When we visited New England one autumn, to attend a friends wedding, and also to see the fall colours, we also encountered the occasional leaf blower. Noisy things they were too. So no surprise to read that they’re something of a neighbourhood nuisance.
I’m a bit puzzled by the American fascination with such things: I rarely see them in the UK. But as far as private leaf blowers go, haven’t they ever heard of a standard garden rake? That said, I think my childhood would have been very different if we’d had a leaf blower. I think I might actually have enjoyed some of the chores… 
