Author Topic: Utterly bewildered by this guy...  (Read 19159 times)

MustachioedPistachio

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Utterly bewildered by this guy...
« on: April 29, 2015, 09:40:11 AM »
My wife and I were enjoying fizzy libations on our front porch a few evenings ago when we heard the distant drone of a small engine.

Looking towards the source of noise, we see a guy driving up the sidewalk ON A RIDING LAWNMOWER. We think "oh, maybe he borrowed it from a neighbor / relative and is returning it in an incredibly inefficient manner..." He passes on by, continuing down the sidewalk.

10 minutes later - guess who's making a second lap?

What the fuck?

*DW just IMed telling me he's at it again this morning.*

GuitarStv

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Re: Utterly bewildered by this guy...
« Reply #1 on: April 29, 2015, 09:48:59 AM »
Is it even legal to drive those down a sidewalk?  Usually motorized vehicles are supposed to be used in the road.

MustachioedPistachio

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Re: Utterly bewildered by this guy...
« Reply #2 on: April 29, 2015, 09:58:33 AM »
I would imagine so. There's definitely a law against vehicles (including bicycles) on sidewalks, so I'd image he would be ticketed.

Considering the absurdity of it all...and the reckless spewing of noise and air pollution, I may just tip off the fuzz if this craziness persists.

BlueMR2

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Re: Utterly bewildered by this guy...
« Reply #3 on: April 29, 2015, 10:02:53 AM »
Around here it's illegal to drive them on the sidewalk or in the street.  They're for yard/your own private property use only (just like golf carts and snowmobiles)!  Not that anyone with golf carts or snowmobiles obeys that either.  I don't really mind though, at least they're not driving around in a full size car...

MustachioedPistachio

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Re: Utterly bewildered by this guy...
« Reply #4 on: April 29, 2015, 10:07:12 AM »
In this case, I think "The Ridiculously Overpriced New Truck" would be a better option than a full-size riding lawnmower...

Or maybe just walking to take in the view? Like, what the hell is he trying to accomplish?!

I'm a red panda

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Re: Utterly bewildered by this guy...
« Reply #5 on: April 29, 2015, 10:07:58 AM »
I have a neighbor who drives around on his riding mower.  I've never seen him do a second lap though, but he treats it as a golf cart to go up to the mail boxes.

He also mows people's yards if they are overgrown and he knows the owners are busy right now.  So no one complains.

I'm a red panda

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Re: Utterly bewildered by this guy...
« Reply #6 on: April 29, 2015, 11:07:40 AM »
Quote
Side note: How long do you think it would take him to ride from Iowa to California?  My backyard is overgrown with weeds right now. 

Probably too long :)

He also mows by the pond in our subdivision so kids can fish.  He is a really nice guy.


It's never occurred to me it is a problem to ride on the sidewalk because you have to ride over the sidewalk to mow the median strip of your yard anyway, so clearly they can support the weight.

GuitarStv

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Re: Utterly bewildered by this guy...
« Reply #7 on: April 29, 2015, 11:34:30 AM »
It's not a matter of supporting the weight.  Many people drive over sidewalks to get to their driveway every day, they can certainly support the weight.  It's the fact that these tractors are large enough to prevent people who should be using the sidewalk (pedestrians, people with strollers, dog walkers) at the same time that they're polluting the air with noise and fumes.

Dicey

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Re: Utterly bewildered by this guy...
« Reply #8 on: April 29, 2015, 11:46:41 AM »
Perhaps he just watched this:

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0166896/

I can't believe no one has mentioned it yet. Cue up your Netflix, folks, you're in for a great lawnmower ride.

I'm a red panda

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Re: Utterly bewildered by this guy...
« Reply #9 on: April 29, 2015, 11:56:08 AM »
It's not a matter of supporting the weight.  Many people drive over sidewalks to get to their driveway every day, they can certainly support the weight.  It's the fact that these tractors are large enough to prevent people who should be using the sidewalk (pedestrians, people with strollers, dog walkers) at the same time that they're polluting the air with noise and fumes.

At least in our area the sidewalk in the driveway is a different thickness than the rest of the sidewalk. Damage can be done by driving on the regular sidewalk.

As for use- I figure everyone has the right to use the sidewalk as they want. Since mowers DO have to go over the sidewalks on a regular basis, I don't see how they could be prohibited. How would you mow your lawn if you aren't allowed to put it on over the sidewalk?  Or do cities that don't allow them on sidewalks have like a time limit?

There are lots of ridiculous noise and air pollution things people do that I could be annoyed about.  It doesn't seem worth it to be annoyed at this.

GuitarStv

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Re: Utterly bewildered by this guy...
« Reply #10 on: April 29, 2015, 12:01:49 PM »
There's a difference between crossing the sidewalk momentarily to get to the grass at the front of your house, and cruising down the sidewalk for long periods of time.  We were talking about the latter, which it seems reasonable to take exception to.

MrsPete

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Re: Utterly bewildered by this guy...
« Reply #11 on: April 29, 2015, 12:16:45 PM »
Hey, some kids in my neighborhood used to ride around on a motorized cooler.  Yes, a big red Coleman.  They'd take turns riding that thing, and the ones who weren't riding would run behind.  They did it for YEARS. 

JoJo

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Re: Utterly bewildered by this guy...
« Reply #12 on: April 29, 2015, 12:44:33 PM »
My dad has this awesome little truck that's basically a golf cart.  He uses it to pick rocks & stuff.  Since he's a farmer, he drives it up town (30 mph zone since we're so close to town) for coffee with the guys in the summer under "agricultural use". 

socaso

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Re: Utterly bewildered by this guy...
« Reply #13 on: April 29, 2015, 12:47:41 PM »
Perhaps he just watched this:

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0166896/

I can't believe no one has mentioned it yet. Cue up your Netflix, folks, you're in for a great lawnmower ride.
Aaaahhh! You beat me to it! Love that movie.

When we were kids my granddad used to hitch the little red wagon to his riding mower and pull us around the yard (or 5 acres, however you want to define it). We would sit in the wagon and choke on fumes and think we were having the MOST fun.

kendallf

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Re: Utterly bewildered by this guy...
« Reply #14 on: April 29, 2015, 01:33:35 PM »
We have several guys (it's always guys, for whatever reason..) in my old neighborhood who drive their riding mowers to the store.  Then they come back by with a 12 pack of Natty Lite on the steering wheel..

MLKnits

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Re: Utterly bewildered by this guy...
« Reply #15 on: April 29, 2015, 01:46:29 PM »
Side note: How long do you think it would take him to ride from Iowa to California?  My backyard is overgrown with weeds right now.

A friend of mine used to do these kinds of word problems with her parents. They once calculated how long it would take to drive a riding mower from our hometown up to Toronto to see Phantom of the Opera onstage. (The play detail is irrelevant to the calculations, but extremely relevant to my friend's willingness to spend her middle-school afternoons running calculations with her parents.)

MgoSam

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Re: Utterly bewildered by this guy...
« Reply #16 on: April 29, 2015, 01:55:59 PM »
Have you thought of asking him about this activity? It's possible that as a little boy he saw someone driving around in a lawnmover and pledged, 'When I get older, I'm going to get my own lawnmover and drive around the block!' and thus he is now fulfilling his lifelong dream.

MustachioedPistachio

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Re: Utterly bewildered by this guy...
« Reply #17 on: April 29, 2015, 02:28:52 PM »
I'll try to flag him down on his next lap to see what's up!

MgoSam

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Re: Utterly bewildered by this guy...
« Reply #18 on: April 30, 2015, 10:22:01 AM »
Side note: How long do you think it would take him to ride from Iowa to California?  My backyard is overgrown with weeds right now.

A friend of mine used to do these kinds of word problems with her parents. They once calculated how long it would take to drive a riding mower from our hometown up to Toronto to see Phantom of the Opera onstage. (The play detail is irrelevant to the calculations, but extremely relevant to my friend's willingness to spend her middle-school afternoons running calculations with her parents.)
1. I saw Phantom of the Opera in Toronto as a kid.  2. I thought word problems were amazing.  3.  I still haven't mowed my lawn.  We've decided to stop watering the lawn, so I thought the longer grass might take longer to die (???).  It's wishful thinking.

I used to love puzzles such as these. Plus it's just fun to calculate and image something that you wouldn't normally think about. In high school, I was on our team's Science Olympiad team. We kicked ass and a competition I loved was called Fermi Questions. Basically you were asked to do back-of-the-envelope calculations without a calculator, and try to estimate the result. Questions would be like, "How many ounces of water are there in Lake Superior," and "How many piano tuners currently work in NYC." Me and my partner absolutely destroyed at the state meet in this event, and not medaling at nationals is sadly a disappointment I still remember :-).

Elderwood17

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Re: Utterly bewildered by this guy...
« Reply #19 on: April 30, 2015, 11:19:08 AM »
We have several guys (it's always guys, for whatever reason..) in my old neighborhood who drive their riding mowers to the store.  Then they come back by with a 12 pack of Natty Lite on the steering wheel..
I have seen that before looking out my office window.  There is a neighborhood behind my building and a grocery store a block away.  No idea how far this guy drives to get to the point I can see him but he pulls right up to the grocery store door and leaves the mower outside while he goes in to shop.

Financial.Velociraptor

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Re: Utterly bewildered by this guy...
« Reply #20 on: April 30, 2015, 11:31:13 AM »
Dood needs to add big shiny rims and a 'fart cannon' exhaust.  Maybe a little racing flag off the back and sweet streamers on the handlebar grips.

MooseOutFront

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Re: Utterly bewildered by this guy...
« Reply #21 on: April 30, 2015, 11:34:50 AM »
We have several guys (it's always guys, for whatever reason..) in my old neighborhood who drive their riding mowers to the store.  Then they come back by with a 12 pack of Natty Lite on the steering wheel..
awesome.  this thread has made me think I may need a riding lawn mower.

Gone Fishing

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Re: Utterly bewildered by this guy...
« Reply #22 on: April 30, 2015, 12:45:36 PM »
We have several guys (it's always guys, for whatever reason..) in my old neighborhood who drive their riding mowers to the store.  Then they come back by with a 12 pack of Natty Lite on the steering wheel..
I have seen that before looking out my office window.  There is a neighborhood behind my building and a grocery store a block away.  No idea how far this guy drives to get to the point I can see him but he pulls right up to the grocery store door and leaves the mower outside while he goes in to shop.

That's fine as long as he doesn't leave it idling!



daverobev

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Re: Utterly bewildered by this guy...
« Reply #23 on: April 30, 2015, 07:15:45 PM »
We have several guys (it's always guys, for whatever reason..) in my old neighborhood who drive their riding mowers to the store.  Then they come back by with a 12 pack of Natty Lite on the steering wheel..
awesome.  this thread has made me think I may need a riding lawn mower.

+1

Vertical Mode

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Re: Utterly bewildered by this guy...
« Reply #24 on: May 01, 2015, 12:15:38 PM »
...wait, so people DON'T usually mow the sidewalk where you live? ;-)

Jesstache

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Re: Utterly bewildered by this guy...
« Reply #25 on: May 04, 2015, 11:14:51 AM »
Riding lawn mower?  Terrible.  I use a reel mower.  No fumes, much less noise, get a workout in at the same time.  It's very similar to riding a bike to work instead of using a car.  Muscle over motor is the way to live.

After longing for one for years, I just bought this exact model at our local Habitat for Humanity ReSTORE for $30.  I brought it home and mowed our tiny lawn.  I didn't even have to sharpen the blades!  My husband was skeptical but seeing is believing and now he thinks it is cool.  I'm most excited, however, at how easy it will be to throw it in the back of my car and bring it to our two rental houses to mow their lawns as well.  The gas-powered mower is so big and heavy and seems like a total waste on the approximately 500 sqft of grass we have.  Bonus is that I plan on selling our gas mower for much more than $50 so I'll come out ahead and no more gas for the mower either! 

:) 

Papa Mustache

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Re: Utterly bewildered by this guy...
« Reply #26 on: May 11, 2015, 03:38:14 PM »
We have a pair of reel mowers. Love them to pieces. I still use the power mower for mulching and when there is an excess of sticks in the yard such as after a storm.

As for the riding tractor fellow - we used to have an old guy here that lost his license to a DUI I heard so he drove a lawn tractor (minus the mower deck) 15-20 miles along the country highways to get wherever he needed to. My old lawn tractor used to roll along at 7 mph in high gear. His seemed to roll along at twice that so he must have changed a pulley or two. 

As kids we drove my grandfather's lawn tractor all over the yard as a toy. No running blades. Was a hoot for a eight or nine year old. When i was really young I was only allowed to roll along in 2nd or 3rd gear. as I got older I could use any gear I wanted. In all those years I doubt we burned more than five gallons of gasoline that way. 

marty998

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Re: Utterly bewildered by this guy...
« Reply #27 on: May 11, 2015, 03:52:33 PM »
We have several guys (it's always guys, for whatever reason..) in my old neighborhood who drive their riding mowers to the store.  Then they come back by with a 12 pack of Natty Lite on the steering wheel..

Some bottle shops are drive through only in Australia...this is partly to keep the drunks and riff raff on the street from purchasing more and causing trouble. And also means that alcohol is unlikely to be consumed in large quantities near the premises, therefore any drama caused by said alcohol consumption will likely be a long way away.

Syonyk

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Re: Utterly bewildered by this guy...
« Reply #28 on: May 11, 2015, 09:48:44 PM »
My old lawn tractor used to roll along at 7 mph in high gear. His seemed to roll along at twice that so he must have changed a pulley or two.

They can go a good bit quicker than that...

Lawn mower racing is totally a thing. :)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Inypz_h-abA

zephyr911

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Re: Utterly bewildered by this guy...
« Reply #29 on: May 12, 2015, 06:59:03 AM »
Riding lawn mower?  Terrible.  I use a reel mower.  No fumes, much less noise, get a workout in at the same time.  It's very similar to riding a bike to work instead of using a car.  Muscle over motor is the way to live.
Love my Great States reel mower. Asked for it and received it for my bday or Xmas or something, years and years ago. For a cheap $100-ish deal, it's lasted amazingly well.

Fuzzy Buttons

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Re: Utterly bewildered by this guy...
« Reply #30 on: May 12, 2015, 07:20:18 AM »
Last year I bought a battery-powered mulching mower and I enjoy it much more than the gas powered one.  Much quieter, less vibration, and no smell of gasoline.  I can only do half of my fairly-large yard in a single charge, but I just do the other half the next day.  It's a good compromise if you want to get away from messing with gas but aren't ready to go all the way to a reel mower.

MandalayVA

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Re: Utterly bewildered by this guy...
« Reply #31 on: May 12, 2015, 07:54:50 AM »
As for the riding tractor fellow - we used to have an old guy here that lost his license to a DUI I heard so he drove a lawn tractor (minus the mower deck) 15-20 miles along the country highways to get wherever he needed to. My old lawn tractor used to roll along at 7 mph in high gear. His seemed to roll along at twice that so he must have changed a pulley or two. 

Every so often there's a news story about someone who got busted for DUI while driving a lawn mower.  Where there's a will, there's a way.  :D

Urizen

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Re: Utterly bewildered by this guy...
« Reply #32 on: May 21, 2015, 12:34:48 PM »
You must not be from the South. That's business as normal here.

cautiouspessimist

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Re: Utterly bewildered by this guy...
« Reply #33 on: May 21, 2015, 01:49:29 PM »
I actually had intended to buy a muscle-powered mower when I went to buy mine. Turns out, a corded electric mower was actually cheaper*.

*If I had thought about it, I probably could have found a reel mower on CL or something for cheaper, but it was only $100 either way, and the electric will help once I actually have grass in the back yard given how many sticks I have back there.

Vertical Mode

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Re: Utterly bewildered by this guy...
« Reply #34 on: May 21, 2015, 04:42:41 PM »
Several weeks ago I saw a guy cruising down to Costco in his motorized Lazyboy recliner (in full reclining mode). Probably doing 20 mph along the bike path. He "parked "it out front by the food court and go a pizza. Totally funny. Kind of like this guy:

Any idea how one would steer such a contraption?

I love this idea!

kendallf

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Re: Utterly bewildered by this guy...
« Reply #35 on: May 21, 2015, 10:07:51 PM »
Several weeks ago I saw a guy cruising down to Costco in his motorized Lazyboy recliner (in full reclining mode). Probably doing 20 mph along the bike path. He "parked "it out front by the food court and go a pizza. Totally funny. Kind of like this guy:

Now that's awesome! 

Here's a creation from the slightly deranged mind of a friend of mine.  He's an amazingly talented fabricator.

http://sdsefi.com/features/apr00stool.htm

Fuzzy Buttons

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Re: Utterly bewildered by this guy...
« Reply #36 on: May 22, 2015, 08:16:37 AM »
Last year I bought a battery-powered mulching mower and I enjoy it much more than the gas powered one.  Much quieter, less vibration, and no smell of gasoline.  I can only do half of my fairly-large yard in a single charge, but I just do the other half the next day.  It's a good compromise if you want to get away from messing with gas but aren't ready to go all the way to a reel mower.

I've been considering buying a mulching mower - what brand is yours?

Whoops, sorry I didn't see this question till today.  I bought this Kobalt Electric Mower.  Having the two battery slots is nice, plus it comes with two batteries.  But if I had it to do over again I might have bought the smaller 19" mower.  It has a single blade, while the one I linked to has two smaller blades.  Sometimes It misses stuff right in the center of the path.

Syonyk

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Re: Utterly bewildered by this guy...
« Reply #37 on: May 22, 2015, 09:06:33 AM »
Here's a creation from the slightly deranged mind of a friend of mine.  He's an amazingly talented fabricator.

http://sdsefi.com/features/apr00stool.htm

Only slightly deranged?

zephyr911

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Re: Utterly bewildered by this guy...
« Reply #38 on: May 22, 2015, 12:13:12 PM »
Whoops, sorry I didn't see this question till today.  I bought this Kobalt Electric Mower.  Having the two battery slots is nice, plus it comes with two batteries.  But if I had it to do over again I might have bought the smaller 19" mower.  It has a single blade, while the one I linked to has two smaller blades.  Sometimes It misses stuff right in the center of the path.
I'm on the verge myself. I've gone electric on everything else already... I don't even have a gas mower, and I was getting by with a reel mower at my townhouse but my current 1/3ac lot (full of pine needles and sticks) is too much for it. So you're happy thus far?

slugline

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Re: Utterly bewildered by this guy...
« Reply #39 on: May 22, 2015, 02:48:05 PM »
Whoops, sorry I didn't see this question till today.  I bought this Kobalt Electric Mower.  Having the two battery slots is nice, plus it comes with two batteries.  But if I had it to do over again I might have bought the smaller 19" mower.  It has a single blade, while the one I linked to has two smaller blades.  Sometimes It misses stuff right in the center of the path.
I'm on the verge myself. I've gone electric on everything else already... I don't even have a gas mower, and I was getting by with a reel mower at my townhouse but my current 1/3ac lot (full of pine needles and sticks) is too much for it. So you're happy thus far?

Chiming in as another Kobalt battery-mower owner: I'm starting my second summer with the 19" single-blade model and have been satisfied so far. The only "gotcha" was that the two included batteries together don't quite hold enough juice to completely mow my quarter-acre corner lot on one charge. But I also needed a hedge trimmer, so I bought the Kobalt model with a battery that interchanges with the mower's.

MgoSam

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Re: Utterly bewildered by this guy...
« Reply #40 on: June 09, 2015, 08:27:05 AM »
Several weeks ago I saw a guy cruising down to Costco in his motorized Lazyboy recliner (in full reclining mode). Probably doing 20 mph along the bike path. He "parked "it out front by the food court and go a pizza. Totally funny. Kind of like this guy:

Now that's awesome! 

Here's a creation from the slightly deranged mind of a friend of mine.  He's an amazingly talented fabricator.

http://sdsefi.com/features/apr00stool.htm
HA HA! A turbo charged bar stool! Wonder if you can get a DUI in that thing. My step-sister lived in one of those fancy-pants gated McMansion golf "resort" housing places where everyone drives pimped out golf carts around and she got a DUI for driving hers drunk.

As far as I understand DUI laws, anything motorized can get you into trouble. I try to avoid drinking to excess and when I do, I'm not the one driving, so I haven't had any reason to become versed in the nuances of the law.

jba302

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Re: Utterly bewildered by this guy...
« Reply #41 on: June 09, 2015, 02:50:46 PM »
Appropriate anecdote - I have a distant relative that drives around town solely on his lawn mower. Pretty sure it's due to the number of DUI's. Small town though, probably takes him 30 minutes to cross the whole town on it.