|
 Author | Topic: Leafblowers (Read 3,019 times) |
casimira
member is offline
![[avatar]](http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-geCedqtD42k/T5nyULl9CqI/AAAAAAAAWGM/1EM9HKLEDUs/s512/IMG_2160.JPG "[avatar]")
Joined: Jan 2013
Gender: Female 
Posts: 400
Location: NOLA,USA
|  | Leafblowers
« Thread Started on Mar 4, 2009, 1:11pm » | ![[Quote]](http://images.proboards.com/buttons/quote.gif "[Quote]") |
If I ever get to be in any position of power the very first thing I will do is ban leafblowers. Are they prevalent where you live? I can't begin to tell you how crazy they make me. At one point before Katrina we had a city council member who seemed sympathetic to their pollution etc. and was working on some type of ordinance but after the storm it was shelved along with many other things.
| |
|
kerouac2
helper
member is offline
![[avatar]](http://i450.photobucket.com/albums/qq228/kerouac2/frog.jpg "[avatar]")
Joined: Feb 2009
Gender: Male 
Posts: 35,186
Location: Paris, France
| | Re: Leafblowers
« Reply #1 on Mar 4, 2009, 1:31pm » | |
Leaf blowers do not seem to be used in France. They might even be illegal, for all I know. I think it is an obligation to rake and pick up your leaves, so there's no point in blowing them around.
| |
|
casimira
member is offline
Joined: Jan 2013
Gender: Female
Posts: 400
Location: NOLA,USA
| | Re: Leafblowers
« Reply #2 on Mar 4, 2009, 2:11pm » | |
One just cranked up as we write. I've noted over the years that you never see a woman using one, and the way they're held, and what they do. Does phallic extension come to mind.? I'm sorry, this really is a rant,I can't help it.
| |
|
bixaorellana
helper
member is offline
![[avatar]](http://i.imgur.com/23lJo.jpg "[avatar]")
Joined: Feb 2009
Gender: Female
Posts: 25,798
Location: Mexico
| | Re: Leafblowers
« Reply #3 on Mar 5, 2009, 9:57am » | |
Leafblowers come under my designation of "hostile noise".
For instance, someone using a Skil saw or a lawnmower at a normal time of day is not making hostile noise because they're doing a job which requires the use of a noisy tool, and probably would prefer not to be making the noise.
People who are working outside and open the car door and crank up the radio are making hostile noise because they obviously don't care whom they disturb.
Leafblowers are just insane. They don't do the job better or faster, create dust, and make an unbearable noise.
| |
|
kimby
member is offline
![[avatar]](http://hermitcrabpetcare.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/11/hermit_crab4.jpg "[avatar]")
Joined: Feb 2009
Gender: Female
Posts: 5,382
Location: Montana & Florida, USA
| | Re: Leafblowers
« Reply #4 on Mar 5, 2009, 7:44pm » | |
At least leaf blowers accomplish work. How about "personal watercraft" that zoom around and around in front of your lake place creating noise and pollution? Oughta be a law!
They should at least be required to stick to the area in front of their OWN dock!
| |
|
casimira
member is offline
Joined: Jan 2013
Gender: Female
Posts: 400
Location: NOLA,USA
| | Re: Leafblowers
« Reply #5 on Mar 5, 2009, 10:32pm » | |
Oh, I agree with you about the jet skiis,another abomination,but I disagree that leafblowers do work.I really believe that the "storm drains" here and in other cities no longer function as they were intended largely due to leafblowers lazily blowing any and everything into the drains.I work outdoors and I drive all over the Metro area and see it done all the time. The noise pollution is a whole other issue.
| |
|
kimby
member is offline
Joined: Feb 2009
Gender: Female
Posts: 5,382
Location: Montana & Florida, USA
| | Re: Leafblowers
« Reply #6 on Mar 8, 2009, 9:32pm » | |
We have a gravel (actually crushed shell) driveway at our place in Florida. Trees overhang it and there is absolutely no way to rake the fallen leaves off the driveway without removing bucketloads of gravel. The leaf blower is a tool that really works in that situation. (The homeowner's assn has rules about hours of operation for such tools and not at all on Sundays.)
In Montana, we use a leaf blower to remove pine needles from a paved driveway. Needles are notoriously hard to rake, and brooms don't work much better.
But we would never use a blower to blow our debris into a neighbor's yard or into a storm drain (if we had one).
| |
|
casimira
member is offline
Joined: Jan 2013
Gender: Female
Posts: 400
Location: NOLA,USA
| | Re: Leafblowers
« Reply #7 on Mar 8, 2009, 11:40pm » | |
What;s wrong with leaves on gravel driveways or pine needles on paved roads? They do eventually breakdown. Why do they bother one to look at? I don't get the whole pristine aesthetic? I had a client who absolutely could not tolerate shattered rose blossoms on her driveway . She only used the house on the weekends so by Thursday pm, Friday am I had the place look real spiffy and pray it did not rain between then and her arrival.
| |
|
kimby
member is offline
Joined: Feb 2009
Gender: Female
Posts: 5,382
Location: Montana & Florida, USA
| | Re: Leafblowers
« Reply #8 on Mar 9, 2009, 2:18am » | |
Well, the homeowners assn also has a thing about tidiness, and we're hoping that if we keep the driveway reasonably clear, they won't notice that we only cut the "grass" twice a year! We might be the only homeowners who don't hire a gardener, or live there full-time and do the yardwork more regularly.
About the pine needles, have you ever seen ponderosa pine needles? They're 6-8 inches long and there's three in a bunch. Every tree loses one whole years growth each year - just not the current year's needles, the ones from about 3 years ago. They pile up and blow into drifts, and if it rains and freezes - or snows - they would become a major obstacle to transportation. Plus hubby has a basketball hoop, and the ball doesn't bounce right when it lands on needles.
| |
|
casimira
member is offline
Joined: Jan 2013
Gender: Female
Posts: 400
Location: NOLA,USA
| | Re: Leafblowers
« Reply #9 on Mar 9, 2009, 2:35am » | |
What did people use before leaf blowers? Surely the Ponderosa Pines preceded leaf blowers.
Twice a year in the autumn I go to some friends house in the woods in Mississippi and rake up bags and bags of pine straw to bring back home to use for mulch. They have so many pine trees and during a drought it's a real fire hazaard.The group of them that live there have a big extravaganza and invite people for the whole weekend. What ever people don't take away (Home Depot charges $15.00 for a bale of pine straw!) they have an arrangement with the county for a controlled burn,all very well organized and good clean fun for the whole wretched family. These are the alternatives I seek and promote.
| |
|
kimby
member is offline
Joined: Feb 2009
Gender: Female
Posts: 5,382
Location: Montana & Florida, USA
| | Re: Leafblowers
« Reply #10 on Mar 9, 2009, 2:54am » | |
The ponderosa pines probably preceeded people, too, casi, and driveways.
There are so goddam many pine needles in Western Montana that you couldn't PAY people to take them! IF you have a truck, you can haul them to a compost plant which no longer charges a drop-off fee, and turn them into something good.
In the yard they take YEARS to decompose as there isn't much rain around here, about 15 inches a year. And they DO provide an extreme fire hazard in these parts. Plus the valley is subject to inversions so the Air Quality board does not allow one to burn needles or leaves where the smoke would pollute the valley.
If I rake them off the drive, I fill garbage cans with them and send them to the dump - and feel bad about filling an expensive landfill with yard waste, though the waste service charges me the same whether I put out one can or 15!
I don't think you can win this one, casi. Louisiana is like another planet to Montana.
| |
|
casimira
member is offline
Joined: Jan 2013
Gender: Female
Posts: 400
Location: NOLA,USA
| | Re: Leafblowers
« Reply #11 on Mar 9, 2009, 3:17am » | |
Ah Kimby,this is a challenge! Sounds like you're wimping on me. The lady with the shattered rose petals is in New York so this is not LA vs. Montana. Plus ,we have Magnolia leaves here,placemat size ! They are thick and waxen,stiff,take forever to break down. You could make a wreath with a dozen of them. I'm just getting cranked up K,don't fail me now. I'll have some stats tomorrow. To be continued.
| |
|
kimby
member is offline
Joined: Feb 2009
Gender: Female
Posts: 5,382
Location: Montana & Florida, USA
| | Re: Leafblowers
« Reply #12 on Mar 9, 2009, 3:40am » | |
NOLA and NY both have rain and humidity. Things decompose there.
Florida, too, but there we have homeowner's associations that require some order in appearance.
This part of Montana is "high desert". Things don't rot here. The needles are so high in acidity that you don't want them all over your lawn, being shredded by the mower. You can't compost em, because bears get into the compost heaps and become habituated to getting food rewards in neighborhoods, not a good thing.
I do leave most of them on the ground. Just not on the driveway and not on the lawn.
But if you want to start a business with me, I'll let you bag them up and haul them away and sell them for $15 a bag, and I won't charge you a penny for em! ;-)
| |
|
casimira
member is offline
Joined: Jan 2013
Gender: Female
Posts: 400
Location: NOLA,USA
| | Re: Leafblowers
« Reply #13 on Mar 9, 2009, 12:05pm » | |
Are travel expenses and an expense account included?
| |
|
kimby
member is offline
Joined: Feb 2009
Gender: Female
Posts: 5,382
Location: Montana & Florida, USA
| | Re: Leafblowers
« Reply #14 on Mar 9, 2009, 8:23pm » | |
No, but you can have as many pine needles as you can haul away.
My neighbors will probably let you have theirs, too.
| |
|
casimira
member is offline
Joined: Jan 2013
Gender: Female
Posts: 400
Location: NOLA,USA
| | Re: Leafblowers
« Reply #15 on Mar 18, 2009, 2:45pm » | |
Haven't forgotten you Kimby,just been a little preoccupied of late to be in my best form. I'll be back...
| |
|
kimby
member is offline
Joined: Feb 2009
Gender: Female
Posts: 5,382
Location: Montana & Florida, USA
| | Re: Leafblowers
« Reply #16 on Mar 18, 2009, 3:08pm » | |
If you come for the needles, you'll have to bring a snowshovel to uncover them.
Or a snow BLOWER. (Is this another pet peeve of yours? Another noisy machine when a manual device - shovel - would do?)
| |
|
casimira
member is offline
Joined: Jan 2013
Gender: Female
Posts: 400
Location: NOLA,USA
| | Re: Leafblowers
« Reply #17 on Mar 18, 2009, 3:17pm » | |
We don't have those in New Orleans but if it makes as much NOISE as a LEAF BLOWER it would rank
| |
|
kerouac2
helper
member is offline
Joined: Feb 2009
Gender: Male
Posts: 35,186
Location: Paris, France
| | Re: Leafblowers
« Reply #18 on Mar 18, 2009, 3:32pm » | |
I would think they would make combo-blowers.
| |
|
casimira
member is offline
Joined: Jan 2013
Gender: Female
Posts: 400
Location: NOLA,USA
| | Re: Leafblowers
« Reply #19 on Mar 18, 2009, 5:26pm » | |
What's wrong with the good ol' snow plow? Attach it to a vehicle,in our case it was a tractor or truck,and PLOW. Why all this BLOWING?
| |
|
kimby
member is offline
Joined: Feb 2009
Gender: Female
Posts: 5,382
Location: Montana & Florida, USA
| | Re: Leafblowers
« Reply #20 on Mar 18, 2009, 11:09pm » | |
We have 3 vehicles, none of which can take a plow. Snowblower would be cheaper than buying a garden tractor or ATV to plow. But I was telling casi to bring snow removal equipment to harvest my pine needles. BTW, I have lots of big beautiful pine cones, too...
| |
|
casimira
member is offline
Joined: Jan 2013
Gender: Female
Posts: 400
Location: NOLA,USA
| | Re: Leafblowers
« Reply #21 on Mar 18, 2009, 11:25pm » | |
I can get plenty dry pine needles an hours drive away,where it's springtime and warm. Cold hurts. Thanks for the offer though.
Can't you attach a plow to an SUV or even small truck,you don't need a tractor or ATV do you? It's been a while since living in that climate. I really don't know snowblowers at all.
| |
|
casimira
member is offline
Joined: Jan 2013
Gender: Female
Posts: 400
Location: NOLA,USA
| | Re: Leafblowers
« Reply #22 on Mar 19, 2009, 12:09pm » | |
I had a bizarre dream last night. Kimby and I were in a Bombay movie about leafblowers. Tell me my psyche's not skewed!
| |
|
kerouac2
helper
member is offline
Joined: Feb 2009
Gender: Male
Posts: 35,186
Location: Paris, France
| | Re: Leafblowers
« Reply #23 on Mar 19, 2009, 12:52pm » | |
I know a hint when I see one.
| |
|
casimira
member is offline
Joined: Jan 2013
Gender: Female
Posts: 400
Location: NOLA,USA
| | Re: Leafblowers
« Reply #24 on Mar 19, 2009, 1:02pm » | |
Please.
I know what triggered it. Obviously the thread and recent posts. But, last night out of boredom I watched all the Bombay movies because they're so funny.
The combination of the two freshly embedded in the subconscious,sick fodder.
| |
|
kimby
member is offline
Joined: Feb 2009
Gender: Female
Posts: 5,382
Location: Montana & Florida, USA
| | Re: Leafblowers
« Reply #25 on Mar 20, 2009, 2:13pm » | |
Bollywood leafblowers, too funny!
Snowblower is more like a rototiller than a leaf blower. It has an auger that cuts and moves snow to a chute where it is thrown in whatever direction that you aim it to clear driveways, sidewalks, etc.
You need a real truck or jeep to attach a plow blade. Garden tractors or ATVs are less expensive than adding a truck to our fleet.
Casi, let's go to the movies again, soon. ;-)
| |
|
casimira
member is offline
Joined: Jan 2013
Gender: Female
Posts: 400
Location: NOLA,USA
| | Re: Leafblowers
« Reply #26 on Mar 20, 2009, 2:49pm » | |
We could be the new Joan Crawford/Bette Davis duo of Bollywood ! "Hush, Hush,Sweet Kimby"
| |
|
kimby
member is offline
Joined: Feb 2009
Gender: Female
Posts: 5,382
Location: Montana & Florida, USA
| | Re: Leafblowers
« Reply #27 on Mar 20, 2009, 5:26pm » | |
Or Humphrey & Ingrid in "Casimira"...
(can I be Ingrid?)
| |
|
Don Cuevas
member is offline
![[avatar]](http://lh4.googleusercontent.com/_Dp8GJpYQxRg/TV5U5-begCI/AAAAAAAAm_c/lGP03Y-46CY/doncuevas.jpg "[avatar]")
My name really isn't Don, but I used to be anónimo.
![[homepage]](http://images.proboards.com/buttons/www_sm.gif "[homepage]")
Joined: Feb 2009
Gender: Male
Posts: 2,978
Location: Michoacán, México
| | Re: Leafblowers
« Reply #28 on Mar 21, 2009, 12:07am » | |
A few years ago, I watched municipal workers in Middletown, CT blow sand and crap off the sidewalk downtown, thus creating a hideous racket and an asphyxiating cloud of dust through which no healthy person would care to walk.
|
Panza llena, corazón contento.
http://mexkitchen.blogspot.com/ |
|
LouisXIV
member is offline
![[avatar]](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/7f/Royal_Monogram_of_King_Louis_XIV_of_France.svg/500px-Royal_Monogram_of_King_Louis_XIV_of_France.svg.png "[avatar]")
L'estat c'est moi.
Joined: Mar 2009
Gender: Male
Posts: 235
Location: Michigan, USA
| | Re: Leafblowers
« Reply #29 on Apr 2, 2009, 3:54pm » | |
A buildup of pine needles is also a big fire hazard. They are the fuel that really gets a forest fire going and also spread fires where homes are located.
| |
|
|
![[Home]](http://static1.grsites.com/user/folders/nowdocking/r3920049/button23550481.png "[Home]")
![[New Topics]](http://images.proboards.com/menu/topics.png "[New Topics]")
![[Help]](http://static1.grsites.com/user/folders/nowdocking/r3920083/button28195714.png "[Help]")
![[Search]](http://static1.grsites.com/user/folders/nowdocking/r3920086/button25710789.png "[Search]")
![[Login]](http://static1.grsites.com/user/folders/nowdocking/r3920112/button20487816.png "[Login]")
![[Register]](http://static1.grsites.com/user/folders/nowdocking/r3920117/button97266159.png "[Register]")
![[Search This Thread]](http://images.proboards.com/search2.gif "[Search This Thread]")
![[Reply]](http://images.proboards.com/buttons/reply.gif "[Reply]")
![[Share Topic]](http://images.proboards.com/new/buttons/share.png "[Share Topic]")
![[Print]](http://images.proboards.com/buttons/print.gif "[Print]")
Logged