Hi Wirt,
    Sorry, I have to disagree with you :)   Ok, so I am not completely Sorry
hehehe

    Up here in the Pacific Northwest (no, we are not still fighting the Indians
hehe) we have had lots of these Area Code changes :(  Washington has gone from 2
area codes to 6 or 7 (I have lost count :(  ) in the last few years....

    Oregon (where I am!) has gone from 2 area codes (Jordan Valley, OR has used
208 Idaho's area code for years hehehe) to 3 area codes last year and is
considering another one or 2 area codes in the next year or so :(

Art "Why not just go to 8 or 9 digit phone numbers???" Bahrs

>>> Wirt Atmar <[log in to unmask]> 06/08/97 03:28pm >>>
Joe Geiser writes:

> Wirt - actually what Nick is talking about, is what's happening in many
>  areas, including Maryland, where Nick is located --- Area Code Overlays.
>  Instead of lopping off a geographic area and giving it a new area code,
>  they overlay the existing area code with another one.
>
>  They're talking about doing that to Philly - not 2 years after placing a
>  new "610" area code into effect.  It is a pain in the @$$...

Is this overlay permanent -- or is it merely a transition mechanism?
Generally, it's been the rural areas of the US that have had to suffer the
discomfort of getting their area codes changed. Only recently has this same
process been coming to a major city near you.

For a period of about six or nine months, both the old and new area codes are
in effect -- and then, on some preset date, they disallow the original area
code usage in the newly cleaved area code's region.

The pattern you describe is the one that everyone is seeing. The a part of
the old Philadelphia area code (215) was partitioned into a second
NANP-compatible area code (610) a few years ago -- and is now being
partitioned again into new area codes yet again, where any number may be
present in the second digit.

Wirt Atmar