With the stay at home order in place in MD and VA and finally DC, the leaf blowers will likely be silent for a while.

Anonymous wrote:Score 1 for white privilege. You should be glad people
Are still paying lawn care workers at a time when most hourly service workers are struggling.

Sure. But if the owners stopped using the noisy, polluting gas blowers, then the risk to their workers’ health would be lessened. Why is it necessary to use a large blow dryer to bounce pollen and seeds around on the lawns?

Score 1 for white privilege. You should be glad people
Are still paying lawn care workers at a time when most hourly service workers are struggling.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Nope, not kidding. Earplugs are uncomfortable and don’t work all that well anyway. Are you really that lacking in consideration?

Wear sound deafening ear muffs made for shooting guns.

Bear in mind that people who own the former likely own the latter.

Gawd. I can hear the drone of leaf blowers now. Is this so necessary? Really?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Nope, not kidding. Earplugs are uncomfortable and don’t work all that well anyway. Are you really that lacking in consideration?

Wear sound deafening ear muffs made for shooting guns.

Yeah, I’ll do that while I’m working on phonics with my kid. Thanks.

Anonymous wrote:I agree that local government is focused on other priorities right now, but it would be great is lawn services voluntarily cut back on the use of spring leaf blowers. The point about people with respiratory challenges is worth considering. Enough people are struggling right now with asthma and severe allergies. I can’t imagine it’s very helpful to be blowing more pollen and dust particles into the air in city and close-in suburban neighborhoods.

People with asthma and other respiratory ailments are among the more vulnerable to serious complications from coronavirus.

I agree that local government is focused on other priorities right now, but it would be great is lawn services voluntarily cut back on the use of spring leaf blowers. The point about people with respiratory challenges is worth considering. Enough people are struggling right now with asthma and severe allergies. I can’t imagine it’s very helpful to be blowing more pollen and dust particles into the air in city and close-in suburban neighborhoods.

Anonymous wrote:Nope, not kidding. Earplugs are uncomfortable and don’t work all that well anyway. Are you really that lacking in consideration?

Wear sound deafening ear muffs made for shooting guns.

Nope, not kidding. Earplugs are uncomfortable and don’t work all that well anyway. Are you really that lacking in consideration?

Oops, we thank you.

Are you kidding? Wear earplugs.

OP, I wfh year-round in a neighborhood of 5000 square foot lots, and I share your frustration. There is nothing more concentration-breaking than that high-pitched whine. Often there are two or three going at once, and no sooner does the quiet return than another crew pulls up a few houses away. In the fall, especially, it is a daily annoyance. Those of you who use mow-and-blow services, please consider how often you really need every leaf and twig blown from your lawn (and sidewalk and street in front of your house—in my observation, these guys get a little obsessed.). If your neighbors’ sanity is not a persuasive reason, then please consider the good you would be doing for the environment by instructing your yard service to use the blowers only as needed. Us wfh-folks, parents with babies who nap, and—now—parents who are trying to work and homeschool at the same time thank you profusely.

I also have been concerned about leaf blowers in my neighborhood but not for the same reason. Why are people still having landscaping companies come out? Pay them if you can and cancel. I sure hope these aren't the same people freaking out about joggers passing on the street because it's contributing to the number of people NOT staying home.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Lol.

Omg you are really lacking in empathy OP. They have to work. Outside. Every day.

I hate those leaf blowers. Not only are they incredibly noisy, but pound for pound they are among the most polluting machines around. It’s so inconsiderate of workers that the owners of the landscaping companies make their workers use them day in and day out, when they could buy quieter battery powered blowers. Think of the damage to the workers’ ears and lungs.