Move Over 516 and Make Way for 363

exchange (the first three digits after the area code) also identified their location. Exchanges 798, 799, and 541 were permanently assigned to Massapequa and Massapequa Park.

Long Island Living

212 and the outer borough’s 718 soon required a scorecard, as 347, 332, 917, and 929 have since been added. Why bother with an area code if it doesn’t correctly identify the geographic area?

Most people who still have landlines (that’s the strange-looking device connected to the kitchen wall with a curly wire that once was used for talking and listening) know that in addition to the area code, their

Of course, the increase in cell phone usage has made area codes and number exchanges moot. A cell phone can be used anywhere a wireless signal is available around the globe. Phone numbers are no longer unique. They might seem like randomly assigned numbers (my seven digits do), but in reality, they are not.

The North American Numbering Plan Administrator sees to that. What qualifies a person to be the NANPA remains to be seen, but someone has to make sure numbers assigned across the country, including area codes, are distinct. Of course, most people have been adding a “1” to the beginning of all the numbers they dial (adding a 10th digit to the process) for the last few months, but now it is required in Nassau County as 363 comes into play.

I stopped paying attention to area codes some time ago, mainly when spammers use your local area code and exchanges, so you think it’s a call from your friend. That may work on the elderly, who are the only ones who know what those numbers really mean. Nobody born after 2000 would know what you were talking about if you asked them for their “area code.”

In my childhood, remembering phone numbers and your address was vital to your survival. I still know the parent’s numbers for my friends Bruce and George. My mother has had the same number since we moved to Massapequa in 1967. If I lost my cell phone today and could not retrieve my address book, I could only call my mother and either Bruce’s or

George’s mother. Unfortunately, both of their mothers are long gone.

It looks like 363 will be a nothing burger in Nassau County, especially for residential phones. Most people I know are ditching their landlines and relying only on their cell phones. I can’t remember the last time I actually answered my landline when the person on the other end wasn’t a robot or a recorded message. But I like my landline number. We’ve had it since buying our house in 1987. It’s part of our identity. Even my 90-year-old mother now calls me on the cell phone instead of what used to be called the “house” phone.

When we eventually move out of state (like the rest of the population our age), we’ll take our cell phone numbers with us, and it will officially be the end of our landline number.

Until then, this is 516-799-xxxx, saying good night, America!

Headline: Teach Your Teens The Dangers Of Driving Impaired

Getting a driver’s license is a rite of passage that teenagers have been celebrating since the early days of automobiles. Driving makes teens feel more independent than ever before, and it can also provide a break for parents, who spend a great deal of their time carting their kids back and forth from practices and other activities.

But the celebration of this newfound freedom necessitates a crucial conversation and the drawing of a line in the sand: Let them know that driving while using alcohol, marijuana or any other substances is forbidden, and start having these conversations when they are young.

With marijuana use now legal for people 21 years of age and older, your kids may be of the mindset that it’s not a big deal. That’s far from the truth. It’s illegal to drive while under the influence of alcohol and weed or other drugs. According to the NY State Governor’s Traffic Safety Committee, driving under the influence of marijuana subjects you to the same penalties as driving under the influence of alcohol.

And there’s good reason: Marijuana impacts areas of the brain that control perception, balance, coordination, memory

Parenting Plus

Dr. Nellie Taylor-Walthrust

and judgment. It can slow reaction times, decrease attention and make it difficult to follow the road and stay in your lane.

We know you don’t want your kids to use marijuana or alcohol, period. But the reality is that many of them do. Having the conversation about safety and driving will not make them any more likely to experiment – in fact, it might have the opposite effect.

Here are some sobering statistics:

• 23% of teens admit they have driven under the influence of alcohol, prescription drugs or marijuana.

• Teen drivers 16-19 have a fatal crash rate almost three times as high as drivers ages 20 and older.

• The percent of crash deaths involving cannabis more than doubled from 9% in 2000 to 21.5% in 2018.

• 24% of teens reported that within the previous month, they had been a passenger in a car with a driver who had been drinking alcohol or using drugs. As a parent, what can you do to minimize the risks?

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention suggests creating a Parent-Teen Driving Agreement that clearly sets expectations and limits. Sit with your teen and write down the hazards of driving while impaired and the consequences for breaking the rules. Put it on your refrigerator and update it as your teen gains experience and more driving privileges. (Visit cdc. gov for a sample agreement.)

If your teen plans to go to a party, make sure you talk to the parents where the festivities are being held. Ask if there will be supervision and if alcohol is being served—and if your teens are under 21, the answer should be a resounding no.

Despite taking all precautions, your teens may find themselves in a situation where they are being pressured to drink or use drugs. Tell them that you will be willing and able to get them at any time during the night—and that if they or their friends have been drinking or using drugs, they should contact you for a ride.

As parents, we must do all we can to educate our kids about the dangers of driving while impaired, but we also need to face the reality that even “good” kids can start heading down a dangerous path. Keep the lines of communication open, and if you suspect there may be a problem, consider contacting a professional who is trained in alcohol and substance use.

Bottom line: Let your teen know that driving requires their full attention, so marijuana, alcohol or any kind of substances are not allowed – and that means no texting, too!

Dr. Nellie Taylor-Walthrust is the Director of at North Shore Child & Family Guidance Center’s Leeds Place, which operates an Adolescent Outpatient Chemical Dependency Treatment Program. Substance use services include counseling youths who are alcohol and drug abusers, children who live in families with a parent who is suffering from alcoholism or drug addiction and youths who have co-occurring chemical dependency and mental health problems. Prevention services are offered to local school districts. Call (516) 626-1971 to learn more.