Active discussions

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To think he should leaf blow somewhere else?

109 replies

Imdunfer · 10/11/2025 10:19

I'm sitting in a ten acre park waiting for an exercise class to start while drinking a coffee. I'm the only person sat in this park. There are some other people around but they're all moving through to somewhere else.

Is it unreasonable to think that the guy with the incredibly loud petrol power leaf blower should be blowing the leaves in another area first, rather than right beside my bench?

Leaf blower not lead blood!! Why can't we edit titles?

OP posts:
BoulevardOfBrokenSleep · 10/11/2025 13:24

It's probably the outdoor equivalent of when you're in a completely empty car park and the only other car comes and tucks in right beside you Grin

Maybe he was lonely OP!

CautiousLurker2 · 10/11/2025 13:22

Imdunfer · 10/11/2025 10:21

Why? The park is empty except for me and he has a total of at least half a mile of paths to clear.

Show quote history

The park is otherwise empty? So why can’t you move and sit on another bench so that the man can get on with the work he’s paid to do?

Stravaig · 10/11/2025 13:15

Imdunfer · 10/11/2025 10:34

I wonder if someone in the Council is on Mumsnet 🤣. He just finished talking a phone call and come over and apologised!

Did he, aye?

PixieandMe · 10/11/2025 13:13

Too stubborn to move whilst waiting for an exercise class!

Brilliant.

Leaf it out, OP.

No5ChalksRoad · 10/11/2025 13:12

IamIfeel · 10/11/2025 12:24

This might be one of the most pathetic things anyone has taken the time and effort to post over. The level of entitlement is beyond.

Really? I don’t think so.

The groundskeeper was pretty rude. If the park is 10 acres he could have deviated from his route. He was blowing leaves, not performing neurosurgery.

No5ChalksRoad · 10/11/2025 13:10

housethatbuiltme · 10/11/2025 12:31

So you where in his way.

He is paid to be their to do a job that benefits everyone, you are just loitering because you had nothing better to do with your spare time.

He has to do his job, you don't have to sit there. Hes not going to do it in a random order a risk missing bit just because you want exclusive use of the public park.

Show quote history

Well one might argue that as a taxpayer the OP enjoying the park is the customer of the park employee. Not some inconvenient interloper. Patrons should be accommodated.

If you were in a nearly empty restaurant and a worker insisted on sweeping under your table instead of any of the many empty ones, you wouldn’t be annoyed?

Dollymylove · 10/11/2025 13:10

He was probably following a route through the park, rather than have to come all the way back to blow leaves from a bench that you were sitting on. Poor blokes probably got a pile of jobs to do and would like to eventually get home. Why didnt you just move if you didnt like the noise?

DiscoBeat · 10/11/2025 13:07

He has a routine so he doesn't miss bits out. YABU, just move!

XWKD · 10/11/2025 13:07

Imdunfer · 10/11/2025 10:24

Why would he expect me to do that, I was here first and he arrived and started the process of clearing half a mile of paths right by my side?

Show quote history

He doesn't expect you to do anything. He's doing his job. If you don't like it move.

Livpool · 10/11/2025 13:06

5128gap · 10/11/2025 10:33

Funny how different people view things. If I was sitting somewhere that someone needed to do some work on, my manners would motivate me to get out of their way. I think it says a lot about a person sense of self importance in relation to service workers if they think the worker should always give way.

Yep! It wouldn’t occur to me to not move to be honest

IamnotSethRogan · 10/11/2025 13:04

He probably just has a specific route that he does and isn't thinking about disturbing your coffee as a priority while doing his job.

Randomesttnought · 10/11/2025 13:02

Leaf blowing is usually a progressive thing. You start one place and finish where you want to dump them. I doubt there’s a man randomly trying to blow your seating area in isolation.

iamnotalemon · 10/11/2025 12:59

I thought it was ‘leave blood’.

leaf blowers are annoying but he is just doing his job. If it annoys you, you should move.

Stravaig · 10/11/2025 12:54

He'll most likely have a plan that makes sense of multiple variables, including access, wind direction, ease of collection afterwards, working around other park activities, and remembering where he's been. Your momentary rest on that bench is too insignificant to factor in.

BitOutOfPractice · 10/11/2025 12:50

I had a similar issue last week as I walked through the empty park. The man had a sit on blower. He was coming towards me, I jokingly put my hands up like “don’t shoot”, he turned it off and then Jokingly pretended he was going to get me. We both laughed and waved at each other. We both had a pleasant little interaction and the whole day was better! Maybe adopt this kind of attitude and see how it goes op.

instead of asking on mn and then arguing grumpily with everyone who doesn’t agree with you?

GehenSieweiter · 10/11/2025 12:47

Imdunfer · 10/11/2025 10:24

Why would he expect me to do that, I was here first and he arrived and started the process of clearing half a mile of paths right by my side?

Show quote history

He's doing his job, so, could you have moved?

MD2020and10LambertandButlerPlease · 10/11/2025 12:45

MaurineWayBack · 10/11/2025 12:33

@MD2020and10LambertandButlerPlease @5128gap
any other explanation as to why the guy went to apologise to the OP then?

I mean, it’s not because someone on MN told him about it….😜😜

Because he was being polite and realised he was probably in her way, why else would he apologise?

Did you read your own initial post where you made up a story about him being annoyed at op?

BoxesBoxesEverywhere · 10/11/2025 12:45

He's got a job to do, you can't surely expect him to wait until the bench is clear of people before going and doing it - with people presumably coming and going all day he'd forever be farting around seeing if it was empty yet to start leaf blowing!
YABU
(Thought this was going to be a thread about being annoyed at someone who "leaked blood" at first and got confused until I read your update 😁)

ShinyAppleDreamingOfTheSea · 10/11/2025 12:45

As long as he’s not leaking blood, which was my original assumption .

Blakeley · 10/11/2025 12:44

If this is the worse thing happening in your life right now then you are blessed. Enjoy your coffee and exercise class and be grateful you have a park you can get to and body healthy enough to enjoy all those things even if it’s interrupted by some inconvenient noise for a short while.

Namechanged999999 · 10/11/2025 12:36

Similar happened me the other day. I was literally the only person on the golf course hitting towards a particular hole and the grounds man decided to leaf blow on that green. The only one in use and gesticulating to me to go ahead and aim right at him. It put me off so badly ball was miles off. He must think I’m rubbish but there was no need for it.

MaurineWayBack · 10/11/2025 12:33

@MD2020and10LambertandButlerPlease @5128gap
any other explanation as to why the guy went to apologise to the OP then?

I mean, it’s not because someone on MN told him about it….😜😜

housethatbuiltme · 10/11/2025 12:31

Imdunfer · 10/11/2025 10:28

He was literally blowing leaves under my feet!

So you where in his way.

He is paid to be their to do a job that benefits everyone, you are just loitering because you had nothing better to do with your spare time.

He has to do his job, you don't have to sit there. Hes not going to do it in a random order a risk missing bit just because you want exclusive use of the public park.

TorroFerney · 10/11/2025 12:27

AllPlayedOut · 10/11/2025 10:42

Likewise.

Show quote history

Yes and, now he has magically apologised whether op feels a) vindicated or b) a bit of a dick for making a fuss. If the answer from op is a then it says a lot.

It is though a fascinating insight into how people think old social media, helps make sense of some stuff I find.

IamIfeel · 10/11/2025 12:24

This might be one of the most pathetic things anyone has taken the time and effort to post over. The level of entitlement is beyond.