Editor, Daily Nexus,

On the whole, I don’t concern myself with how other people choose to live their lives. However, a few days ago I witnessed a particular scene on the bike path that indirectly affected me and I want to raise the point before it becomes a more direct threat.

I know that cell phones are an integral part of our culture. But how necessary is it to be in constant communication during the five to eight minute ride to and from campus? I’ve seen some messy bike accidents over the last four years – it’s just you, the elements, the person that hit you and the big hunk of metal that you were sitting on. Throw someone that is holding a phone in one hand, balancing with the other and is probably paying little attention to the road into the equation, and someone is almost guaranteed to get hurt.

Last Monday, I watched a girl almost get run off the road by the guy next to her, who was attempting to go a different way on the roundabout. After screaming and trying to catch her balance with one hand, she told the person on the line to hang on, readjusted herself onto the road (with two hands on the handlebars), then got back on the phone and proceeded to squawk her righteous indignation at the idiot who wasn’t looking where he was going.

A lot of talk has been going around about banning hand-held cell phones from cars. There’s a reason for it. Imagine drivers who are too involved in their conversations to focus on the road, and take away the airbag, seat belt, protective box of the car and any form of general traffic control, and you’re looking at the present situation. Leave your phones at home – you’re not going to use them in class, anyway, beyond interrupting lecture with a sound reminiscent of the ice cream truck.

ALEXIS ALLEN