Gasoline-Powered Leaf Blowers
The defense (!) of gasoline-powered leaf blowers by Richard Seeley exemplifies the callous attitude of all who use these machines in residential areas.
The issue they ignore is noise , and as a noise-polluter of neighborhoods the leaf blower is unparalleled. The ear-splitting decibel count it produces is at least as bad as a buzz saw, and far worse for its ubiquity and daily usage. This one device has made my formerly peaceful neighborhood little better than an industrial zone.
Mr. Seeley: Noise-pollution is not “petty”; it is among the most insidious and cruel of torments. If you really are environmentally conscientious, you will trade your leaf blower for an honest broom (no one is asking you to use a hose). If that thought is unbearable, you should seek more congenial employment. When these hateful machines are finally outlawed in this city--as they already have been in Beverly Hills--you will have no choice.
STEVEN LINBERG
Los Angeles
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