Monday, May 22, 2006
Question...
A brief diversion from saving the world to pose a question -- actually, two -- that have been bugging us for a while:
Why do people think it's ok to clear their lawns of leaves and grass by using power blowers to blow them into the street?
We're not talking about just before the street-sweeper comes by -- everyone does it then, and it makes sense. We mean on an on-going basis, weekly or whatever: how is it ok to just blow your lawn refuse into the street?
The second, and better, question is: when did it become acceptable for professional landscapers to do this? When did the deal become "I agree that for a certain sum I will come to your house twice a month, and instead of raking, bagging, and removing the leaves and grass I will just blow them into the street and your neighbors' yards, then pile everyone into my truck, race to the next guy's place, and send you a bill"?
How is that "cleaning up a yard"?
Obviously it's easier for landscapers to do this, so we don't blame them. But we're wondering who the first homeowner was who agreed to it. Who is the guy who didn't say, "What? No! No, I want you to bag up the stuff and get it out of here; that's what 'cleaning up the yard' means. I'm not paying you to just blow it into the street"?
That guy has a lot to answer for.
Why do people think it's ok to clear their lawns of leaves and grass by using power blowers to blow them into the street?
We're not talking about just before the street-sweeper comes by -- everyone does it then, and it makes sense. We mean on an on-going basis, weekly or whatever: how is it ok to just blow your lawn refuse into the street?
The second, and better, question is: when did it become acceptable for professional landscapers to do this? When did the deal become "I agree that for a certain sum I will come to your house twice a month, and instead of raking, bagging, and removing the leaves and grass I will just blow them into the street and your neighbors' yards, then pile everyone into my truck, race to the next guy's place, and send you a bill"?
How is that "cleaning up a yard"?
Obviously it's easier for landscapers to do this, so we don't blame them. But we're wondering who the first homeowner was who agreed to it. Who is the guy who didn't say, "What? No! No, I want you to bag up the stuff and get it out of here; that's what 'cleaning up the yard' means. I'm not paying you to just blow it into the street"?
That guy has a lot to answer for.
