Too Many Numbers

by Marko Peric

Yesterday at work I made a call for Purolator to come and pick up a package. That's not the problem. I like Purolator, they're generally fast and safe, although I'm not sure I'd use them to transport human organs (not that I transport organs very often, you understand). This rant isn't about courier companies. This rant is about reference numbers. The nice phone rep at Purolator gave me an 8 digit reference number for my parcel pick up. Not for the package itself, that's more like a 15 digit reference number, but rather for the pick up. That's right, an 8 digit number to confirm that someone was going to come and pick up a package. I didn't bother writing it down.

This is only an example to illustrate the whole modern absurdity of confirmation and reference numbers. Pay a bill online, you get a reference number. Call for tech support, they give you a case number. Want to log into your hotmail account? You'll need a password, and any good password should include numbers. Buy something online, and you'll get an email with a confirmation number that your order has been received, then one to confirm that your order was processed, then one to confirm that your order was sent, and probably finally one to confirm that your confirmation was sent.

Everywhere you go today you are inundated with numbers. Product SKU numbers. Credit card numbers. Invoice numbers. PIN numbers. SIN numbers. Model numbers. Discount coupon numbers. Product rating numbers. Go to the customer service desk at a department store and take a number. That's just too many numbers. There's no chance of remembering all these numbers unless you happen to be some sort of savant. As for writing down these numbers, one would be forever jotting down digits and having to make sense of what number means what. That's probably even more Herculean a task than just remembering all these numbers.

And here's the thing -- how often do you really need one of these numbers? What's the last time someone actually asked you for one of these numbers? I've never had to provide a confirmation for an online bill payment. Still, I'm half afraid not to make some sort of note of these numbers just in case. Of course, what do the numbers mean to the people issuing them? Are perhaps most of these numbers just given out because we expect to get confirmation numbers, and therefore meaningless? Is there a vicious circle of reference numbers?

Don't look at me for the answers. This isn't some conspiracy page. The way I see it there are two choices. One involves moving to the country and getting some black clothes that don't have any buttons. The other is thinking twice before writing down all these numbers and deciding which ones you really need. Just don't put more effort into that than actually remembering the numbers.