Sim Cards and License Plates

During the week I decided I needed a local cell phone. Everyone here, just like at home, is constantly on their cells talking or texting. I am more basic. I just need one for security. Want to be able to call someone locally if I need to.

So Vugar and Parvin tell me they will take me to a Sim Card shop after lunch where I can buy an Azerbaijan Sim Card to put into my Blackberry. It’s good they went because these people did not speak English. There were several forms to complete and supervisor approval because I was a foreigner, but got that done and then it came time to select my phone number.

They have a notebook with 8.5 x 11 sheets with phone numbers typed down columns on page after page. AND, they each have different prices! Why? Because the more double-numbers that are in your phone number the “more prestigious” it is. The cheapest number was 8 manats ($10), but the prices ranged up to 2,200 manats! A number like 726-5266 might be 15 manats. A number like 844-5544 could cost 800 or 1,200 like that. The top one I saw at 2,200 was something like 505-0505. I was of course aghast. I said who pays that for a freaking phone number and Vugar and Parvin explained. People think “easy” phone numbers to remember are prestigious. If they see one of those numbers on their Caller ID they think someone important is calling. I was just totally amazed. They said it was basically stupid people that would do that.

Then to top it off the number I got for 8 manats? 626-4144. Seems it’s all negotiable. Vugar and Parvin had talked them into giving me an “easy” number for the bottom price! (They already know I'm old and cheap.) So, now I feel like I really am somebody. Or a Chris-Chris (pardon the Ticket Reference).

Come to find out auto license plates are the same. All Baku license plates start with 10 or 90, unless you want to buy a different number. Certain numbers are reserved for certain high-ranking people. Families often buy a certain number and then everyone in their family will have the same license plate number. Laura's devilish "666" Texas License Plate would be worth a gold mine over here.

But they don’t have Vanity Plates. Just very impressive numbers.