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How a small group of activists got gas-powered leaf blowers banned in D.C.

theatlantic.com

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Re: How a small group of activists got gas-powered leaf blowers banned in D.C.

#211

Post by rootusrootus »

Pfhreak wrote: post #132
rootusrootus wrote: post #103

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The real issue IMO is that the battery powered yard tools are infected by the same planned obsolescence as existing power tools. Most gas-powered yard tools last damn near forever even if you don't do maintenance on them. The battery powered ones are good for three years and then you're buying a new one. If you're lucky they still make the battery, but it costs as much a whole new tool. Wish we could standardize mode…

> If you're lucky they still make the battery, but it costs as much a whole new tool. Aren't most companies working on a standardized battery (at least within their brand) so you can swap batteries between your drill, blower, trimmer, etc? It would seem that if that's the case, changing battery form factors would be a real bad idea.

Yep, they do. Within their own brand. Just means when they switch from 18V to 20V, and then to whatever the next big thing is, you have to switch all of your tools to the new standard.

Re: How a small group of activists got gas-powered leaf blowers banned in D.C.

#212

Post by SilasX »

michaelt wrote: post #102
codingdave wrote: post #67

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Motorcycles do not have to be loud. Many riders believe that loud pipes make them safer, but I haven't seen data to back that up. I've owned bikes for years, commuted to work on them (when I've had office-based jobs), and mostly my neighbors are surprised to find out that I ride them, because I don't sit outside and rev them up in the mornings before leaving, or gun them up to high RPMs while leaving the neighborhood…

Many riders believe that loud pipes make them safer I've always been sceptical of how earnestly anyone believes this, because I've never seen anyone with loud pipes dressed [1] to attract motorists' attention visually. [1] https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Police_Motorcycles.J...

Exactly. If you only use the safety measures that improve your social status, maybe it's not safety you care about.

Re: How a small group of activists got gas-powered leaf blowers banned in D.C.

#213

Post by loudtieblahblah »

loudtieblahblah wrote: post #200
HarryHirsch wrote: post #8

What is wrong with using a rake to pick up leaves? Leafblowers are loud, dirty, they raise huge clouds of dust, they stink of gasoline, and at the end of the day, blowing leaves into a pile isn't even faster than raking them together. Using a leafblower is a sign of entitled loutishness.

It takes me 2 days at 8 hours a day to pick up my yard with a rake. It takes me a half day with a leaf blower. Between October and Feb I may have to pick up leaves 3 or 4 times to keep it from killing my grass or at the very least not be a bad neighbor and allow my leaves to blow over into the yard of people who just picked up theirs I have a kid to take care of, other house upkeep to do, a 40-50 hour a week job. Thi…

I should also mention -

Leaf blowers are a god send for people with medical problems that 8+ hours of raking would seriously harm them or be impossible for them.

Re: How a small group of activists got gas-powered leaf blowers banned in D.C.

#214

Post by loudtieblahblah »

jccalhoun wrote: post #108
HarryHirsch wrote: post #8

What is wrong with using a rake to pick up leaves? Leafblowers are loud, dirty, they raise huge clouds of dust, they stink of gasoline, and at the end of the day, blowing leaves into a pile isn't even faster than raking them together. Using a leafblower is a sign of entitled loutishness.

What's wrong with leaving the leaves where they land?

Because I ensure my property is taken care of so rodents don't take over my property, so bugs and ticks don't make it dangerous for my kid to go out and play, so the elements don't erode away the drive-way, sidewalks, and foundation of my home.

I think anyone making the comment you're making has had very limited exposure to suburban or even rural life.

Your 2 cents is applicable for people living in apartments, or urban centers where at most you're getting a 3x3ft patch of land you call a yard.

I chose to live where I live so my kid could have somewhere to play outside that didn't require a bus pass or a car trip. Where my dog can run free on my property. Where I can grow a garden on my own.

Unfortunately, I'm surrounded by trees and I upkeep my property not just FOR ME and all my "selfish" reasons but also so my leaves don't blow over into my neighbor's yard and undo all the work they did to get their leaves up.

I don't think it's all that absurd that humans wish to control the environment around their homes. Either for practical or aesthetic reasons.

I get minimizing environmental impact. I spent 16 back breaking hours plugging zoysia grass in my yard so i wouldn't need weed killers and such down the line (it grows so thick, it chokes out weeds).

I use an electric mower b/c they've gotten good enough to rival most gas mowers. I had to buy an extra 2 batteries to get through my yard, but it works.

But I have a herniated disc and a currently undiagnosed GI problem - I have a child to take care of. I work full time.

If a little noise from a leaf blower from 9am until 4-5pm, with some breaks, is just too much for some people b/c I'd rather get my leaves up in half to a whole day as opposed to 2-3 days with a rake, then they go sit and spin.

At least I take care of my property, unlike a bunch of lazy, do-nothing trash that can't bother

Re: How a small group of activists got gas-powered leaf blowers banned in D.C.

#215

Post by loudtieblahblah »

iguy wrote: post #64
ars wrote: post #52

Earlier quoted context omitted.

A rake only works on grass. But if you have taller bushes and other types of plants it's pretty much impossible with anything else except a leafblower. Also, good luck raking on the side a small, but steep, hill - you can't even stand on the hill without lots of pain and damaging the surface. But you can use a leafblower from the top. i.e. just because you have a limited experience in the world, doesn't mean others d…

Do those need to be leaf-free? I mean I thought the point was lawns, with less labor than a rake. But on land far too steep for lawn, can't you just leave things alone? (I own exactly 2 pot-plants, FWIW.)

you spend time making a garden, and then tell me if you want leaves blocking the sunlight and suffocating everything you spent time planting.

Re: How a small group of activists got gas-powered leaf blowers banned in D.C.

#216

Post by loudtieblahblah »

eropple wrote: post #15
trothamel wrote: post #12

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Blowing leaves is faster - why would a service use leaf blowers if it wasn't less work. And of course, that's the big issue here. By taking more time, raking makes cleaning the yard more expensive. When it comes to people in houses, that makes yard care more of an expense, which means some people will have to spend more time doing it rather than hiring a service. When it comes to condos or rentals where it's included…

Services use leaf blowers because it's less work and because they don't give a shit about the externalities they create . It's more than just sound. Leaf blowers mostly use dirty, dirty two-stroke engines. Tons of emissions--which, regardless of the smell, we should be minimizing--and an awful stink. If you can afford a house, you can rake the lawn and sweep the driveway. Or, as the article notes, even in Totalitaria…

I own a house.

I have medical problems limiting just how much I can exert myself. This wasn't true when i initially bought the home.

Raking leaves, is a 3-5 times event that could take me about 16 hours (an entire weekend) each time.

Blowing the leaves takes about 5-6 hours.

I had an electric blower for a long time and honestly, it only shaved off maybe a 10th of my time b/c it simply wasn't strong enough.

I recycle, i drive a hybrid, i compost and garden, i have an electric mower.

But for some people who spout endlessly about "externalizes", it's like there's no end to minimizing my foot print until i just up and commit suicide. You all sit back with your high and mighty judgements and half of you are just kids who've never been responsible for anything but yourselves, or dorky urbanites who have half a putting green for a yard in high crime areas. Or hell..both things at once.

Re: How a small group of activists got gas-powered leaf blowers banned in D.C.

#217

Post by loudtieblahblah »

dang wrote: post #149
loudtieblahblah wrote: post #111

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You are as petty as you are fascist.

Personal attacks will get you banned here. Please review https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html and post civilly and substantively, or not at all.

This entire thread paints everyone who's not in lockstep as "evil"(TM).

I was responding in kind.

Re: How a small group of activists got gas-powered leaf blowers banned in D.C.

#218

Post by loudtieblahblah »

fiblye wrote: post #126
loudtieblahblah wrote: post #110

Earlier quoted context omitted.

And not removing them completely removes your control over the landscaping, because they will kill everything under them by suffocating them and blocking light from reaching it. Most people in suburban areas end up with tooo many leaves to compost or to try to mulch with a lawn mower. >to teach us, the widespread degradation and depletion of soil and other resources leads to a civilization’s collapse. This is why I c…

You and billions of others are doing it. Yet people act surprised when articles about insect and worm population collapse come up.

billions of people are not using leaf blowers....

we can't even properly feed the billions of us on this planet and you think everyone has their own leaf blower - much less suburban or rural property in which to use it?

Re: How a small group of activists got gas-powered leaf blowers banned in D.C.

#219

Post by [deleted] »

loudtieblahblah wrote: post #215
iguy wrote: post #64

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Do those need to be leaf-free? I mean I thought the point was lawns, with less labor than a rake. But on land far too steep for lawn, can't you just leave things alone? (I own exactly 2 pot-plants, FWIW.)

you spend time making a garden, and then tell me if you want leaves blocking the sunlight and suffocating everything you spent time planting.

[deleted]

Re: How a small group of activists got gas-powered leaf blowers banned in D.C.

#220

Post by HarryHirsch »

loudtieblahblah wrote: post #200
HarryHirsch wrote: post #8

What is wrong with using a rake to pick up leaves? Leafblowers are loud, dirty, they raise huge clouds of dust, they stink of gasoline, and at the end of the day, blowing leaves into a pile isn't even faster than raking them together. Using a leafblower is a sign of entitled loutishness.

It takes me 2 days at 8 hours a day to pick up my yard with a rake. It takes me a half day with a leaf blower. Between October and Feb I may have to pick up leaves 3 or 4 times to keep it from killing my grass or at the very least not be a bad neighbor and allow my leaves to blow over into the yard of people who just picked up theirs I have a kid to take care of, other house upkeep to do, a 40-50 hour a week job. Thi…

Yes, it's the suburbanite problem of too much house, too much yard. There's too much of everything to keep in presentable condition.

One solution would be to hire outside help to keep the excess of stuff clean, but that may be expensive. There's another solution, to cut down on the amount of stuff. When I was a kid the lawn would take 30 minutes to mow with a push lawnmower, and maybe 45 minutes for raking. Once a week. On Saturdays, because Sundays is quiet day.

Washington told its citizens to either earn enough and keep quiet or downsize to keep quiet. It's a good start.

It's time that other peoples' ostentatiousness stopped spilling over in my domain. Leafblowers are just one symptom. SUVs are another.

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