“Touchdown” courtesy of The SunBreak Flickr pool member Nareshe
Leaf blowers, besides a racket, create law-breaking litterbugs. We already have teenagers who ably fulfill these two functions, so I don’t see why we can’t ban leaf blowers.
Yesterday as I walked out of The SunBreak offices, I was greeted with an expanse of leaf-free sidewalk, which wasn’t all that surprising as I’d been tormented by the piercing whine of a leaf blower the last hour or so. Looking closer, I realized that the leaves from the neighbor’s lawn and sidewalk had been blown into the street’s gutter, leaving a dirt-and-leaf-mâché along the sides of cars parked there.
While the benefits of this method of leaf dispersal were clear, I couldn’t help but wonder if it was legal. It’s not, says the internet. Blowing leaves into the street is littering. Not only does it slow down street cleaners, but the leaves block up storm drains and create huge standing puddles. Seattle’s civil code, subchapter V: Littering, is quite clear:
D. No person shall throw, discard, sweep or deposit any accumulation of litter from public or private property into any gutter or stormwater drain within the City.
(If you’re an upstanding citizen, you can Adopt-A-Drain and help keep it clear.) Here’s a link for yard waste information, if you need a yard waste can, But-I-Have-an-Excuse Guy.
That said, property owners are responsible for the sidewalk along their property: keeping it clear of leaves (rake), snow and ice (shovel), and unsightly hipsters (garden hose) should be a matter of civic pride. Also, there’s nothing quite like really owning the neighborly moral high ground when you notice your neighbor’s unkempt sidewalk and offer to take care of it while you’re out there tidying up.
