Many posts here are missing the point, the raison d'etre of leaf-blowers: the individual with a leaf blower has usually been hired by someone to do a job (e.g.,

Many posts here are missing the point, the raison d'etre of leaf-blowers: the individual with a leaf blower has usually been hired by someone to do a job (e.g., mow the lawn, clean up the leaves and grass). The whine of the leaf blower is verification that he is doing that job. It is thus mandatory that he spend a certain amount of time running the leaf blower in order to justify his work time; silence would mean a job not done. The next-door condominium, which has a front yard of about 200 square feet, employs a small army of about 10 leaf blowers to clean the front yard every Tuesday morning at 6:30 AM. Of course, winter or summer, rain or shine, the leaf blowers fire up and are whining, raising dust and dirt levels, blowing waste everywhere, coating our newly-washed cars in our parking lot and in general polluting the environment. My only consolation is that those workers will eventually die of lung cancer. And the reason for too many leaf-blowers in use in urban areas? The "Agency problem"! Usually there is a management company maintaining the grounds (rather than the owners who would be cost conscious). The management company funnels money to whom it wishes. Its easy to keep your cousins employed when each one owns a leaf blower. Need to help a friend? Hand him a leaf blower.