CLEVELAND — On a 1998 episode of Seinfeld, the character Elaine Benes’ life is badly disrupted when she gets a new phone number, resulting in the loss of her former area code.
This leads to Elaine becoming ostracized and prejudiced against by her fellow New Yorkers, who regard the new number as strange and foreign.
So, is our area code actually a part of our identity? And if so, what will this mean to all of those Greater Clevelanders who, beginning in March, will be encumbered by the new, weird 436 area code when they acquire a new phone number.
Will the new 436-ers be treated as pariahs throughout Northeast Ohio, or will they be welcomed into our society as if they were just regular 440s or 216s? Only time will tell.
One thing the 436ers have going for them is that practically speaking, area codes aren’t nearly as defining as they used to be regarding geographical identity.
Prior to the explosion of cell phones, an area code was a much more reliable indicator of where someone actually lived, because that number went to a landline, so called, because it was literally plugged into the land where you lived. And it didn’t move.
But mobile phones move. And so do the people who use them. That phone number portability has weakened the connection between area code and region, but it has by no means eliminated it.
Some people really love their area codes. Especially around here where you’ve probably noticed that “216” reigns supreme. So much so that it has literally become a synonym for the city itself, with people regularly referring to Cleveland as “The 216” in every day parlance. Not me. I don’t say that. But I don’t begrudge those who do.
216 is everywhere! It’s on our clothes, it’s in our art, it’s on our bodies and it’s echoing through our hip hop music via avid shout outs.
Though not as breathlessly popular as the granddaddy 216, both 330 and 440 have their advocates, and both have been uniformly established into the Greater Cleveland Area Code Pantheon.
But will 436 eventually find that same acceptance? After all, people dislike change almost as much as they love tradition around here. So how do Clevelanders feel about this development? Are they down with the 436?
Based on my admittedly limited research, it seems like greater Clevelanders have mixed feelings about this new addition to our cultural identity, if they care at all. Most probably don't. But so far, no one seems to be panicking and we remain united as a region.
Until next time, this is Mike. Just kicking it in the 4-3-6. Nope, that doesn't sound right at all. It's going to take some getting used to.