rhm

Pretty often I have to ride through clouds of cr@p thrown at me by landscapers with weedwackers, and it's kinda annoying the way those guys will just keep running those things even when a cyclist is going by. I know, they have a right to make a living and all, but flying rocks and stuff can hurt.

Well, yesterday, I had such an incident. The guy with the weedwacker saw me coming, and ignored me. He saw me ride through his cloud of flying debris. Then he saw me stop in the debris field and pick up something, which was a little piece of paper exactly the color of a Federal Reserve Note. Then he saw me pick up a second, larger piece of paper, also the color of a Federal Reserve Note, and also the same size, though one piece was torn away. He was close enough to see that it was a bill, but not close enough to see what denomination it was. Then he saw me put it all in my pocket and ride away. It seemed fair to me.

It was only a dollar, but maybe he thinks it was more.

jpdesjar

nice one, maybe it will make him think about not flinging stuff your way next time

Bryan T

Those guys do not care about anyone besides themselves and the one signing their check. They likely have never thought for an instant that debris could project and damage a car finish, or someone's eye.

When I pass by that action, I close my right eye and squint through my left.

bikeCarrot

Can't say I have that problem. I ride by a small university on my commute and Tuesday is the day they have their grounds done. They always stop as I go by and I always wave as a thanks.

DavidLee

Not a problem for me, most stop & wait for peds & cyclist. On the rare occasion one does not I do take into consideration they have most likely been out in the heat & blaring sun all day so I move left & look away. No big deal really.

d2create

They're getting paid $4/hr and feeding 10 kids. Cut'em some slack.

JeffS

Most of the time, they'll pause as I go by - which is a lot more consideration than they give cars.

I have a problem with the entire practice of blowing debris in the streets. Were I in a position to do so, it would be outlawed. Without even getting into the stormwater issues... it just seems wrong.

tjspiel

The leaf/grass blower has to be one the worst inventions EVER from an environmental and noise perspective. Let's blow all the nutrients and moisture off the grass, put it in the storm sewers to wreak havoc on the lakes and streams while making a lot of noise and smog in the process.

Are perfectly trimmed lawns THAT important?

bmclaughlin807

I'd say that better than 99% of the landscapers that I've passed over the past several years have stopped and waited for me to pass before continuing with what they were doing.

condiment

I have to agree with most of the other posters in here that landscapers are probably some of the most cyclist-considerate people I encounter on my rides.

lil brown bat

Oh god, leaf blowers. I used to live in a town where there was this recovery organization, and every morning at 5:30 am these guys would be up leaf-blowing the main street in front of my building. I tried calling them to ease back on it, and the guy running the place went into this completely hysterical, self-righteous rant about how these guys were trying to turn their lives around and who did I think I was, etc. I asked him which of the twelve steps required blowing debris under people's bedroom windows at 5:30 in the morning and got an incoherent scream in response.

There's a certain type of person who gets deeply attached to anything with a two-stroke engine. I own a lawnmower, a weed-whacker and a chainsaw, but I'm always more than happy to shut 'em off. They're just not my idea of fun.

tekknoschtev

I am super conscious of this exact issue when I'm mowing my lawn or edging and such. I'm no landscaper, but I know how pissed I'd be if a rock came flying into my windshield or the equivalent of a sandblaster was used on the door of my car so I try to avoid the hypocrisy.

To that end, though, I know many of people (landscapers and normal homeowners) who don't care at all about the debris and when I'm driving I move out a lane. I haven't encountered this issue yet in my commute via bike, so I'm not sure how I'd react.

jpdesjar

just as annoying as the neighbor across the street who likes to ride his dirt bike up and down the driveway about 30 times...that thing is so damned loud...drives me crazy
i wish he would just go find a trail...when i go out and practice wheelies on my bike at least it is peaceful

MNBikeguy

frymaster

well, there's also the car.

Az B

Just sneak up behind them and blast the Airzound. That'll learn 'em.

Az

SlimAgainSoon

Crews downtown are trained to stop when you walk or ride by -- nice. But these are state workers keeping our state office buildings tidy (and they do a good job).

The problem I have with yard crews are the private guys and their long, wire trailers -- they are the worst for cutting me off when they pass.

rturpen

Around Dallas I get plenty of respect from the landscapers. It is the jackasses in cars that give me grief.

Mod Edited out quote

Bill Kapaun

I have more trouble with people and their lawn sprinklers shooting out into the street. Pedestrians have it worse!

CB HI

+1

They don't do it for cars. I saw one landscaper put a rock through a car window once. Happened to be a JAM that passed me close - Karma.

noisebeam

I don't care for leaf blowers, but when there is roadside work being done, which I encounter at least 1/wk I move to the far left of the lane giving 10' passing clearance. Leaf blowers in the desert always involve small rocks and lots of dust.

Al

Vodalus

As a member of the same broad umbrella of "outdoor service industry employees" let me just say that Landscapers (particularly mowing crews) are the lowest of the low. I can't even count the number of times some dope on a mower has come within inches of my when i'm working and blown grass, stones, sticks, etc all over me. They don't give you any respect becausee they don't respect themselves.

ok_commuter

If that weed-whacking dude was ever one of those folks who thought that people ride bikes b/c they're poor or have DUIs... imagine how he must have laughed inside when he saw some poor cyclist stop his route, get off his bike, and greedily snarf up a thrashed one dollar bill. Weed whacker dude didn't even bother to pick up the bill, he just thrashed it with his wacker. Sweet.

Vodalus

I've also found that if they get snarky with you, it is best to point at a flower bed and tell them they missed a weed. they usually either look and then get pissed off, or just straight away get pissed off.

unkchunk

Not had a problem with landscapers weed whacking, edging or blowing. They mostly will pause until I pass by. Landscaper tucks towing trailers... that's a completely different story.