Area Code Split

* Just when we thought it was safe to hold on to our area codes, the Public Utilities Commission will probably split 310 to encompass 424 (“State Urges Split of 310 Area Code,” Feb. 27). As a former phone company public relations manager, I remember that when the initial area code split several years ago we offered a proposal to assign one number to home and business phones and another to fax numbers. We lost that round to the hierarchy. Since then we’ve invented pagers, cell phones and other non-primary phone devices. We could assign the 424 code to these numbers. Will it work? New York City has been doing it for years and it, with a larger population than Los Angeles, still has 212 for Manhattanites.

Imagine how many numbers we could free up if area codes like 818, 626, 213, 562 and others were solely assigned to primary phones. In addition, we would be able to identify whether a number given us was a primary or portable-type phone or non-voice device.

DON A. NORMAN

Los Angeles