Dear Editor,

Is it me, or are we becoming a number? Just the other day I was on the telephone (that's that black thing in the kitchen with a dial … oh, never mind) in an effort to learn if I could transfer my Internet service from a cable company to the telephone company to save money. You see, I already have my cellphone and my landline with one company, and I just thought … oh, never mind.Anyway, I dialed a number, and after listening to Brahms Lullaby in G-minor for several minutes, I was asked if I wanted to speak in English! Of course, I'm in America, right? Why do I need to press one for English, why can't they press two for Spanish? Anyway, a recording went on: If you want this, that or another thing, press one, two, three and so on!After four minutes, I heard another recording asking what state I was in! After four more options and four different 800 numbers, the recording stated, "All our customer service representatives are busy, please hold."Then, it was, back to the Brahms! I got fed up, looked up the local phone service office, and guess what: The girl I knew there was "out to lunch!" Arrrgh!I remember not too many years ago my father-in-law back in Mahoning Township walking into the hall, picking up the receiver on an old wooden wall phone and saying, "Anybody on?" If the old ladies weren't on, he would turn the crank once and say, "Carrie, get me 15R37 please!"Are we any better off today?Thank you,Richard M. Gross