By Robert Haugh
Starting next year, Santa Clara residents will have a new area code: 449.
Our 408 area code will be phased out starting on January 1, 2022, at midnight.
That’s according to the North American Numbering Plan Administrator (NANPA), the organization responsible for area codes.
The good news is that we will have our landlines and cell phone numbers automatically changed. Our 408 numbers will be forwarded to 449 numbers for a full 12 months.
But after January 1, 2023, Santa Clara residents will have to give out their new 449 numbers.
49ers CEO Jed York came up with the idea, according to NANPA officials.
“He got the 49ers headquarters address changed to 4949 Marie DeBartolo Way. So he thought this would be the next logical step,” said NANPA spokeswoman April Jones.
York was unavailable for comment. But 49ers exec Rahul Chandhok said: “This is just another irresponsible political attempt by the Mayor and her cronies to take the stadium management away because we engaged in wage theft and financial self-dealing.”
When Chandhok was told that wasn’t the issue, he responded: “Oh, never mind, then. That’s just the answer I give to everything as the team’s hatchet man. Do I still get unlimited text messages?”
“I know a lot of Santa Clarans won’t like this,” said Mayor Lisa Gillmor. But what can we do? If Jed can spend $3 million to elect 3 councilmen, he can certainly get an area code changed. Where’s Jim Harbaugh when we need him?”
The three Councilmembers who Jed helped get elected with his financial support put out a joint statement in response to the NANPA announcement.
Here’s the joint statement from Anthony Becker, Suds Jain and Kevin Park:
“Before Jed York spent $3 million to help elect us, we couldn’t win a Santa Clara election. Together, we lost a total of five elections. So it’s kind of obvious that we owe him.
“Jed wants us to change the curfew and stop fighting the 49er lawsuits. That’s not good for Santa Clara, but oh well.
“At least with the area code change, he’s promised to give the three of us new iPhones.”
Editor’s Note: Happy April Fools’ Day. No need to change your phone numbers.
You had me too! My brain was trying to work on this as I read it. How the hell are we going to stop this idiot! So glad it was April 1st but please don’t give York and his puppies any ideas….
Man, you got me!
Happy April Fools Day
But don’t ever change my
Area code. I would move
Before Jed gets my
Riing a ling a ding dong.
Any other year would have been funny.
April Fool! Love it. The only thing .. is that at least one person I know – until I said something – took this completely seriously. Though that is a sign of a good April Fool joke! Anyway our City and County staff should brace themselves for comments!
You got me as well, read only the first paragraphs and started telling friends about it! That’ll teach me for not reading an article entirely before blabbing about it.
The way things are going this seemed like the next thing in line.
Thanks for the great April Fool “article” – this is going to be keep me chuckling all day long!
This is good… man it got me when I saw the Head line. Hook, line and sinker, you had me good!
Good Job!!
Burt Field
Thank you!! I am a little peeved that companies like Google and some others have essentially “canceled” April Fools Day this year, too. Come on people, COVID-19 sucks. A little levity should be appreciated by all about now. This was a good one!
Wow, that’s funny. I needed a good laugh and you provided it. Kinda pissed me off in the beginning and then it got a little bizarre, then pissed me off again and then you dropped the hammer. What a great article. My wife said “don’t give them any ideas”.
Reminds me of what Signetics did, back in the day. They issued a product spec sheet about a new product called the WOM. Instead of a Read Only Memory, it was a Write Only Memory. The idea came from watching students in school taking copious notes that we all new they would never read, to Write Only Memory. The spec sheet included timing charts and voltage info. Of course the release date was April 1. 1975 (?)