"I called the number and got a loan company."
The City has now replaced several 800 numbers with their easily remembered 3-1-1 phone number for reporting problems, sort of a "one number fits all" approach. It operates operates 24-7 and now works even in our canyon. After an initial glitch when the phone company could not figure out who lives in Santa Monica and who lives in Los Angeles. The number is the City's attempt to wean people out of calling 9-1-1 for nonemergency services. There remain a few direct dialed numbers for reporting various problems. Please see list, next column.