Is this Appropriate (re: Leaf Collection)?

[Maleficent13]

My city does leaf collection. They put out signs saying when it will be, and all the houses rake their leaves to the curb, then several men with industrial leaf blowers come around and blow the leaves into several large piles. It usually takes 2 hours or so to do this for our street. After the men have got them all piled up, a big truck comes and sucks them all up. So far, so good.

Now, to the question: is it appropriate for these men, with their extremely loud leaf blowers and their beeping suck truck to *start* this process at 9:30pm? They finished up at about 11:30-ish. Of course, our whole house was up until they left.

My DH says I should consider us lucky...last year they started this process at about 3:00am...

 

[cepmom]

I would not be happy if they did that on my street!! Around here we rake our leaves and put them in big paper leaf bags. Then we leave them on the sidewalk and they collect them on trash day. Seems more to make more sense time wise, as it would only take them 5 minutes to collect all the leaves on the street

 

[laurajetter]

First I thought you said 9:30 am and I was thinking that wasn't a bad time. Then I realized that you said 9:30 pm... that I'd be upset about! Not for me and my husband, as we usually are up until at least 11:30 pm, but for the sake of my son. He goes to bed around 9 pm and I know that would keep him up. That also must be annoying for people who need to get up early!

Maybe you could set up fans in the bedrooms or some other kind of white noise, plus use some ear plugs. They have these soft foam ones (sort of like memory foam) that are really comfy even to sleep with.

Laura

 

[NMAmy]

Frankly, Mal, I would be tickled pink that they provide this service, no matter what time of day they did it! I only have a couple trees with leaves but all my neighbors have tons of them. They have a tendency to blow right into my yard and then I have to deal with them. I hate it.

BUT--I don't have a little one that's trying to sleep. And I remember well getting a baby or toddler to finally settle down and then someone making a lot of noise waking them back up again. So, I can see why you're annoyed, pal.

 

[Miss Jasmine]

Great service, bad timing. I would be ticked!

 

[Hannathy]

My goodness it is once a year maybe twice! Is this the only thing you have to fret over. If people complained if I was the city I would say ok bag them yourself and take them to the collection site yourself and save all that money.

I think 9:30 is fine and better than 3 AM.

 

[allison443]

Is this a one-time thing, or done more frequently?

 

[pperfectmom]

Yes, I think that is an inappropriate time for city workers to be about doing loud things, not to mention they are probably being paid overtime. Sort of OT something that really drives me nuts is seeing leaves in trash bags to be picked up and put in the landfill. HELLOOO they are leaves and therefore biodegradable!!!!!!!! I also don't understand why people don't just leave(ha ha!) them alone to decompose on their lawn. Of course I'm a country person and just don't understand a lot of things city folk do such as fertilizing their grass to make it grow even faster so that they can mow every other day.

 

[aprilgail2]

I would be happy as heck for htem to do that even if it was 3am!! We have to rake them and bag them all up ourselves before they take them. If I could just rake them to the curb I wouldn't care what time they came! Plus we can sleep though ANYTHING here so I doubt it would bother us, close the windows, put on the white noise machine on loud and we are good to go!

 

[Maleficent13]

They do it about half a dozen times during the leaf falling period (Sept - Nov).

And no, it isn't the only thing I have to fret over. And thanks for pointing out there isn't one other fluff thread on this whole board, or people complaining about anything else that may not affect the global balance. I'll apologize in advance for my thread about Ian Thorpe...I'm sure that's a waste of space too.

Good grief.

 

[JPN4265]

If they want to come to my house, they can start at 2am for all I care.

 

[powellrj]

while I might have been ticked, it beats the burning that my neighbors seem to think is the way to dispose of their leaves. I usually have a headache all of the fall season.

 

[Tigger&Belle]

We had the big leaf vacuum come to our neighborhood yesterday, but it was during daytime hours. We have quiet hours that start at I think 10PM, so they would not be able to be out there later than that. Not sure what time quiet hours end in the morning, but I think around 7 or 8AM and it might depend on whether it's weekend or weekday. The surprising thing is that I didn't even hear them and only realized that they'd vacuumed them when I went outside. Guess I won't quit my day job (SAHM) to become a detective since I'm more than a little clueless.

And yes, it would bother me to have them out so late. It's not a once in a season thing, I assume. Ours started the leaf vacuuming this week, but will continue to do it for at least another time or two until all the leaves are down.

 

[va32h]

9:30 to 11:30pm would not be too late for me, because I don't usually go to bed until 11:30 or 12 anyway.

My kids are very heavy sleepers, and would have fallen asleep before 9, so I don't think they would wake up (they sleep through thunderstorms, fireworks, ambulence sirens and pretty much anything else).

However, my husband would be annoyed - because he is a very light sleeper and usually turns in well before me.

My guess is they pick this time because there will be less traffic on the road.

 

[DawnCt1]

If they want to come to my house, they can start at 2am for all I care.

HECK, I WILL GET UP AND PUT THE COFFEE ON!!!!

 

[JR6ooo4]

ours and most towns around us have noise regulations and labor hours for construction, etc...
But those that make the rules are usualy the first to break the rules.


Mikeeee

 

[mtemm]

we used to have this service when we lived in saratoga. oh how I miss it! however, they did it during the day, not at night. I would NOT be happy at night. kids are sleeping and its a bit loud.

 

[Bob Slydell]

I just wish our city would actually stick to the schedule they put out. We were supposed to have ours picked up last Friday, so I spent a couple nights out in the dark raking up leaves so that they were on the curb by Friday. They're still there.

 

[lulugirl]

I guess that's kinda late, but since it's not a regular thing I would let it go.

 

[Maleficent13]

I just wish our city would actually stick to the schedule they put out. We were supposed to have ours picked up last Friday, so I spent a couple nights out in the dark raking up leaves so that they were on the curb by Friday. They're still there.

Yeah, in our city it's funny how Monday is spelled T-h-u-r-s-d-a-y.