Call The Police On Gas Leaf Blowers, Massachusetts Town Advises Residents

Remember when the LIBS wanted you to rat out your neighbors who were holding parties during COVID? 

Now the LIBS want you to rat out your lawn service company — and/or your neighbors — for using a gas-powered leaf blower and there's a good chance they won't stop here. 

In Lexington, Massachusetts, where the American Revolution started and the median household income is around $210-$240k per year, landscapers are critical. Over half of the homes in the town are valued over $1 million. Making those properties look beautiful just got harder, and more expensive for everyone. 

Lexington, Massachusetts is telling residents to call the cops if they hear a gas-powered leaf blower within the city limits. (Photo by Wolfgang Kaehler/LightRocket via Getty Images)

On March 15, Lexington instituted a new law prohibiting the use of gas-powered leaf blowers within the city limits. Bylaw § 80-4H(6) states, "Effective March 15, 2025, the use of all gas-powered leaf blowers by commercial landscapers in the Town of Lexington shall be prohibited."

But, wait, there's more. 

Residents are also banned from using gas blowers. 

Ah, but there is one type of blower that is legal. "The use of wheeled leaf blowers powered by four-stroke engines on properties larger than one acre is not subject to the prohibitions," the law states. 

And how is all of this going to be enforced? 

The city is calling on residents to call the cops if they see anyone using a gas blower. Anonymous tips are allowed. 

"The Town has hired a Code Enforcement Officer specifically to handle complaints related to this bylaw. Upon receiving notice of a potential violation, the code enforcement officer will visit the address provided," the city announced back in February. "Complaints submitted at times when the code enforcement officer is not working or is unavailable will be responded to by the police, and information will be forwarded to the code enforcement officer for review."

And what are the fines for using a gas blower?

• $50 for the first offense
• $100 for the second
• All fines after that are $200 per violation

Who pays the fine?

The city says the resident is on the hook. 

"The owner of the property where the violation occurs is the most likely recipient of any fine(s). However, any person who violates the bylaw, including the owner of a landscaping company, can be fined," the law reads. 

Hold up, so let's say a homeowner is at work and the Turf Bros. roll up to mow the lawn, and they use gas blowers without the homeowner's knowledge. Someone in the neighborhood calls the cops, the code officer rolls up, the crew is gone, but he has a code violation report. He's just going to write a fine out to the homeowner who wasn't home and couldn't stop the Guatemalans from firing up their blowers?

From the sound of things, this is going to be one massive mess. 

What if the neighbors don't know the difference between a gas blower and a battery blower and assume they hear a gas blower? Or what if these COVIDians hate all blowers and they start calling the cops over any blower? 

Americans react to an historic American town banning gas leaf blowers

"You know who would approve this message… the British," a red-blooded American wrote on Facebook in response to this news. 

"My gas powered leaf blower identifies as an electric leaf blower," wrote another. 

Others questioned whether the city of Lexington will continue to use gas-powered equipment. "A neighborhood hero is needed to keep an eye on [department of public works] equipment with a very good camera," a Massachusetts resident noted.