If you lived in the Jackson, MS metro area in the 1970s, you knew this phone number better than your home number! Just dial 355-9311. Say it again with me… 355-9311. Everybody and I mean EVERYBODY that grew up in the 70s knew it! It’s now 2023 and you can still call and get the goods. Of course, since 1997, you have to include the area code when dialing because MS ran out of numbers. BUT IT STILL WORKS TODAY!!!
What goods am I talking about? What was it that everybody needed so badly that everyone called this number? Why was it so important that parents insisted their children memorize it? Why was this number called so frequently?
Why, it was to know what time it was! Yes! We called to see what time it was. Maybe, our watches and clocks didn’t always keep the correct time. They were wind-up after all. Or maybe we didn’t have a watch. And there were times all the clocks in the house had different times on them. Well, everybody had a good reference for the current time… 355-9311. What would life have been like without it? Just like many of you, it’s been a part of me my entire life.
Does anyone out there know any of the history of the bank that provides this service? Let me know if you do. Never knew anything about the number’s history, but I have always known the number.
