Who Needs Yellow Pages Anymore?

Posted by Laura Bergells

January 31, 2006

Or for that matter, who even needs a phone book? They are large and cumbersome. They take up too much valuable drawer space. It’s easier to use the internet to look up names and numbers and businesses.

But in January, my entire neighborhood gets its phone directory deliveries, along with a few competing yellow page directories. Pounds and pounds of garbage! I don’t know anyone in my neighborhood who wants these wretched books, except for this one elderly woman.

And even she just asked me if I could hook up the computer her son bought her to a high-speed internet connection….so I’m thinking next year, she’ll want to boot the book, as well.

And because it is often snowy in January, I once found a wet, soggy lump of a phone directory in my front yard…in April. Oh, it was delivered in January, all right…carefully hurled in protective plastic on the front lawn while I was out. And of course, while I was out…it snowed. I had to pick up the mucky thing and pay to have it hauled away.

Usually, my neighbors and I toss the directories in the recycling bin, or take them to Goodwill, where they get to make some money off the recycling. But I think the phone companies should ask you if you want their books before they litter your front doorstep with them.

So annoying.

To make matters even worse, I received one of those irritating automated phone calls from the phone company the other day. They wanted to know if I received my phone book (press 1 for Yes, press 2 for no…).

I hung up.

Get a clue. Nobody really wants your books anymore.