In phone
booths in the U.S. there are usually
directions for using the telephone.
All phone numbers have seven
digits, though letters and numbers are sometimes used in
combination.
There may be phone books -- or directories -- under the telephones.
There are two
main kinds of long distance calls:
dial-direct and
operator-assisted.
You can dial direct calls in most parts of the U.S. Look in the white pages directory for long distance
rates or for more information on making long distance calls.
Or you can call the operator for help.
If you need a phone number that's not in your phone book, call Directory
Assistance.
To make a long distance call, you'll need to know the three-digit
area code.
Dial 1
plus the area code plus the number, and an operator or a computer voice will tell you how much money to deposit.
On operator-assisted calls, the operator will ask you to deposit more money before your time is up.
On dial-direct calls, you'll be cut off at the end of the time you paid for unless you put more money in the
slot.
Here are some more helpful things to know.
Phone books have white, blue and yellow pages.
The white pages list people with phones by last name.
The blue pages contain numbers of city
services,
government services, and
public schools.
Businesses and professional services are listed in a special
classified directory -- the Yellow Pages.
The area covered by one area code may be small or large.
For example, New York City has one area code, but so does the whole state of
Oregon.
There is an area code map of the U.S. and Canada in the front of the white pages.
Pay phones have numbers in the U.S. This means you can arrange to call a friend at a phone booth.
Or if you are making a long distance call and run out of money, give the number on your phone to the person you're talking to.
Then hang up the receiver and they can call you back.
If you make a long distance call and get a wrong number, call the operator and explain what happened.
This means that you can make the call again to the right number without having to pay more money;
or you can have the phone company mail you a credit coupon that has the same
value as the phone call.
Some companies
advertise a service called WATS, which means Wide Area Telephone Service.
You can dial a special number without a long distance
charge.
These are called "
toll-free numbers" and the area code for all of them is 800.
| 