To the editor:

I wish to respond to Ed White’s Oct. 7 harangue against a suggested ban on cell phone use by drivers in Lawrence. An Associated Press article dated Sept. 21 said, “11 states and the District of Columbia already restrict cell phone use among novice drivers, and some ban handheld cell phones completely, according to the National Transportation Safety Board.” On May 11, the Chicago City Council passed an ordinance that bans drivers from using cell phones without a hands-free device.

As Jonathan Adkins, spokesman for the Governors Highway Safety Assn., said, “People get in these big heavy conversations and they’re not focused on their driving.”

I argue that having children in the car, listening to the radio and talking to passengers don’t begin to cause the level of distraction provided by cell phone conversations. My personal experience with close calls bears it out. So I’ll take my stand with “Big Brother” and against Ed White and his thousands who will attempt to displace all those attempting to pass “such a stupid ban in Lawrence.”

Bring it on!

Bob Lewis,

Lawrence