When you've moved around as much as I have, you cease being amazed at the differences a region or city can have. Until you move into another whole zone, and then the surprise is evident.
When I moved to Tulsa, I had many awakenings. First and foremost, I moved here from Houston and couldn't take anyone seriously when they said, "Look how bad the traffic is on the BA!" That's just cute. There is no traffic in Tulsa. Even now with all the orange barrels blocking all the north/south avenues, it's hard to compare the backups to Southern California traffic (or Houston or Dallas traffic).
Another eye opener was that Tulsa still had 7 digit dialing. Say what? I actually could not remember BACK to a time when I was not required to include the area code in a local call. As soon as cell phone usage heated up, most areas with 'overlays' required 10 digit dialing right away. When I first moved to Tulsa, I dialed the 918 convulsively. I got that annoying woman's voice with the error dialing message and had to slow myself down to exclude the area code.
But no more.
The phone company has announced that 10 digit dialing has come to our region. Tulsa has grown up. Starting 8/7/2010 you will be able to dial 918 before the local numbers. Starting on 3/5/2011 it becomes mandatory for both the 918 and 539 area codes.
I'm so proud, I have to wipe the tears from my eyes. Finally, this area has grown to 'city size'. Enough people have phone service in this area to tax the NPA/NXX listings and require additional area codes be assigned (which is what that 539 probably represents).
It's like watching a cherished baby take its first steps. Which, by the way, my darling granddaughter Carolyn did yesterday. A right of passage. A growth moment.
I'm thinking that everyone in Tulsa will complain about this. But for someone who's traveled around and lived in a lot of places, this is just putting Tulsa in the same category as the other regions. All grown up.
--Sandee Wagner
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4 comments:
I agree on the traffic. I remember living in San Diego, when it took an hour or more to drive the ten miles from our condo to North Island -- lots more when one of the aircraft carriers returned from a cruise.
But I hate to see Tulsa growing up. I like being small-time in the bigger scheme of things.
Marilyn,
You aren't even IN Tulsa. You still live in a small town. Tulsa is a great place to live, part of what makes it easy is the lack of traffic. Every time I drive through DC or LA, it makes me pine for Tulsa. spw
Yup, I wouldn't live in Tulsas city limits for nothing . . . well, maybe if someone gave me that big gorgeous house on Riverside across from the railroad bridge for free.
But I have to go there waaay too often so their problems are mine, at least to some extent.
Marilyn,
I love that house on Riverside. At some point in time a friend told me who owned it and the history of the family that built it.
Didn't you use that as a setting in your thriller series? I sure pictured that exact house when your KA heroine was squatted in the bushes watching the bad guy.
spw
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