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ciroccojLawn-mowing accidents on the rise, projectile injuries most common: study
So, OK, here's something that bugs me. Here's a quote from the study: "Getting hit by a stick shooting out of your lawn mower is something people under-perceive (as a risk) and the thing to do is to wear goggles and protective clothing. Wear long pants."
And some more:
"If you own a lawn tractor and you want to treat it like a go-cart, just turn off the blade and take your kids around - if that's so necessary."
"Measures that would lower the risks of lawn-mowing injuries include clearing a yard of debris before mowing, wearing close-toed shoes, keeping others - especially children - out of the yard while mowing is underway, and turning off the mower before attempting to service it, the authors said."
You want to know what we do to protect ourselves from horrifying 1000kph flying projectiles and whirring scythes of foot-death?
We own a push lawnmower.
It cost $160 at Lee Valley. It's light, user friendly, never breaks down, and we never have to worry about electrocution by extension cord, or running out of gas, or decapitating small children. It doesn't pollute, is nearly soundless, and the only downside I have ever encountered is that it doesn't cut the grass quite as short as the electric/gas mowers. Which means we have to mow very slightly more often. Which, since we're not deafening the entire neighbourhood and spewing gas fumes the whole time, is not a major sacrifice, IMHO. It's pleasant mild exercise and it's better for the grass - prevents a lot of weeds, actually.
But hey, why go low-tech when you can spend a fortune for the latest and greatest grass-annihilating machine? The kind the entire suburb can wake up to on a lovely Saturday morning, which will also obligingly remove limbs from small children and animals that foolishly wander by?
So, OK, here's something that bugs me. Here's a quote from the study: "Getting hit by a stick shooting out of your lawn mower is something people under-perceive (as a risk) and the thing to do is to wear goggles and protective clothing. Wear long pants."
And some more:
"If you own a lawn tractor and you want to treat it like a go-cart, just turn off the blade and take your kids around - if that's so necessary."
"Measures that would lower the risks of lawn-mowing injuries include clearing a yard of debris before mowing, wearing close-toed shoes, keeping others - especially children - out of the yard while mowing is underway, and turning off the mower before attempting to service it, the authors said."
You want to know what we do to protect ourselves from horrifying 1000kph flying projectiles and whirring scythes of foot-death?
We own a push lawnmower.
It cost $160 at Lee Valley. It's light, user friendly, never breaks down, and we never have to worry about electrocution by extension cord, or running out of gas, or decapitating small children. It doesn't pollute, is nearly soundless, and the only downside I have ever encountered is that it doesn't cut the grass quite as short as the electric/gas mowers. Which means we have to mow very slightly more often. Which, since we're not deafening the entire neighbourhood and spewing gas fumes the whole time, is not a major sacrifice, IMHO. It's pleasant mild exercise and it's better for the grass - prevents a lot of weeds, actually.
But hey, why go low-tech when you can spend a fortune for the latest and greatest grass-annihilating machine? The kind the entire suburb can wake up to on a lovely Saturday morning, which will also obligingly remove limbs from small children and animals that foolishly wander by?
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no subject
Date: 2006-04-20 04:34 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-04-20 04:37 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-04-20 10:10 pm (UTC)And loud. Stupid and loud. And with that beer balanced between your knee and your five-year old, you look stupid, loud, and dangerous.
I wouldn't be talking about anybody on our street, though. This is just a theoretical person out there. Yeah.
no subject
Date: 2006-04-20 10:18 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-04-20 05:04 am (UTC)Honestly, around here, we shouldn't have a lawn at all. But we've got a postage-stamp of grassy space for the kids to play on, anyways. Before they were toddling, we had a wildflower meadow, and when they're grown we'll likely go back to that sort of xeriscaping. But for now?
We've got a push mower, too. We also have my grandfather's 1984 electric plug-in mower, but the only time we use that is when our next-door neighbor (who is 85 years old) sometimes doesn't get his own mowing done for several weeks in the springtime, and he gets a fix-it ticket from the neighborhood preservation police. Then we go over with the higher power of the electric and chop down his knee-deep
junglelawn.Yay appropriate technology.
no subject
Date: 2006-04-20 10:13 pm (UTC):) :)
Before they were toddling, we had a wildflower meadow, and when they're grown we'll likely go back to that sort of xeriscaping.
We tried a wildflower back yard, but within two years the grass took over. But our friend Anne has a wildflower front yard, so we're going to get advice about how to keep it wild. Our front yard is running space enough for our guys.
Yay appropriate technology.
Yeah, exactly. It's not that I'm a Luddite; I just don't see why it's necessary to haul out the big guns for everyday use.
no subject
Date: 2006-04-20 01:30 pm (UTC)Since I HATE mowing with a passion I tend to take Lin's solution. Get rid of the grass and replace it with something that is attractive but doesn't need mowing.
Although, there is something "lazy summer morningish" about waking to the rrrrrrr of a mower in the distance.