# Strange phone number assignment for new cell phone--what are the odds?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-phone-number-assignment-for-new-cell-phone-what-are-the-odds/722872
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [June 18, 2015, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-phone-number-assignment-for-new-cell-phone-what-are-the-odds/722872 "2015-06-18T18:14:23Z")
**Posts on this page:** 6
**Page:** 2
### Author:  [@Frylock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frylock)
#### Post date: [June 19, 2015, 12:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-phone-number-assignment-for-new-cell-phone-what-are-the-odds/722872/21 "2015-06-19T12:34:39Z")
> [@Acsenray](#):
>
> It’s fairly common for people to have mobile phones that have area codes different from where they live.
Right, I have assumed this was due to people moving. Are you saying it’s common for people to be _assigned_ a cell number with a different area code from where they live?
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### Author:  [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)
#### Post date: [June 19, 2015, 12:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-phone-number-assignment-for-new-cell-phone-what-are-the-odds/722872/22 "2015-06-19T12:58:02Z")
> [@Frylock](#):
>
> Right, I have assumed this was due to people moving. Are you saying it’s common for people to be _assigned_ a cell number with a different area code from where they live?
Depending on the vendor and what blocks of numbers they have access to, they can if they want give you a choice of what area code your phone will have.
The last couple of times I did it the asked me essentially if I wanted s number for the central city or s number for the suburbs. It didn’t matter what my address was.
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### Author:  [@Frylock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frylock)
#### Post date: [June 19, 2015, 12:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-phone-number-assignment-for-new-cell-phone-what-are-the-odds/722872/23 "2015-06-19T12:59:43Z")
> [@Acsenray](#):
>
> Depending on the vendor and what blocks of numbers they have access to, they can if they want give you a choice of what area code your phone will have.
>
> The last couple of times I did it the asked me essentially if I wanted s number for the central city or s number for the suburbs. It didn’t matter what my address was.
That makes sense.
Seems very strange that my wife (in Indianapolis) was assigned a California area code, with the same prefix, when that just happens to be the same area code/prefix as her old number which she was requesting be transferred.
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### Author:  [@Drunky\_Smurf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drunky_Smurf)
#### Post date: [June 22, 2015, 10:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-phone-number-assignment-for-new-cell-phone-what-are-the-odds/722872/24 "2015-06-22T22:29:12Z")
> [@core](#):
>
> No, all was not lost on me. I was simply saying if you’re going to make up numbers, at least make them up in the proper format. Whooosh on you sir.
I gotta agree with **core**. If you’re going to make something up make it up the real and proper way and not just all wily-nilly.
Make your fake real fake and not fake fake.
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### Author:  [@Frylock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frylock)
#### Post date: [June 22, 2015, 10:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-phone-number-assignment-for-new-cell-phone-what-are-the-odds/722872/25 "2015-06-22T22:42:43Z")
This is possibly the stupidest issue I’ve ever seen brought up on the sdmb.
Alright for the next time I need to make up a placeholder phone number and need to make it an immediately recognizable pattern for ready comparison with another number, is 987 a real area code?
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### Author:  [@Canadjun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Canadjun)
#### Post date: [June 22, 2015, 10:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-phone-number-assignment-for-new-cell-phone-what-are-the-odds/722872/26 "2015-06-22T22:54:42Z")
> [@Frylock](#):
>
> This is possibly the stupidest issue I’ve ever seen brought up on the sdmb.
>
> Alright for the next time I need to make up a placeholder phone number and need to make it an immediately recognizable pattern for ready comparison with another number, is 987 a real area code?
[Does not appear to be one](http://www.bennetyee.org/ucsd-pages/area.html).
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