Not in the 806

Last week's snowstorm sorta put the little tidbit on the backburner, but this is worth retelling if for no other reason it could have happened to me either way.

Early last week, David Pittman, our medical and courts reporter, was in a mild panic. He couldn't find his cell phone. We've been there. Not a very comfortable feeling. Pittman looked in the usual places, but no phone.

Thinking it might be buried somewhere in his car, he asked to borrow the phone of Danh Hoang, our online guru, take said cell phone to his car and call his number and hope for a reassuring ringtone.

David didn't hear a ringtone. There was a reason why. Instead of 806, he dialed 809. The 6 is just a fraction of an inch from the 9. Shouldn't be that big a deal, right? Tell that to Hoang. The 809 area code is in the Dominican Republic. Ooops.

"I was shocked, dumbfounded why my phone said Domincan Republic," said Hoang. "But I'm not holding a grudge yet. I'm waiting until I see my phone bill."

And should that cell bill show an extra number in front of the decimal point? Will there be, say, a sharing of the charges?

"If it's massive sum, there will be," he said. "But if not, at least he'll be buying me some coffee."

AT least Pittman did find his cell phone. No, it wasn't in a seedy hotel in Santo Domingo, D.R., but in the car of reporter Cheryl Berzanskis after they had gone to lunch the day before.