A Handy Hack

17 January 2023, 10:48 AM

Steve Miller

A Handy Hack

Grocery stores key your loyalty rewards account to your phone number. Don’t want to sign up at a bunch of stores?

“ A handy hack, if all they want is a phone number to verify you're part of their "loyalty club": your area code and Jenny's phone number. (867-5309). I have never had this fail. Someone has invariably signed up using this phone number as a joke. (Abject apologies to anyone who actually has this phone number assigned to them, but they've been getting crank calls since the early '80's and are probably used to it by now.)”

17 January 2023, 11:37 AM

ShiroKuro

OMG that's hysterical!

I did a quick search and it looks like there's someone with my area code+ Jenny's number.

I feel sorry for them.

The other thing too is how this number is locked in our memory! (for those of us over a certain age of course)

I don't remember my childhood phone number, but I remember Jenny's number!

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My piano recordings at Box.Net: https://app.box.com/s/j4rgyhn72uvluemg1m6u

17 January 2023, 11:50 AM

RealPlayer

I don’t get it. Why this specific number and not a random made-up one?

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“It's hard to win an argument with a smart person. It's damn near impossible to win an argument with a stupid person." -- Bill Murray

17 January 2023, 01:14 PM

ShiroKuro

RP, what were you doing in 1981???

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My piano recordings at Box.Net: https://app.box.com/s/j4rgyhn72uvluemg1m6u

17 January 2023, 01:17 PM

ShiroKuro

Also, 1981??? OMG

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My piano recordings at Box.Net: https://app.box.com/s/j4rgyhn72uvluemg1m6u

17 January 2023, 02:18 PM

piqué

well, i was around in NYC in 1981, but i was not watching any tv.

17 January 2023, 03:35 PM

ShiroKuro

quote:
i was not watching any tv.

And not listening to pop/rock radio?

I actually don't know that I ever saw this video (ever, before now, and I didn't actually watch the whole thing!

. I hardly ever watched TV growing up (I was in JHS when this song came out).

But somehow this song is in my permanent memory.

How odd.

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My piano recordings at Box.Net: https://app.box.com/s/j4rgyhn72uvluemg1m6u

17 January 2023, 06:59 PM

CHAS

Thank you, Steve

ni-uh-i-un
The nine was always four syllables in the tune.
Recall that the number was coincidentally that of
a high school in Texas. That phone rang constantly. The school probably got it changed.
Jenny wasn't there.

Great, I was tired of using 555-1212 on forms.
That was the number girls were giving guys that asked for their number in the 90s.

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Several people have eaten my cooking and survived.

17 January 2023, 08:04 PM

Nina

Who else now has that earworm going?

17 January 2023, 11:20 PM

AdagioM

I don’t think you can have a bunch of people using the same number for a loyalty card; the system won’t allow it.

But that was a great song!

18 January 2023, 01:08 AM

Steve Miller

Why not? All you do is enter in a number

18 January 2023, 08:15 AM

CHAS

quote:
Originally posted by Nina:
Who else now has that earworm going?

I had it. You have restarted it.

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Several people have eaten my cooking and survived.

18 January 2023, 08:56 AM

wtg

quote:
Originally posted by Steve Miller:
Why not? All you do is enter in a number

A lot of loyalty systems use the phone number as a unique identifier and won't allow duplicates.

As for the earworm, I'm doomed for the day...

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When the world wearies and society ceases to satisfy, there is always the garden - Minnie Aumônier

18 January 2023, 10:19 AM

big al

I knew the song; I hadn't seen the video. I understood the premise behind the song but found the video more than a little creepy.

I'll try to remember this hack when I'm asked to join a loyalty club at a store I don't shop in much and see if it works.

Now, how many of you have one or more e-mail accounts that you just use for similar requests?

Big Al

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Money seems to buy the most happiness when you give it away.

Why does everything have to be so complicated, all in the name of convenience. -ShiroKuro

A lifetime of experience will change a person. If it doesn't, then you're already dead inside. -MarkJ

18 January 2023, 10:35 AM

ShiroKuro

quote:
but found the video more than a little creepy.

I wondered about that, I didn't watch it but maybe I won't now.

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My piano recordings at Box.Net: https://app.box.com/s/j4rgyhn72uvluemg1m6u