New Yorkers had a hard time getting through to directory assistance during Bell Atlantic's recent strike. Some had an especially hard time. Below, one reporter's attempts to get the 411 on the future of information.
Bell Atlantic: What listing, please?
New York: I read about the strike, that maybe they were gonna shut down 411, and -- I kinda started to freak.
BA: It's okay. They won't shut it down.
NY: But you know when you say "aluminum" too many times and everything gets weird? I started to think what would happen if there was no information. In a philosophical sense.
BA: Bell Atlantic would be in trouble. They'd be sued or whatever.
NY: I mean in the cosmic picture.
BA: I couldn't even think of the bigger picture. They'd always have to have managers filling in.
NY: Imagine, a whole world without information.
BA: The other companies would probably betaking the business -- MCI or the Internet or whatever else.
NY: I mean, if you think about it, everything is information, you know?
BA: That's correct.
NY: All of life.
BA: That's correct.
NY: Huh. So when do you think they're gonna fix this strike?
BA: Well, we hope soon.
NY: Okay. Well, thanks.
BA: Thank you, sir.
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