Dem Phone Books

@M

@M

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Do you still get phone books delivered to your home? Just curious. This past week, we got our new October 2017 one, and, for the first time in my life, it was delivered in the mail, polybagged, rather than physically dropped off by a private worker(s) that the phone company hired to do so. Because it's been continuously shrinking over the years, the phone book is only about the thickness of a magazine now, so, from a financial standpoint, I imagine that it's more cost-effective to just mail them out in bulk like that instead of hiring someone to haul a vanload of them all over town and deliver them in person. Also for the first time in my life, the phone book now contains ONLY the government and business directories, no residential numbers whatsoever (if you want those, you have to look at them online at AT&T's website, or you can request a free physical copy, but they don't provide them to you by default anymore). I'm sure it's only a matter of time before phone books gets nixed all together and/or are online only.
 
famicommander

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I am 27 and have never used a phone book for its intended purpose in my life. Fire kindling, booster seats for kids, chucking at my brother, sure. But I've never looked up a phone number in one.
 
@M

@M

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I'm older than you and I still use them to look stuff up. Yeah, the internet is just as good, or better, but old habits die hard.
 
GutsDozer

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Use of a phone book was pretty imperative back in my younger days. Now they are good for target practice and showing people you can actually still use one. White Pages was always my preferred book. It had all the commercial stuff neatly indexed in the back without all the nonsense ads and shit that the Yellow pages sported.
 
Jibbajaba

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We got ours yesterday, actually. Didn't even make it into the house, as my wife threw it in the recycling bin.

When I was a kid, the phone book was obviously a go-to resource both for getting specific phone numbers, and for seeing what businesses existed locally in a particular category. It also had a pretty sweet coupon section that always had BOGO pizza coupons, so whenever the new phone book would show up at the house, I was almost guaranteed to be able to convince my mom to order pizza (which was otherwise not a common occurrence because $$$).

We didn't live in *THAT* big a city, and our phone book was pretty fucken big. I can't imagine what it was like in a major metropolitan area like NY, LA, or Chicago.
 
Heinz

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Famicommander said:
I am 27 and have never used a phone book for its intended purpose in my life. Fire kindling, booster seats for kids, chucking at my brother, sure. But I've never looked up a phone number in one.
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Same, I've had them delivered but yeah all of the above.
 
andsuchisdeath

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I haven't used one to make a call in years, but I love reading them for fun.
 
cdamm

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i got a pic somewhere, but one of the local phone book delivery guys clearly quit mid shift when i saw about 300 phone books left in the parking lot to my warehouse. all bagged. one big ass pile.
 
Jibbajaba

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cdamm said:
i got a pic somewhere, but one of the local phone book delivery guys clearly quit mid shift when i saw about 300 phone books left in the parking lot to my warehouse. all bagged. one big ass pile.
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Either that or he dumped them but claimed that he delivered them. It's not like the newspaper; no one is going to complain when they don't get theirs.
 
cdamm

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Jibbajaba said:
Either that or he dumped them but claimed that he delivered them. It's not like the newspaper; no one is going to complain when they don't get theirs.
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that was my line of thought too. boy was the phone book company surprised when i called them to pick up their illegally dumped garbage.
 
Dr Shroom

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Famicommander said:
I am 27 and have never used a phone book for its intended purpose in my life. Fire kindling, booster seats for kids, chucking at my brother, sure. But I've never looked up a phone number in one.
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I'm sure your mom has written down all the numbers you'll ever need.
 
Thierry Henry

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Phone book paper is of decent width and quality over here. You can roll your weed, no problem.
 
Thierry Henry

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FilthyRear said:
have fun sucking that ink into your lungs.
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Soy based inks are fine, and I believe most phone books are now printed with soy ink. I called the phone-book company beforehand to make sure. They said that shouldn't be the primary intended use for their phone books but that I should be ok.
 
madman

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Famicommander said:
I am 27 and have never used a phone book for its intended purpose in my life. Fire kindling, booster seats for kids, chucking at my brother, sure. But I've never looked up a phone number in one.
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You've also never bought a stamp. You're living in a bubble, dude.
 
Dr Shroom

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Thierry Henry said:
Soy based inks are fine, and I believe most phone books are now printed with soy ink. I called the phone-book company beforehand to make sure. They said that shouldn't be the primary intended use for their phone books but that I should be ok.
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are you poor or did the groids steal all the proper paper? what do you use for tips? bus tickets?
 
Tripredacus

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When I got a new phone book 4 years ago I just threw it on my porch still in the bag. Its been there ever since. Also haven't gotten a new one to put there either. So the phone book people must think I already have it.
 
madman

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Tripredacus said:
When I got a new phone book 4 years ago I just threw it on my porch still in the bag. Its been there ever since. Also haven't gotten a new one to put there either. So the phone book people must think I already have it.
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You've had a phonebook sitting on your porch for 4 years? I guess it's probably hidden by the rusted out car and refrigerator on your lawn.
 
Thierry Henry

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It sounds completely plausible. Note also the sarcasm emoticon was not used. So yeah, confirmed true story
 
SpamYouToDeath

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madman said:
You've had a phonebook sitting on your porch for 4 years? I guess it's probably hidden by the rusted out car and refrigerator on your lawn.
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Technically that's the 1-bedroom guest house.
 
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