Barbara Ehrenreich: The Civility Glut. ‘I call some corporate bureaucracy and, whether
out of loneliness or confusion, opt for “0,” — the chance to speak to an actual
human. “Kelly” or “Tracey” wants to know my account number, which I willingly
share.

“Great!” says Kelly.

Next she wants to know my zip code, and it turns out to be “Perfect!”

Or suppose I’m calling a publishing company and get an administrative
assistant with a pricey British accent. When I tell her my phone number, she
declares that it’s “brilliant!”

I should be flattered, of course, to be associated with such an admirable
collection of numbers.’ AlterNet