Relevant podcast episode. https://99percentinvisible.org/episode/the-los-angeles-leaf-blower-wars/
this post was submitted on 17 May 2025
323 points (91.9% liked)
Showerthoughts
34440 readers
906 users here now
A "Showerthought" is a simple term used to describe the thoughts that pop into your head while you're doing everyday things like taking a shower, driving, or just daydreaming. The most popular seem to be lighthearted clever little truths, hidden in daily life.
Here are some examples to inspire your own showerthoughts:
- Both “200” and “160” are 2 minutes in microwave math
- When you’re a kid, you don’t realize you’re also watching your mom and dad grow up.
- More dreams have been destroyed by alarm clocks than anything else
Rules
- All posts must be showerthoughts
- The entire showerthought must be in the title
- No politics
- If your topic is in a grey area, please phrase it to emphasize the fascinating aspects, not the dramatic aspects. You can do this by avoiding overly politicized terms such as "capitalism" and "communism". If you must make comparisons, you can say something is different without saying something is better/worse.
- A good place for politics is c/politicaldiscussion
- Posts must be original/unique
- Adhere to Lemmy's Code of Conduct and the TOS
If you made it this far, showerthoughts is accepting new mods. This community is generally tame so its not a lot of work, but having a few more mods would help reports get addressed a little sooner.
Whats it like to be a mod? Reports just show up as messages in your Lemmy inbox, and if a different mod has already addressed the report, the message goes away and you never worry about it.
founded 2 years ago
MODERATORS
Good episode for sure. Well... most 99% Invisible episodes are good!
My grandfather got in a minor disagreement with his neighbor one time. Shortly after I went to his house to visit and saw his neighbor on the roof blowing leaves off his roof on to my grandfather's lawn.🤣
Wouldn't a goat be a cheaper and less polluting solution which would also automatically mow the lawn and produce milk..?
(Of course it wouldn't solve the noise problem, but it'd probably be less offensive than a leaf blower...)
You think that right up until you see and smell how much poop comes from one cow/goat/sheep. If your neighbor had one, you would have complaints.
I'm always taken aback by the hate. Where and how do you guys live that this is an issue?! Let alone a major annoyance?! I can scarcely imagine noticing leaf blower noise. It's no worse than gas mowers and those are everywhere (or used to be), and go for far longer. Is this just a circle-jerk complaint kinda thing?
I know everyone around here thinks they're an ADHD, autistic, OCD mess, but can no one tune out background noise? (No, you're not special, more likely an normal adult human with modern life issues.) If anything it should be old people bitching as hearing discretion gets more difficult in middle-age+.
The homeless guy that lives behind our Lowe's probably gets annoyed at the 9PM blowing, but that's a 20-30 minute thing, and not too late. (Always felt a bit bad when I closed.) I pick every tiny bit of plastic out though. Not in my waterways!
A bit snarky, I know, but those were serious questions.
And BTW, organic refuse gets blown in the street because passing vehicles reduce it to dust very quickly. All organic, no harm no foul in my book. Also, it's hellacious to corral that stuff for sweeping, no point.
EDIT: This post reminded me I need a new battery blower. And if you think 5-minutes of noise while I blow out my truck bed and driveway is too much, I don't know what to tell you.
Maybe it is a hearing difference. I was never into loud music and my hearing is still very good.
I know everyone around here thinks they're an ADHD, autistic, OCD mess, but can no one tune out background noise?
Drag is often in physical pain and crying on the floor because of the leaf blower, but sure, autism is fake.
load more comments
(9 replies)
...and also stop using it when a car is passing by. Thanks assholes
Fuck leaf blowers and whoever invented them. Should be illegal along with ultra bright headlights
I use mine to clear grass from the driveways (my neighbors more than mine since I don't care that much) and to blow leaves out of my gutters. As for blowing an entire yard full of leaves into neat little piles, hell no!. I've got better things to do with my time. I just keep mulching blades on my mower and grind the leaves up. Better for the lawn anyway.