")
> [@Gunslinger](#):
>
> Random trivia: PEnnsylvania 6-5000 (y’know, the Glenn Miller song, later reworked by Brian Setzer) is still the phone number of the Pennsylvania Hotel in New York City, and has been since it was built in the '30s. Try it if you don’t believe me (area code 212).
\ That is also the nastiest hotel I’ve ever stayed in. Great location, but nasty, nasty, nasty. I don’t think they’ve bought new sheets since Glenn Miller was playing in the ballroom. The rooms are as big as my closet and have 60 years of cigarette smoke absorbed by every surface. \
I’ve had my number for 17 years.
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### Author:  [@LifeOnWry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LifeOnWry)
#### Post date: [April 17, 2004, 10:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ive-had-my-phone-for-40-years-how-long-have-you-had-yours/240547/19 "2004-04-17T22:57:05Z")
Had mine 16 years now, it even moved with us five years ago.
My in-laws have had the same phone number since 1959. Once upon a time, when they wanted to call someone in the neighborhood, they only had to dial the last four numbers.
I had a great one as a kid: TUxedo9-9989. (Yes, I’m old, too.)
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### Author:  [@Eureka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eureka)
#### Post date: [April 17, 2004, 11:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ive-had-my-phone-for-40-years-how-long-have-you-had-yours/240547/20 "2004-04-17T23:17:35Z")
My grandmother has had her phone number for at least 30 years. (probably longer, but I don’t know for sure. I just know that it took my mother forever to decide to actually write the number down for the benefit of other people). She moved from the house she’d lived in for 42 years a few years back and was able to keep her phone number.
I, on the other hand, have had mine for about 8 months and am unlikely to have it more than 16 more.
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