Why in American films do the phone numbers always start with 555?

Question

Is this just in films or do all American phone numbers begin with 555?

Answer 1

Because there's no real phone code starting with 555 in the States. Therefore it's safe to give out fictional phone numbers containing this code, without fear that it could be a real person's number.

Answer 2

Go to Wikipedia for a detailed explination:-

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/555_%28phon...

Answer 3

To stop rattle-heads like you 'phoning people

Answer 4

The 555 numbers used are reserved by the phone company for their own use.  If someone were to call  the numbers used on TV and in films that start with 555, they would end up speaking with someone at the phone company!

I think the phone companies did reserve a block of numbers in the 555-xxxx range that will never be assigned to real people so they can be used in TV and films with no real consequences.

Answer 5

There was a popular song in the 80's and part of the song was call 867-5449...please call this number..well people started calling that number and it caught on to call any number  you heard in a film....people of those numbers naturally freaked and some kind of entertainment law said you couldn't use a real number ...that's why they all sound the same no matter what your watching.

Answer 6

Years ago, when phone numbers with real codes were used, people who had the misfortune of having that phone number....were inundated with calls from strangers who saw the number in the movie.

Now all movie numbers start with 555, because there is no such exchange in the U.S.

Answer 7

That WAS the case in years gone by. However, nowadays, there are many area codes that use the 555 prefix. (Even 800, and the 700 ID codes.) There is a lack of prefixes in many areas, so the 555 is now being assigned.

Answer 8

They're playing safe. There have been cases in the past where a number was mentioned in a show, and people (having little sense, yes. I know) tried calling the number, and actually rang somebody's telephone.

The 555- prefix is not found in any regular phone number except for directory assistance, which as we all know is 555-1212

Thus, no matter what numbers you put after it, dialing any number starting with 555 will be a non-existent number. No worry about waking somebody up or tying up their phone line with pranksters.