Let's begin the healing

Dear Phone Companies,

I see you've violated the privacy policies I signed onto your service with, by giving away data about all my calls placed, who they were placed to, and how long I talked. The third party you gave them to in this instance was the US Government, who did it in an "ends justify the means so we can break the law if we have to" way. I understand your hands were tied and you had to give up the goods. But we can make this right.

I live in a state where one area code covers a great deal of the residents, but I'm required to dial ten digits to local numbers, add a 1 for long distance. The funny thing is, even if it's the same area code, I as a consumer have no idea if I should add a one, but your helpful service blocks my calls and tells me when to redial, with or without a 1. On top of that, if someone with a different area code lives nearby, I might not have to dial a 1, even though I always do on different area codes. It's really a mysterious system to us end users.

Lemme change gears for a second; in the last decade I've enjoyed using a cellphone that is smart enough to add a 1 or take it away as it sees fit. I just dial ten numbers and whether it's across the street or across the country, the call goes through. It's amazingly handy.

So here is how you can get in my good graces again: you're the phone company and you know when I need to dial a 1 or not, because you tell me to. But here's the thing -- and I know it might sound crazy -- why don't you automatically resubmit the number with the appropriate change instead of making me key it all in again?

That's the deal. Handle dialed phone numbers with the same technology a cellphone in 1995 had, and I'll overlook your end of the breach-of-privacy deal. I'll take my issues with that violation to the government.