Contrary to what family and friends may tell you, I am a nice guy. And more importantly, when it comes to birthday or anniversary gifts, I think outside of the box. I'm that person who, probably to the chagrin of those close to me, will typically purchase a boring gift or, in extreme cases, will give the oh-so-impersonal gift card (and believe me, I have heard the "why didn't you just give me money?" argument more times than I can count). Fortunately, I have a friend who, unlike most, shares a similar passion for the wireless industry as I do. So when her birthday came around this week, I sought to give her something unique, and more importantly, something she would appreciate.
Throughout the years, over all of my wireless accounts, I have sought to ensure that I have a "good" number. Chalk it up to my "wireless passion" (my new phrase for "geek"), but I'm the guy that calls in to customer service hundreds of times until I get a number I like. Years ago, the vanity number option used to be an easy process, but with the advent of Local Number Portability, it has become increasingly harder. The users with the vanity numbers are keeping them, and as for the unused numbers, the carriers aren't assigning them at request. Unless you know how to get around the system (which varies from carrier to carrier) or bug customer service on a regular basis until you find a representative willing to read you the available numbers, you're out of luck.
Since she has been plagued with poor wireless numbers as of late, I decided to give her my wireless number (ending in 7000) for her birthday. And, after working with AT&T's system, I was able to get a relatively good replacement number. Certainly not to the caliber of the 7000 line, but decent nonetheless.
She was happy, and I was pleased with my selection. Perhaps outside of the box is where I should stay when it comes to gifts.
