555 (telephone Number) - Real Uses of 555 Numbers

Real Uses of 555 Numbers

Throughout North America, 1-XXX-555-1212 will connect to directory assistance for the specified XXX area code, 1-800-555-1212 will connect to directory assistance for all 1-800 numbers and 1-800-555-1111 will connect to a Bell Canada operator.

Also, in some areas of cellphone reception, 1-800-555-1234, a commonly used fictional number, is Nations' Tel in the Pacific Northwest and may reach a number that claims to be in use by the IRS. It is now used by 'NCH Software of USA', a software development company.

In 1994, the North American Numbering Plan Administration began accepting applications for nationwide 555 numbers (outside the fictitious 555-01XX range). This would mean that a consumer from any area code could dial a seven-digit number such as 555-TAXI, and the owners of that number could connect the call to a local car service. However, according to a 2003 New York Times article, the desired functionality requires the cooperation of local phone authorities, and most phone companies have been reluctant to cooperate. Despite the fact that the service is virtually unavailable so far, most of the available 555 numbers have already been reserved.

In addition, 555 use is only restricted in North America. Neglecting this fact resulted in a lawsuit in the late 1980s: in his daily The Far Side panel, cartoonist Gary Larson included a graffiti of a 555 number by which prank calls could be made to Satan. When the panel was printed in Australia (where 555 was at the time a standard exchange), the owner of the 555 number became the subject of much harassment, and sued Larson and his syndicate for defamation. The suit was unsuccessful.

555 numbers are mentioned in the 1993 action film The Last Action Hero, starring Arnold Schwarzenegger. The character of Danny Madigan (played by Austin O'Brien) tries to convince Schwarzenegger's character that he is inside a movie by pointing out that 555 numbers give at most 9,999 possible telephone numbers (although there are technically 10,000 possible phone numbers, 0000-9999, 1212 is reserved for directory assistance), clearly not enough for all phone users in Los Angeles. Schwarzenegger's character replies that area codes would solve that problem and O'Brien's character drops the subject.

The practice of publishing specific numbers assigned for fictitious use gained demand after some telephone customers were flooded by errant dialers using the phone number popularized by Tommy Tutone with the song 867-5309/Jenny.