We all know how it goes. Meet an attractive stranger, swap numbers, and note that attractive stranger's number does not begin with 415. Ask them where the eff they're from. If applicable, congratulate yourself for having a 415 area code and being a "local," even if you moved here four months ago and just happened to switch network carriers.
Yes, people are weird about the 415 area code. And with the announcement that 415 codes will run out, they're about to get a whole lot weirder. According to California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC), people seeking new numbers in 2015 will probably be getting a brand new area code: 628.
In yet another dirty trick of math, it turns out that 10-digit numbers beginning with 415 are finite. We've been happily consuming 415 numbers ever since the code's introduction in 1947, and now, in a cruel twist, it's time to pay the price.
What's in a number? Not that much. But the new code could exacerbate all our weird issues of belonging and sports bandwagonism and who-knows what else. Plus, for a lot of SF residents, losing 415 just feels ... wrong. Remember that Seinfeld episode where Elaine gets a 212 number from her dead neighbor rather than stick with the new 646 code? It's like that ... only now it's happening on our turf.
Unfortunately, there aren't a whole lot of ways to get around the issue. Got a better idea than the Chronicle interviewee who suggested we "just take [415] all back from Marin and give them 628"? The CPUC is inviting public comment at public meetings on January 16th, or you can submit your input via this online form.
Now please excuse us while we watch this semi-relevant Ludacris' video while we sort out how we feel about all this.
