555 phone numbers

yellum

The Internet: Connecting bored people to those with far too much time on their hands.


http://home.earthlink.net/~mthyen/

Gordon

Hehe, I always found that funny how practically every movie has a 555 number in it. Do 555 numbers even exist? Why oh why is it so popular??

pauldeehan

Yeah, tis true. Even in BladeRunner there's a 555 number. I've no idea why they do it. For a while I thought it was maybe some legal thing.

Oh, and they make a joke out of it in The Last Action Hero.

sceptre

AFAIK the only 555 number actually in use the the US is 555-1212 - it's the directory assistance number for all area codes.

In Canada, 555 numbers are used for information services (it used to be 411)

In Rozelle and Balmain in west Sydney, until a 9 was added to most Australian numbers last year, most of their numbers DID begin with 555

cerebus

The 555 exchange is an oddity of the North American phone network. As far as I know, the 555 exchange is reserved for special purposes such as directory assistance and other weird stuff.

The 555 exchange also has a number of fictitious numbers - usually some 555 line numbers in the range between 555-0100 and 555-0199. These numbers will never be placed in service in any area code. As a result they get used by the entertainment/advertising industries in advertisements, television, and movies.

I think the entire 555 exchange was reserved once upon a time, but with the growth in subscribers it got opened up for info-type services.

Don't take this as gospel - old info I'm trying to recall from my phreaking days :-) Others might have a better explanation...

cerebus

Originally posted by cerebus
The 555 exchange also has a number of fictitious numbers - usually some 555 line numbers in the range between 555-0100 and 555-0199. These numbers will never be placed in service in any area code. As a result they get used by the entertainment/advertising industries in advertisements, television, and movies.

Actually, checking the link, the numbers from various TV/films seem to span all the 555 exchange so I might not be right in describing the range above.

Victor

Too many of those numbers are from Fight Club Do you really want Fight Club fans phoning you? :eek:

yellum

Thats just the newest editions on the frontpage.

Mercury_Tilt

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Elmo

the 555 number in ireland is in Sligo somewhere around that area however you have to put a dialing code before it if your calling outside that local area.

banbutcher

who in their right mind would find all those numbers!!!!

some one with waaay to much time on his/her hands!!!

koneko

Originally posted by sceptre
AFAIK the only 555 number actually in use the the US is 555-1212 - it's the directory assistance number for all area codes.

No it isn't!!

555-1212 - Brady residence - The Brady Bunch

sceptre

Originally posted by koneko


No it isn't!!

555-1212 - Brady residence - The Brady Bunch

Hmmm, now that's interesting (really) - it's still a real number though - next time you're over, ring it.

While you're at it, ring the usual 202-456-1414 (ask for George - better still say you want to kill George and stay on the line for a few minutes)

Practical

They always do something like that in the Simpsons aswell

Cabaal

Wow I never realise some people had that much free time on there hands

Can you imagine the conversation between his/hers girl/boyfriend,

"so what did you do today.?"

"Oh I watched a load of films and copied down all the 555 numbers and also marked down where these made up numbers are for."

and I thought I had to much time

SweetBirdOfTruth

AFAIK Hollywood was specifically given use of the 555 prefix by Ma Bell for movies away back in the early days of tinsel town, so that real numbers weren't actually used.