Do you have a cell phone? In this day and age, I wonder if that is a silly question to ask? I know a few people who live cell phone free lives and are none the worse for doing so. On the other hand, I am sure that like me, you know a few people who are addicted to their cell phones (heck, the addicted person in question could be you). I am not here to judge. Unlike talk-show host Regis Philbin I am not looking to ban cell phones from the face of the planet. I just want to know, if you are a cell phone fanatic do you happen to live in Miami or Los Angeles?
Why? Because according to a recent survey of cell phone use in major cities, people in Miami and Los Angeles chat on their cell phones more than any other Americans. The survey conducted by Verizon Wireless found that people in Miami make and receive an average of 298 calls a month — an average of 9-10 calls daily — while cell phone users in Los Angeles average 260 calls per month. Detroit, Michigan, El Paso, Texas, and Las Vegas, Nevada rounded out the top 5.
Personally, I was surprised that New York City wasn’t ranked number one. Actually, the East Coast — particularly New York and Washington D.C. — came out surprisingly low on the list. New Yorkers were 11th and people in the D.C. area failed to crack the top 30—shocking! Some speculate that the New York didn’t make the top 10 possibly in part because it is illegal to use a hand-held cell phone while driving. Ironically, California is on the verge of passing its own law banning hand held cell phones while driving, which will likely cut cell phone use by drivers there dramatically. I wonder how California will fare in future surveys once the law passes?