Of all the useless tools and appliances people have invented over the years, by far the biggest abomination - the one that I would banish from the planet - has got to be the ludicrous leaf blower. It creates air pollution. It produces unwanted noise pollution (especially at 7 AM, the hour I was rudely awakened to a raucous cacophony of blowers this morning). It doesn't even provide good exercise for the lazy pseudo-gardeners who wield it like a weapon of war. They think they look so rugged and tough with their mighty power packs strapped to their backs. I know they look ridiculous.
A leaf blower is just a giant outdoor vacuum, noisy and unnecessary. I'm none too fond of indoor vacuums either (why hasn't anybody ever been able to put a muffler on the things?) but I concede they serve a purpose for which no good alternative is available. Brooms and carpet sweepers just can't suck up as much dirt. Lawn mowers have their place - the scythe is a little slow for the modern world. And in snowbound regions like Quebec, a snow blower is beneficial too; shovelling is not a safe form of exercise.
But a leaf blower? It's one of those gadgets nobody really needs. Whatever happened to the noble rake? Leaves are infinitely lighter than snow and raking is a decidedly healthy activity. (And most of the people I see brandishing leaf blowers certainly look as if they could benefit from a little more physical exertion.) For that matter, if they really want to be lazy and environmentally friendly to boot, the generally agreed upon best option is to just mow your leaves into your lawn and let them turn to mulch over the winter.
So citizens of the world unite! It's time we banned the blower and restored the humble rake to its rightful place in the garden shed.
No comments:
Post a Comment