Foolishness! snobby foolishness. that's all it is

I would love to see a ban on Leaf Blowers. It drives me crazy to see landscapers, homeowners, etc use these things only to blow the leaves,dirt, etc into the street or just away from the property they are cleaning. The proper thing to do would be to blow the leaves into one area then sweep them up. Most yards in town are not even more than 5000 square feet so that is another reason why they are not really needed and houses are on top of one another in this town making the sound of a leaf blower heard through many homes.

I think all the land scapers should get together and charge $1000 for leaf removal in those towns because they have to do it by hand with rakes. If they did that you would see this foolishness stopped damn quick.

In the interest of TRUTH . . . I must point out that ELECTRIC leaf blowers can be used 24/7 360 the year between ours of 8am and 6pm . . . (Devil is in the details!)

WatObserver. . . fighting the urge to be "Snarky" I suggest you move to
a desert area or just turn up the volume on your iPod.

I fail to see how protecting our air quality and diminishing noise pollution is snobbery. It has nothing to do with being "better" than someone. I don't even know what people mean by that.

Blowers offer very little benefit for a significant toll on our environment. One leaf blower a year can emit as much pollution as 80 cars because there are no emissions controls. They waste gas (and increase our dependence on foreign oil). And the decibel level, especially with several going next to each other, is actually 10 time louder than the decibel level of other noises that are considered acceptable in residential areas (60 decibels).

And for those people who get their yards professionally done, leaf blowers are totally unfair to the workers. They are forced to use these machines so they can move quickly and get to the next house. The workers have to breathe those fumes and lose their hearing so people can have a cheap yard service. It's just not right. Workers should be raking and being paid more for the service.

So yes. Please institute a ban.

It ultimately comes down to, too much government control. Also, too much catering to the few and hurting the masses. I agree with Earnhardt, where does it stop?

I think I need to clarify my point. I don't really think that the leaf blowers are all that bad but I do think they get abused and misused and by that I mean by blowing leaves and debris away from your property and onto another. The noise is a bit much but I could certainly deal with that more than I can when I see a neighbor out with theirs or a landscaper and they are not just blowing the leaves but not cleaning them up. Used respectively they don't really bother me, although it is funny to see someone with mostly pavement and no yard using them.

Let's be real. Nobody follows the existing May to September ban anyway. Every single landscaper in my neighborhood used gas powered leaf blowers all summer long -- no exaggeration.

What's the point of passing a law when there is no compliance or enforcement?

The leaf blower ban is ridiculous. Imagine what would happen if Brookline had real problems...

By banning leaf-blowers in communities, it puts an extra cost on the older population of the community to care for their real estate property. Many senior citizens have to use the services of landscapers to cut their grass and other services to care for their real estate grounds. By banning leaf-blowers the landscaper has to use additional man-power to clean up the property which increases the cost of landscaping for the fix-income senior citizen.

While I wouldn't shed a tear if every last leafblower on earth suddenly stopped working and couldn't be replaced -- I hate with a passion the sound they make! -- banning them is extreme. It seems to me this is one of those things that the lawn implement manufacturers should take back to their design boards. Make them quieter, make them more fuel efficient or rechargeable or some such thing. We used to own an electric one and it was significantly quieter than our neighbors' gas-powered one. Making them have lower emissions and less of an assault on auditory health can be accomplished with enough consumer pressure.

Turning up the iPod is not a viable suggestion. There's no amount of additional ear drum damaging noise that can possibly cover up the whine and screech of leaf blowers. Newer models apparently are being produced with lower noise levels so the industry is aware this is an issue and is at least attempting to rectify it to some degree.

As for the folks who blow their leaves and dirt into the street -- now that is something the town could and should address. Though TMM made a very pertinent point. The laws we already have on the books about blowers aren't enforced. Enacting new ones is probably pointless since there will alwyas be a contingent of people who get their jollies out of breaking them.

Maybe people are upset because many times (at least in my neighborhood) the landscapers start with the noisemakers super early (6:45am). I realize they have a job to do but it is very disruptive so early in the morning.

Leaf blowing is part of suburbun living, But we should ban gangs of landscapers at 6am rolling through your neighborhood like a troop of soldiers firing at will.

@ Santo. It's the truth, not disdain. Court costs aside, You fail to mention the fact that I would win, As for the "slippery slope" argument. Tewksbury (not my town) Tried last year to enforce a snow blower ban, Before 7 am and after 8 pm/ But because people have to clean out the driveways to get to work. it was shot down quickly. However I can see a snobby town as Brookline pushing such a law through, followed soon by mowing lawns at certain times etc etc. Dogs and Cats? Hmmm does Brookiline animal control know the live together? I think you are the one a little off the mark. That's how things like this start: With one ban on something then soon something else, and so on.. Its a town full of SNOBS and NIMBY'S , By the way, Where do you keep YOUR butler? in the room off the library?

Santo Santo Santo, you poor misguided soul. Bans on anything will eventualy lead to more bans. I Own a leaf blower. DO YOU? ban leaf blowers now.. then next come regulations on when you can use OTHER Outdoor power equipment. Think about it! You fail to see it because you choose NOT to see it. Anytime something gets taken away from me my life is impacted, Especially when it is taken away by a bunch of snobs who simply do not want to hear noise interrupting their lives in any way.. leaf blowers now, all outdoor power equipment in the future, Unless of course you pay 50 bucks for a lawn mowing permit, Can't you see it coming? are you that naive? if I was your Butler, I wouldn't stay in the living room with you. Any good Butler knows its called a Parlor, not a living room. Every once in a while stop holding your nose up so high in the air and wake up!

Hey Ken.. tell it to the Butler.

It's Ok Ken the vibrations won't ruin you Cartier watch, You can use a leaf blower all day. Get ready for the permit to mow your lawn. only $50.00 for a 3 month permit. So no raise for the Butler next year.

the butler agrees.

The alter ego appears... :)

End unit street level.. Just right for a pickle eater.. Off to vote now... CHOW baldy

GAME.. SET.. AND MATCH! Thanks for the laughs... go cry in the pickle jar...LOLOL

Well Mikey boy. when you can afford to buy the best, why not buy the best? si mucho rapido! gracias Sunshine.. BTW I am thinking of buying your building for investment, But the end unit will have to go... CHOW...Going to Brookline now to cut some grass. You work on that gut... and smile. in those pics you look like you just dropped one in your drawers!

Fired p the leaf blower yesterday, The yard is all done! Gotta admit, it was hard watching the Butler get taken away in handcuffs, But it's nice having a clean yard ;)