867-5309

[tcrudisi]

My wife's sister recently lost her phone. In order to get back all her now lost phone numbers, she set up a website asking her friends to post it there. I do not own a cell phone, but that did not stop me from posting the most famous phone number of all time as my own: 867-5309. It was a joke, of course. I figured, "Why not?"

Well, both my wife and her sister posted something to the effect of "What? You don't own a phone! Whose number is that?"

I felt so ashamed.

(This rather pointless story was brought to you by the letter O -- for how Old I now feel.)

[Ashen Lilies]

So... this so called 'most famous phone number of all time'...
Whose is it? :confused::smalltongue:

I'm serious, by the way.

Edit: Okay, I googled it. Yay.

[CMOTDibbler]

It's Jenny's (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=axLRUszuu9I). Even I know this. :smalltongue:

[Elm11]

It's from the song "867-5309/Jenny" by Alex Call and Jim Keller done by Tommy Tutone if i remember correctly. was really popular in the US in 1982.

EDIT: ARGH AND CURSES!!! NINJA'D AGAIN!

[charl]

You don't own a cell phone? :smallconfused:

[KuReshtin]

It's Jenny's (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=axLRUszuu9I). Even I know this. :smalltongue:

Never heard of it before.

I do appreciate the joke, though. Well played. :smallbiggrin:

[The Dark Fiddler]

You don't own a cell phone? :smallconfused:

Neither do I.

And I'm a teen! We're supposed to have them! It's like... a law of physics!

[toasty]

Neither do I.

And I'm a teen! We're supposed to have them! It's like... a law of physics!

Only in rich countries like america. ;)

[Boo]

God, this is hilarious. I've been listening to that song nonstop all week (as in a full 7 days, not just since Monday).

Strangely, when I sing it in my head the lyrics go "867-5309! I say 867-5309!" (instead of the elongated 9). It just sounds better to me that way...

[Kobold-Bard]

Neither do I.

And I'm a teen! We're supposed to have them! It's like... a law of physics!

BLASPHEMY!!! :smalltongue: (Admittedly I didn't get one until I came to uni, and frankly I could live without it now except that work uses it to tell me my hours).

[Don Julio Anejo]

Eh. My ex still doesn't have one. She's almost 22.

[tcrudisi]

Eh. My ex still doesn't have one. She's almost 22.

I'm a few years older than that. I'm 28. I just have a hatred of cell phones as people are just so inconsiderate about them. I remember the golden days when people would do things like say, "Sorry, I'm having dinner. I'll call you back later." Now? Many people take the call anyway while sitting at a restaurant.

And I'm not going to get started on talking/texting while driving. Eek.

Oh, and a tidbit of trivia about the song? Someone put the phone number 867-5309 up for auction on ebay. It sold for US$186,853.09. Scary.

[Zeb The Troll]

Oh, and a tidbit of trivia about the song? Someone put the phone number 867-5309 up for auction on ebay. It sold for US$186,853.09. Scary.If I remember right, though, after the auction was over the phone company said "Waitaminnit. That number is not yours to sell!"

[charl]

I'm a few years older than that. I'm 28. I just have a hatred of cell phones as people are just so inconsiderate about them. I remember the golden days when people would do things like say, "Sorry, I'm having dinner. I'll call you back later." Now? Many people take the call anyway while sitting at a restaurant.

And I'm not going to get started on talking/texting while driving. Eek.

So just don't do that yourself then. Turn off your cell phone when you are at a restaurant, and don't answer it when you are driving. I'm really not seeing how this is a problem with the technology. Do you abstain from using a computer because some people like to use them to hack others?

Cell phones are very useful things, and at least in Sweden it is cheaper to have and use a cell phone than to get a landline telephone plan.

[Sneak]

EIGHT SIX SEVEN FiVE THREE OH NIIII-EEEE-IIII-UN EIGHT SIX SEVEN FIVE THREE OH NIIII-EEEE-III-UN

Jenny, Jenny, you're the girl for me (DA, NA NA NA, na na na NA)—

Okay, I'm done. But yeah, I know the song. :smallbiggrin:

[Jack Squat]

I did that as a joke as well to two of my friends. Problem is, I don't think they caught on...trying to contact me may be interesting :smalltongue:

[RabbitHoleLost]

For some reason, 867-5309 always combines in my head with Jesse's Girl.

[tcrudisi]

So just don't do that yourself then. Turn off your cell phone when you are at a restaurant, and don't answer it when you are driving. I'm really not seeing how this is a problem with the technology. Do you abstain from using a computer because some people like to use them to hack others?

Cell phones are very useful things, and at least in Sweden it is cheaper to have and use a cell phone than to get a landline telephone plan.

Ten years ago I did own a cell phone (for a year). I did exactly as you suggested. I got tired of hearing all my friends grumble about how, even though I had a cell phone, I was still the hardest person to contact (because my phone was usually turned off). So I cancelled the service and haven't looked back.

I actually don't even have a landline, either. My friends know that they can contact me online. Also, I do use Skype to make phone calls from my computer when absolutely necessary, and I never hesitate to use a pay phone. Boy are they getting hard to use, though. It's not uncommon to pull up to 5 or 6 in a row before finding one that works.

[Starscream]

I only broke down and got a phone this year, after people kept claiming that I'm too hard to get a hold of. Now I just keep it off most of the time. Hopefully they got the message.

[MethosH]

Thanks for the musical culture. No, really, thanks. :smallbiggrin:


And I lol'ed at this comment on the music clip:

"I called 867-5309 back in the 80s and asked for Jenny, they said hold on then farted in my ear. "

[Jack Squat]

My phone stays on all the time, but I hardly ever use it. If I'm in any social interaction (talking to friends, watching a movie, eating, whatever) and my phone rings, well vibrates, I don't answer it unless it's important - at which point I excuse my self from whatever it is I'm doing before taking the call. Just seems like the right thing to do.

On the flip side, no one's really talked on the phone while driving until they've done it in a stick shift on a country road. I don't do that so much anymore, but it always made me wonder how people could blame bad driving on phones - afterall, I never had a problem.

[KuReshtin]

My phone stays on all the time, but I hardly ever use it. If I'm in any social interaction (talking to friends, watching a movie, eating, whatever) and my phone rings, well vibrates, I don't answer it unless it's important - at which point I excuse my self from whatever it is I'm doing before taking the call. Just seems like the right thing to do.

On the flip side, no one's really talked on the phone while driving until they've done it in a stick shift on a country road. I don't do that so much anymore, but it always made me wonder how people could blame bad driving on phones - afterall, I never had a problem.

That pretty much sums up what I do as well. I don't talk on the phone while driving anymore, though. Not after I got pulled over by the cops and given a £60 fine for telling my mates that I was running a bit late.
Turned out I arrived even later than I thought. :smallmad:

Personally, I think cell phones get the blame for a lot of stupid people's own stupid mistakes.
People's inability to pay attention while driving, and they blame that they were on the phone.
Someone using a nylon track suit or something stupid like that while filling up at a petrol station builds up enough static to cause a spark that ignites the petrol fumes, but while filling up, they were also using a cell phone. The phone gets the blame.

Then again, those are just my personal views.

[Pendragonx]

ha wow.. hard to believe people (old enough to be married) don't know that.. I must be old :smalltongue: .. .though actually i have some friends that probably would be so clueless as well :smallbiggrin:

[Athaniar]

Never heard to song myself, but I did read somewhere (Snopes?) that lots of people got misdirected phone calls because of it.

[Zom B]

ha wow.. hard to believe people (old enough to be married) don't know that.. I must be old

http://www.xkcd.com/647/

Also, 01-226-0199 is the number for an Islington flat where Arthur Dent met a lovely girl whom he totally blew it with.

[skywalker]

For some reason, 867-5309 always combines in my head with Jesse's Girl.

Maybe Jenny wanted to be Jesse's Girl?

[Zeb The Troll]

http://www.xkcd.com/647/I had this reaction back in the mid-90's when I realized I was leading soldiers born after Star Wars came out. :smallcool:

[Cobra_Ikari]

Well, I heard it sung in a recent movie, so it can't be THAT dated.

...mind, the movie was "Jennifer's Body", so...

...and it's actually a good movie, for anyone curious. >.>

[RabbitHoleLost]

Well, I heard it sung in a recent movie, so it can't be THAT dated.

...mind, the movie was "Jennifer's Body", so...

...and it's actually a good movie, for anyone curious. >.>

I've heard its awful. I mean, it has Megan Fox, how can it be anything but? :smalltongue:
Also, the song is from 1982, so....dated or not depends on relativity, I suppose

[Cobra_Ikari]

I've heard its awful. I mean, it has Megan Fox, how can it be anything but? :smalltongue:
Also, the song is from 1982, so....dated or not depends on relativity, I suppose

It's a black comedy. I have yet to watch one of those I did not love.

[Cyrion]

I don't know if it's true or not, but I heard that the song and people calling the number is one of the things that got TV and movies in the US using 555- numbers instead of real ones.

[Etcetera]

I also heard that. Seems they were fed up with people dialling real numbers and expecting to speak to fictional characters.

[Mercenary Pen]

Gotta admit, I only know the song because Less Than Jake did a cover version.

[Zeful]

Maybe Jenny wanted to be Jesse's Girl?

http://www.xkcd.com/575/

[RandomNPC]

i heard this song maybe ten years ago, since i've seen it on one or two bathroom walls, and on a comercial about one phone company letting you keep your old number when you change service if you really like the number.

[sihnfahl]

Never heard to song myself, but I did read somewhere (Snopes?) that lots of people got misdirected phone calls because of it.
The Snopes (http://www.snopes.com/music/songs/8675309.asp) link.

In short, they're not misdirected calls. People, either trying to be funny, or drunk, or just ... something ... call the number.

Like the History Eraser button, you just can't HELP but touch it.

[Mystic Muse]

http://www.xkcd.com/647/


I don't get it.:smallconfused: