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Zürich voters ban noisy leaf blowers

swissinfo.ch

61–70 of 149 posts

Re: Zürich voters ban noisy leaf blowers

#61
post #23

Seems like one compromise would be that they can only be used during a few-hour period every other week or so. So you'd only get the noise in a predictable window.

Why, quiet but capable alternatives exist. Let's stop with all this outdated combustion technology.

You have to compromise on something to get change through. Realistically this problem will fix itself when electric blowers take over that can be used at any time and realistically work better now.

Re: Zürich voters ban noisy leaf blowers

#63

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Switzerland has noise ordnances, and like other traffic related offenses they are aggressively enforced. Aftermarket mods, revving your engine, or late shifting can net you a cool 5 figures fine.

Sadly, it's barely enforced.

Here in NL some localities have local ordinances regarding noise pollution and they do actually enforce them.

Re: Zürich voters ban noisy leaf blowers

#64
post #58

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Making something illegal and actually enforcing it are two very different things though. Most countries in the world have a cap on noise levels your vehicle can make, most don't do much to enforce it outside of yearly checkups.

In most parts of Switzerland there is no yearly checkup, but every 2 years or whenever you get the invite (waited 3 years once). However police is actively monitoring noise levels in some places, picking out the cars and remove them from the streets. Just last weekend my closest city checked 15 and removed about half of these cars in one evening.

Fantastic.

Re: Zürich voters ban noisy leaf blowers

#68
post #7
post #2

Cool, now do loud motorbikes in cities. Those things, several times louder than cars, should be illegal anywhere but on isolated highways.

100000% Agree. Here in Germany, I'm convinced the Police simply don't care about motorcycles with modified mufflers. The sound is deafening. In the last decade the noise has gotten worse and worse. Once one of those small penis motorcycle owners saw that I was covering my three year old child's ears as he passed by, and only then did he put his bike into neutral and walked it by us.

As a biker, I hate these types of riders with a passion. All street legal bikes come out of the factory with reasonable sound levels, they have to go out of their way to specifically make it uncomfortable for everyone else. Pretty much every one of them is exactly the type of person you'd expect as well, insecure with an intelligence level comparable to a wooden spoon. Personally I tell nearly no one that I ride bikes, because the first assumption is always that you're one of those loud assholes.

Re: Zürich voters ban noisy leaf blowers

#69
post #51

Earlier quoted context omitted.

In the US, at least, it doesn't help that almost everyone using leaf blowers are using the cheap, loud, stinky two cycle motor abominations. Those leaf blowers put more garbage into the air than a car or pickup truck. They're that bad.

In Zürich, the worst offender is the outdated two cycle moped. Sadly, not much is being done about it because of the cult and retro status of these things.

At the Gold-coast the worst offenders are the Bugatti, Lotus and Ferrari leasers...how is it legal to be that loud??

Re: Zürich voters ban noisy leaf blowers

#70

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Why, quiet but capable alternatives exist. Let's stop with all this outdated combustion technology.

You have to compromise on something to get change through. Realistically this problem will fix itself when electric blowers take over that can be used at any time and realistically work better now.

Why would you need to compromise? The vote passed with a 62% majority.
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