Anchor ads are not supported on this page.

4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs

Leaf Blower (ain't no snow in San Diego)

The title of this sounds like it could be some Indian name. Or the nickname of a Charger quarterback.

But it has to do with that annoying piece of machinery that we all hate.

The first time I remember seeing one, I was about 12-years-old. This black family moved across the street, and I was always going over there to play basketball with the guy, Wes Jones, who was in his late 20s.

His wife always seemed to be getting mad about something. I believe this stemmed from the fact that she never wanted to leave their hometown in Chicago.

She once complained that the fire trucks here were yellow and not red. Wes explained that it was probably easier to see yellow trucks at night. She thought about this for a second, before yelling "I don't care! The trucks should be red. They look weird being yellow."

We were in the garage once looking for a basketball and she complained about the snow blower. She said, "Why the hell did you bring that thing? Ain't no snow in San Diego."

Wes, who had this great big smile beneath his mustache, replied "We can use it as a leaf blower."

It wouldn't be until about 10 years later, that people abandoned their brooms for leaf blowers. And, it blew my mind. I didn't think this was something that was really necessary.

And it was one thing when I was at the dentist trying to read the latest Sports Illustrated, only to be annoyed by the loud noise outside. Leaves were being blown from one sidewalk to another.

I was at my parents house months ago, and my stepbrother was mad at a neighbor, who everday blew leaves and junk into a storm drain in front of my folks place. He left a note on the door, telling him it was loud and annoying. Not to mention, probably not good for the storm drain.

(little did he know, the neighbor had some high-tech security cameras set around his house; he left a note saying he should've just talked to him in person, instead of leaving a nasty note).

That never works. How often do neighbors politely make a request, only for it to become World War III.

I didn't think the note was all that nasty. To me, it's nasty to not consider your neighbors when you make noise. That could mean a loud stereo, a dog barking, and of course...leaf blowers. Come on, people! Use a broom, and think of your neighbors.

I was at my bank yesterday, and two gardeners were working in the area and whipped out the leaf blower. Aside from all the dust they were blowing, it was loud.

I closed the sunroof, and rolled up the windows. I knew the bank teller would want to talk to me, as I had a somewhat unusual transaction I was requesting.

The leaf blower was about six inches from my car, and I heard the teller yelling. I waited a second, for the gardener to move by, and then we finished the transaction. I would've loved to have asked the gardener why he's doing that when customers are nearby. But who knows if he'd understand me (or turn off his leaf blower, and not be able to hear me).

And these things smell horrible. Can't someone like Al Gore talk about how bad they are for the ozone layer or something?

A few people have told me recently, that my tone and choice of words on my blogs, can come across as harsh. It might make people think I'm a jerk, when I'm not.

I take that into consideration when I say the following:

If you own a leaf blower, you're an idiot.

Here's something you might be interested in.
Submit a free classified
or view all

Previous article

Memories of bonfires amid the pits off Palm

Before it was Ocean View Hills, it was party central
Next Article

Hike off those holiday calories, Poinsettias are peaking

Winter Solstice is here and what is winter?

The title of this sounds like it could be some Indian name. Or the nickname of a Charger quarterback.

But it has to do with that annoying piece of machinery that we all hate.

The first time I remember seeing one, I was about 12-years-old. This black family moved across the street, and I was always going over there to play basketball with the guy, Wes Jones, who was in his late 20s.

His wife always seemed to be getting mad about something. I believe this stemmed from the fact that she never wanted to leave their hometown in Chicago.

She once complained that the fire trucks here were yellow and not red. Wes explained that it was probably easier to see yellow trucks at night. She thought about this for a second, before yelling "I don't care! The trucks should be red. They look weird being yellow."

We were in the garage once looking for a basketball and she complained about the snow blower. She said, "Why the hell did you bring that thing? Ain't no snow in San Diego."

Wes, who had this great big smile beneath his mustache, replied "We can use it as a leaf blower."

It wouldn't be until about 10 years later, that people abandoned their brooms for leaf blowers. And, it blew my mind. I didn't think this was something that was really necessary.

And it was one thing when I was at the dentist trying to read the latest Sports Illustrated, only to be annoyed by the loud noise outside. Leaves were being blown from one sidewalk to another.

I was at my parents house months ago, and my stepbrother was mad at a neighbor, who everday blew leaves and junk into a storm drain in front of my folks place. He left a note on the door, telling him it was loud and annoying. Not to mention, probably not good for the storm drain.

(little did he know, the neighbor had some high-tech security cameras set around his house; he left a note saying he should've just talked to him in person, instead of leaving a nasty note).

That never works. How often do neighbors politely make a request, only for it to become World War III.

I didn't think the note was all that nasty. To me, it's nasty to not consider your neighbors when you make noise. That could mean a loud stereo, a dog barking, and of course...leaf blowers. Come on, people! Use a broom, and think of your neighbors.

I was at my bank yesterday, and two gardeners were working in the area and whipped out the leaf blower. Aside from all the dust they were blowing, it was loud.

I closed the sunroof, and rolled up the windows. I knew the bank teller would want to talk to me, as I had a somewhat unusual transaction I was requesting.

The leaf blower was about six inches from my car, and I heard the teller yelling. I waited a second, for the gardener to move by, and then we finished the transaction. I would've loved to have asked the gardener why he's doing that when customers are nearby. But who knows if he'd understand me (or turn off his leaf blower, and not be able to hear me).

And these things smell horrible. Can't someone like Al Gore talk about how bad they are for the ozone layer or something?

A few people have told me recently, that my tone and choice of words on my blogs, can come across as harsh. It might make people think I'm a jerk, when I'm not.

I take that into consideration when I say the following:

If you own a leaf blower, you're an idiot.

Sponsored
Here's something you might be interested in.
Submit a free classified
or view all
Previous article

Monster Trucks and Dick's

Next Article

Blogs on Dogs

Ask a Hipster — Advice you didn't know you needed Big Screen — Movie commentary Blurt — Music's inside track Booze News — San Diego spirits Classical Music — Immortal beauty Classifieds — Free and easy Cover Stories — Front-page features Drinks All Around — Bartenders' drink recipes Excerpts — Literary and spiritual excerpts Feast! — Food & drink reviews Feature Stories — Local news & stories Fishing Report — What’s getting hooked from ship and shore From the Archives — Spotlight on the past Golden Dreams — Talk of the town The Gonzo Report — Making the musical scene, or at least reporting from it Letters — Our inbox Movies@Home — Local movie buffs share favorites Movie Reviews — Our critics' picks and pans Musician Interviews — Up close with local artists Neighborhood News from Stringers — Hyperlocal news News Ticker — News & politics Obermeyer — San Diego politics illustrated Outdoors — Weekly changes in flora and fauna Overheard in San Diego — Eavesdropping illustrated Poetry — The old and the new Reader Travel — Travel section built by travelers Reading — The hunt for intellectuals Roam-O-Rama — SoCal's best hiking/biking trails San Diego Beer — Inside San Diego suds SD on the QT — Almost factual news Sheep and Goats — Places of worship Special Issues — The best of Street Style — San Diego streets have style Surf Diego — Real stories from those braving the waves Theater — On stage in San Diego this week Tin Fork — Silver spoon alternative Under the Radar — Matt Potter's undercover work Unforgettable — Long-ago San Diego Unreal Estate — San Diego's priciest pads Your Week — Daily event picks
4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs
Close

Anchor ads are not supported on this page.

This Week’s Reader This Week’s Reader