Exchange Fate

As I was driving down a country road, this automotive behemoth caught my fancy.















From its groovy old grill (no, that is not blood on the fender!)...






















...to the back of its space-age blinkers, this must have been a fine truck in its day.














Judging by the telephone exchange, that day was long ago.






















If you were born before the Beatles played at Shea Stadium, I'm sure you remember the old exchanges that defined our neighborhoods. Mine was FL for FLoral. Isn't that lovely? How about BUtterfield-8? Can you imagine Liz Taylor winning an Oscar for 288? How boring! As the population grew throughout the 60s and 70s, Ma Bell switched to a strictly numerical system, that alas, took away the sense of place that came with making a phone call.

There's a wonderful website, The Telephone EXchange Name Project, that has a searchable database of exchanges. You can also add and share memories of your own exchange. I've added mine. Perhaps the holder of HA1-4755 will include his, as well.

School's open...

...so drive carefully and steer clear of any mutant children.




















Upstate Oddities wishes all the students out there (mutant and otherwise) a happy & healthy school year!