FMCDH
Posted on 03/15/2005 8:28:30 AM PST by wallcrawlr
When he began his quest for a quieter, cleaner city months ago, little did Stephen Rueff know he'd run into throngs of people who believe they have a right to bear leaf blowers.
But oh, they're out there, legions who think that the roar of the leaf blower is the sound of liberty.
"It's pretty interesting," Rueff said. "There are people who don't accept the notion of a greater good. They don't see that what happens on their own property impacts their neighbor."
He's still on his quest, saying the more people learn about leaf blowers, the less they defend them.
At the urging of two supportive City Council members, Rueff is accepting compromise.
At a public meeting at 9:30 a.m. Saturday at Lyndale Farmstead Neighborhood Center at 3900 Bryant Av. S., a proposal to ban only those leaf blowers with fuel combustion engines will be discussed. Council Members Dean Zimmermann and Dan Niziolek will be there and plan to present a proposal to the full council by the end of the month.
This mini-ban isn't what Rueff and others had hoped for. It will have little impact on most Minneapolis residents because the vast majority of leaf blowers now sold are electric. Although those machines are quieter than the old two-cycle engine machines, they still foul the air by blowing around particulates.
The council's cautious attitude about a leaf blower ban can be seen in the actions of Council Member Gary Schiff. At one point, he was going to tie his effort to ban trucks from idling in residential areas between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. with the leaf blower ban.
A few weeks ago, the council unanimously approved the ordinance that stops truckers from the early morning idling that was disruptive to the serenity of so many.
(Excerpt) Read more at startribune.com ...
FMCDH
When leaf blowers are outlawed, only outlaws will have leaf blowers.
I wonder if I can still run my brush chipper at 7:00 am Saturday morning?
ROFL!!!!!!!!!!
Burn leaves!
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Heh...I like that. But dude that picture is HUGH!
cut down the trees, lol
That's a novel idea!!!!!!!!
I have a gas leaf blower, it is the best thing since sliced bread. I guess this joker would not like my gas chain saw, gas hedge trimmer, gas edger, gas mower, gas weedeater, or my gas pressure washer. See a patter here.
The first problem is Mr. Rueff's -- can't he simply tolerate a bit of noise and dust now and again?
The second, and bigger, problem, is those whose actions do in fact impinge on others: is it too much to expect that folks avoid making excessive noise at inappropriate times?
There's no real reason why this should be a legal matter, except that there are folks whose selfishness prevents them from being good neighbors.
Seems to me a lot of our problems could be solved by a bit of neighborliness....
You have gas????????
Lazy a$$ people, USE A RAKE!
What a weenie. I got your particulates (grab). Dude, I live on the prairie where the wind comes whipping down the plains. I cannot live without my daily dose of particulates.
I must admit to never seeing the point of a leaf blower. You blow them off, they blow back on. I prefer the rake and BAG method SO THEY DON'T come back!!! However, aren't lawn mowers just as loud as leaf blowers??
Leaf Blowers . man this guy hasnt got much to cry about does he? I lovev it when people complain about things like this. City folks move in and complain about cow crap or horse dung stinking. Move into a neighborhood where a guy has been raising pigs for 40 years and they dont like the stink. First its leaf blowers ,then lawn mowers, then they wont like a neighbor who farts on his own property. Courtesy is waiting till 9am before you crank the leaf blower up.
First you gotta fire up the chainsaw at 6 AM to cut down the brush to feed into the chipper.
My bad, sorry for the hugh pic.
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