Leaf blower ban: it’s about the poop

I hate leaf blowers. Too noisy. Too lazy. And then there’s the poop.

Steve Annear of BostInno writes residents in Arlington, Mass.—both for and against a recent leaf blower ban—have been spewing hot air and making noise about the new bylaw that keeps people from cleaning up leaves and debris.

Today, voters will head to the polls to decide on whether or not the recent prohibition of leaf-pushers should be overturned during a special election in the town.

For local activist Jeremy Marin, it’s not about the loud, disruptive noises that leaf blowers make, it’s about the adverse health effects that can stem from excessive use of the machines.

Specifically, it’s about people getting poop in their mouths.

Marin, who has been blogging about the issue for quite some time, claims pollen, debris and most notably, animal feces flying through the air, are just a few reasons why the ban should stay in tact and not be repealed by the people.

According to Marin’s blog, he tackles “everybody’s favorite topic—poop” :

Marin said studies show that particles on the surface, in fact, “get airborne with the 150-280 mph winds leaf blowers put out.”

Those speeds push the feces into the air, leading to people possibly inhaling it.