The history of "10" codes?

[x242Steve 1]

Ok, this may have been talked about before, but...

Why "10" codes? In other words, why don't we say "20-4" or "30-4"??

I'm not trying to bring up the "plain english" argument again!

Just curious if anyone knows where and how the "10" thing started?

[JohnnyOV 2]

i think because if you say 20-9 it sounds like 29, you cant get that with ten.

[x242Steve 1]

thats an excellent point!

with any other starting number, you could get confused.

[Firefighter57 0]

i think because if you say 20-9 it sounds like 29, you cant get that with ten.

←

i agree. 10-9 doesnt sound anything like 19. with any other #, that is the case

[x242Steve 1]

so we agree that the "10" codes are practical for this reason.... but when did they come into wide-spread use?