Miami, LA top list of US cellphone chatterers

LOS ANGELES, Sep 8 (Reuters) Look who's talking! People in Miami and Los Angeles chat on their cell phones more than any other Americans, according to a survey of cell phone use in major cities.

People in Miami make and receive an average of 298 calls a month -- an average of 9-10 calls daily -- while Angelenos talk second most, averaging 260 calls per month, a survey of Verizon Wireless users found.

Rounding out the top 5 were Detroit, El Paso, Texas, and Las Vegas.

''Our study offers an interesting snapshot of how Americans have come to rely on their wireless service every day at home, and on the road,'' said Dick Lynch, chief technology officer for Verizon Wireless.

The East Coast -- particularly New York and Washington -- came out surprisingly low on the list -- possibly in part because hand-held cell phones have been banned while driving there for some years.

New Yorkers were 11th and Washington failed to find a place in the top 30.

California is also about to pass a ban on hand-held cell phones while driving that would likely cut cell-phone use by car-bound Angelenos dramatically when it takes effect in 2008.

Reuters PB GC0958