Letter: Call boxes would help motorists

Monday, July 16, 2001 | 9:15 a.m.

I could not agree more about the need for call boxes (Sun's July 9 editorial), not only along Interstate 15, but also on all rural highways. Whether someone has, or can afford, a cell phone is really not the whole issue here.

In my experience, the usefulness of cell phones in road emergencies is overrated. For instance, digital service on our two new Sprint PCS phones is spotty in many areas of the Las Vegas Valley, and nonexistent once you leave the metropolitan area. Even if you are fortunate enough to be able to transmit a call, it is likely to be so broken up as to be unintelligible to anyone receiving it.

So if you are stranded by an emergency 30 miles out of town -- in the middle of the hot desert -- your cell phone may be of less use than a bottle of drinking water, or a good pair of hiking shoes! In summary, please, please install the call boxes.

RAM P. CHANDRAN

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