Today's Insignificant First World Problem Rant...

[Jeff Higgins]

... is concerning my neighbor's yard care crew. Great bunch of college aged kids, working hard mowing, weed whacking, edging, raking leaves, etc. All except one of them, the leaf blower dood. The little prick blew my neighbor's entire driveway, the street in front of her house, and cleared all of it quite nicely. Problem is, he blew it all right in front of my driveway - and left it there.

I wound up just sweeping it up myself, really not all that big of a deal. I've literally put more effort into typing this than I did into sweeping up his mess. My wife and I had a good little "yeah, people suck" chuckle over it. Life is too short to let these guys get to us. So, yeah, this is my meaningless little "first world" problem of the day. If it gets no worse than this, I'm still winning.

My neighbor is a wonderful woman of darn near 80, twice widowed, who we have been very close to for the entire 32 years we have lived in our house. I'm not even going to mention it to her. I might, however, go out and introduce myself to her yard crew next Tuesday and, you know, lay down some expectations...

[Jolly Amaranto]

Originally Posted by Jeff Higgins

. I might, however, go out and introduce myself to her yard crew next Tuesday and, you know, lay down some expectations...

That is what I had to do in a similar situation. Luckily I am usually around when they come so I can stand in the yard with my arms folded and glare at them. When I am not home they seem to think I might be so pick up all the leaves anyway.

[KFC911]

Which caliber and handload would be most effective ?

[Jeff Higgins]

Originally Posted by KC911

Which caliber and handload would be most effective ?

For blowing leaves? I'm not sure. Probably something that could maintain a fairly high rate of sustained fire.

[GH85Carrera]

In our fair city it is illegal to blow the yard waste AKA leaves or grass clipping into the street. It will just get blown around to the gutters, and washed into the storm drains and eventually clog up the drainage system, and any weed killers or fertilizers will get washed into lakes, and into rivers into the Mississippi river.

That law is enforced about as much as the illegal to spit on the sidewalk laws, but it is the law. If the city enforced it, they could lower taxes and have a balanced budget and give city employees a raise. Almost all the commercial crews blow the grass into the streets. They try to spread them around to make it look better, but it still ends up in the storm drains.

Talk to the crew. Tell them your driveway is not the place to put their trash.

[gtc]

Get out your 3 liter, 6500rpm leaf blower, and push those leaves back over there for him!

[sammyg2]

Originally Posted by gtc

Get out your 3 liter, 6500rpm leaf blower, and push those leaves back over there for him!

LOL

[Rusty Heap]

jeff jeff jeff.


what would your mother tell you to do?



she'd say first buy 10,000 helium balloons.


and bring the leaf blower.



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-IlBqOzp7jg

[wdfifteen]

Thoughtless on their part. A little reminder might be all they need.

[Captain Ahab Jr]

Originally Posted by wdfifteen

Thoughtless on their part. A little reminder might be all they need.

Squirt a little gas into the sucking end of the dudes blower and see how high he jumps when he starts it up

[HardDrive]

I think the report of a .45-70, and the leaf blower disintegrating in his hand would be a clear, concise expression of your displeasure.

[Jeff Higgins]

Originally Posted by HardDrive

I think the report of a .45-70, and the leaf blower disintegrating in his hand would be a clear, concise expression of your displeasure.

I tried that once. In the back yard, on a rabbit. On a remarkably (and rather unfortunately) windless day. Not all that well thought out on my part, I used my original 1878 manufacture Ballard Pacific which is, of course, limited to original spec black powder loads. The rather booming report and resultant lingering cloud of acrid smoke made it rather difficult to convince my concerned neighbors that "it wasn't me". The rabbit didn't care...

[Jolly Amaranto]

Originally Posted by Jeff Higgins

The rather booming report and resultant lingering cloud of acrid smoke made it rather difficult to convince my concerned neighbors that "it wasn't me". The rabbit didn't care...

Reminds me of the stories my dad told of hunting deer with his dad's old Winchester Model 1886 40-82. He had to wait for the smoke to clear to see if he hit anything.

[Superman]

I'd pay admission to watch that conversation.

[GH85Carrera]

I watched our neighbors professional yard crew in action last fall. After all the leaves had fallen, they sent a crew to pick up the leaves. Five guys went to his back yard and a huge pile of leaves came flying out the side yard, and they worked like trained professionals. Which of course they were, and they corralled the leaves into a large pile that ran the length of his front yard. They pushed them all into the street, they fired up the giant V6 powered leaf sucker - shredder that was trailer mounted. It sucked up the leaves and they pushed the leaves to the maw of the sucker. It blew the shredded leaves into the back of a large covered pickup.

It was all done in 25 or 20 minutes, and they went to the next yard on their list.

[Jeff Higgins]

Originally Posted by Superman

I'd pay admission to watch that conversation.

Oh, it shouldn't be much to see. It will be an exceedingly calm, polite, but unmistakably clear conversation. There will be little room for doubt or any sort of misinterpretation. Polite but firm...

Originally Posted by Zeke

I determine those types that would leave leaves (I had to do that ) psychopaths in the minor. No matter what you say, he won't get it. And my best way of dealing with these individuals is to go postal. They understand something is going on when you loudly vow to make him start eating the leaves.

Be on the lookout for retribution.

Yeah... they obviously know where I live, and I have no idea where they live. If this gets elevated past the guy who did it, and his boss does something about it (like fires the guy), I will be concerned. That's why I was hoping a brief, polite clarification of my expectations would soon have him on the right path.

Alas, my wife met my neighbor lady at the mailbox yesterday afternoon. While I wasn't going to say a word, she mentioned it. So, of course, with our wonderful neighbor being the wonderful neighbor she is, she promised to contact the company and set them straight. So I guess it's already been elevated to the boss... Exactly what I didn't want...

[sammyg2]

Make sure they stay off your lawn. That's what I would do.