Cell phone ban wouldn’t stunt business growth
I agree that the issue of the use of cell phones while driving should be resolved at state level and not piecemeal, as would be the case should Ann Arbor City Council proceed with its own ban. But waiting for the lobby-bound group in Lansing to act on such a ban has already taken too long.
However, the Ann Arbor Chamber of Commerce, in opposing the ban, seems to have its reasoning backwards. To say that such a ban would create an " unfriendly business environment and unwelcoming to our area's many visitors, tourists and business travelers" seems to miss the safety considerations that prompt the ban in the first case. Travelers aware of our concern for safety would surely plan to visit and I fail to see how business growth would be impacted.
Pete Howarth Ypsilanti Township
Comments
Sammy77
Sat, Apr 17, 2010 : 7:27 a.m.
O.K. Jonnya2, you have to prove to me, and apparently the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety and the Highway Loss Data Institute http://bit.ly/csN79G, that banning cell phones actually prevents crashes. It's a great idea, but there's no proof. This will only lead to revenue by out-of-towners and bad PR/feelings towards the city. If city officials need more money to pay for everyone's pet development project, then they should simply tax Ann Arbor citizens/voters for it. Three-hundred dollars is a lot of money to some. Just like the seat-belt laws, this one should be state-wide, not piecemeal.
johnnya2
Mon, Apr 12, 2010 : 8:38 p.m.
OK Mike D, do you walk at night in downtown Detroit? People don't like police? That is just "nannying" as you would call it.I wonder if he thinks people should be allowed to drive drunk? That seems like nannying to me. Fend for yourself, who needs police, who needs rules. People need to be "nannyed" because when they are not they act like idiots. Drive on any freeway and check out people applying make up, reading, talking on cell phones, reaching for something behind them etc etc. Seems to me like a cell phone ban is the responsible thing to do. There is not a single person who can tell me talking on a cell phone IMPROVES their driving. If they claim it, they are a flaming liar.
Mike D.
Sun, Apr 11, 2010 : 9:54 a.m.
Mr. Howarth's opinion is based on the premise that people are attracted to nannying. I have found the opposite to the true. I wonder if he could name a single example of a place people go to do business because it has instituted nannying safety policies. I can't think of one.