Recordings
Using telephone recordings is not only easy and fast for you, but it helps save money when a salaried staff person does not have to recite the same information repeatedly. That's important when it's your county tax dollar.
Menus. When several different messages are available at the same telephone number, a "menu" is offered you. Generally you can listen through the menu or just go straight to the recording you want by punching in its code when the phone is answered.
Fairfax County Government's system is called Just A Touch Away. It is accessed by dialing 324-4636 (324-INFO). When the phone is answered, press a "1" and then the three-digit code of your menu selection. You can interrupt a message at any time by pressing a three-digit code. Because of their usefulness, these County messages are cited throughout this section.
R. R. Donnelley, The One Book telephone directory publisher, has a toll-free number, (301) 816-1611, with over 200 general interest recordings. The menu begins on page 1 of the 1998 edition. Topic areas include news, weather, financial markets, lotteries, concerts, soaps, horoscopes, movies, television, music, professional sports, health, social security, law, injuries, funerals, real estate, and home maintenance. Press asterisk to interrupt the main message, but many topics have intrusive commercial messages that won't die at your command.
Bell Atlantic's yellow pages have recordings at 717-1000. No explicit commercials. Much of the material is very basic information about individual trades and professions. Because so many activities are covered under each heading, don't expect any one practitioner you locate to be qualified to do all the activities listed. The menu in the 1997 edition was on page 2. The 1998 edition hides it on page 30, with selections scattered through the yellow pages.
Washington Post's system, Post Haste, is accessed by dialing (202) 334-9000, then pressing the four-digit code. For over 20 years still the best source in town for sports scores (codes 4000, 4100, 4200). Startling voices of well-known columnists. Some basic menu items include: categories 1000, instructions 1001, stock quotes instructions 2001, home buyers 2500, AP financial news 3002, Dow Jones averages 3006, local stocks 3017, AP news 5000, lotteries 7000, Accuweather local 9100, recreational 9200, marine 9300, international 9400. Pressing asterisk will normally interrupt message.