Grass Cutting

[tilly]

Its funny you should open this thread me and my wife were just talking about this today.Not only does it look a mess but it gets on your shoes and gets walked into peoples houses.You would not cut your lawn and leave the cut grass to rot in piles so why leave it in piles on the grassed areas that they cut?

[somme1916]

raveydavey wrote: It's funny that the YMP is getting on it's high horse about what appears to be a perfectly straight forward contract - fancy a business not doing something they never agreed to do and that they are they being paid for.It's a shame the YMP didn't decide to be similarly outraged when the number of fire stations across the county was being slashed (barely a mention), or campaigning against the blatant abuse of planning regs by large developers (who consistently keep applying for permission on green belt land whilst supposed priority brownfield sites are ignored) or the near monopoly a certain supermarket seems intent on building in the city.Another no news day on Wellington Street. Yes,raveydavey....how true.

[Leodian]

While going down Scott Hall Road yesterday (March 21 2013) around 11:00ish I noticed that where I feel sure there had been lots of those small stemmed daffodils in flower (some just about to flower) in parts of the central reservation that there were now none. Where those daffodils were had been cut by a grass cutter, but which had left the clumps of larger stemmed daffodils untouched (they have yet to open up). Further down the road I saw a grass cutting machine in use, but at where there had been none of those small daffodils. Perhaps someone could please say if I am right in that there had been many of those small daffodils. If so then I think it is appalling that they had been cut down when they had still to reach their best. If I am wrong then I apologise to the grass cutting team.

[Phill_dvsn]

Leodian wrote: If so then I think it is appalling that they had been cut down when they had still to reach their best. If I am wrong then I apologise to the grass cutting team. It won't be some accidental reason Leo.This latest lot of grass cutters are the worst yet, even worse than Glendale.They'll have gone straight over the daffodils, it's easier than going round them. Contract work is all about saving money, pride, or common sense in your work isn't included in the price. You pay peanuts and you get monkeys e.t.c. They started off their new contract not too bad, but after about 3 cuts they've since deteriated into a worse shambles than Glendale. Either they don't cut the grass for weeks on end, or they cut it almost weekly, in bits, or when it doesn't need cutting. They appeared round my way as soon as March came, the grass didn't need cutting, it's not even started to grow yet since their last cut early November. (not surprising as were having the coldest March for decades so say the news) But my biggest gripe with them is the fact they have five different teams cutting the grass. One lot comes on bigger machines that cuts the level parts of grass, another on smaller machines that cuts larger areas not on a level, the third on stand on, or very small machines that cut smaller, and steeper areas, and the last lot with the strimmers and blowers. I actually caught Glendale going around the areas that needed strimming spraying it with weedkiller, that was to kill the grass and save them having to cut it in the future. Not only did the grassed areas where they had sprayed go dead and brown, it also spread killing large areas of grass. You pay someone to cut your grass, they kill it with poison instead...This last lot having so many different teams cutting the grass wouldn't be so bad, but they can't even co ordinate it to have them working together on the same day. It seems to take them an age as well. They made their first cut round here two weeks ago, 2 days later the guy on the smaller machine came round. Were still waiting for the three other men in the team, the steep grass man, and the strimmer, and blower man. Not only that, but these machines seem to be like toys, it takes them an age to cut it when they are here. Toys they may look like, but dam they are incredibly noisy. So we have half the grass freshly cut that didn't need cutting, since then covered in harsh frost, and today snow covering it. And the other half of grass standing out like a Mohicans haircut. All last year we never managed to get our grass cut in the same day, we've had littler bits of it cut.So your in a scenario where the first grass cutter can actually be around the second time before the first cut strimmer, and blower man has even been around. I can honestly say I would never have thought I would say the Council actually did a good job, but they certainly cut the grass better, and in a more organised fashion than we've had from these 2 cowboy outfits contracted the job, endless hours of irritating racket weekly from pathetic grass cutting tools not fit for purpose only cutting bits of grass. The Council cut the grass very quick too, on the same day with half the men and machines. 2 hours and they were gone, now we have cowboys around for 2 hours x5 spread out weekly. It's not so bad if you don't have much grass near you, but when you have loads of it on all terrains, It drives you mad..If this last lot won the contract because they were cheaper than Glendale, then really that speaks for itself I think. Rant over                                         

[Phill_dvsn]

We had the grass killers round again the other day, the level grass has been cut three times this year, the sloping grass we are lucky and had it cut once.Every bit of grass round here is like that, they can't seem to manage to cut differing levels of grass in the same day/week or even month. I should have taken these photos when they first killed the grass with weedkiller in March. It looked even worse and had spread more, each time I look at it it annoys me more. Next time I catch them I'm getting in touch with the Y.E.P, these contractors are paid to cut the grass, not kill it.Every obstacle and path edge where a strimmer is needed has had weedkiller sprayed on it. Whole lengths of grass around railings deliberately killed off.Every manhole cover.Lamp post, street sign, posties box, if you had stood on the grass they'd have sprayed weedkiller around you.They just killed the whole lot around the bus stop, far too complex for them to cut with a strimmer that bit     

[Phill_dvsn]

Six days after we had the level grass cut, we have the 'sloping grass-small areas only man' around. Making some nice dust from all the dead grass and bare earth they created with weedkiller.A machine of little more status than your average Flymo, albeit a petrol driven one. It remains to be seen if all levels of grass will finally be cut today. If that's the type of machinery they are using, no wonder sloping grass never gets cut!! When I saw the machine at first I actually thought it was a home owner cutting the grass outside his own house, It was only the hi-viz jkt made me realise.            

[Phill_dvsn]

Another day-another grass cutting man!Gone is the glorious sun of yesterday, but no fear, the cavalry is here.Here comes the ''sloping grass-slightly bigger area' grass cutting man!Nice little toy that, a cross between a motorised shopping trolley, or mobility scooter. There are bigger areas of sloping grass still untouched, it remains to be seen if this little cutting machine is capable of such a task to finally cut all the grass.     

[Leodian]

I'm surprised the council has not simply concreted over all the council owned grassed areas and so save the expense of cutting the stuff! They could even paint them green. Ooops, I hope I've not given them an idea! Mind you, I think they should let sheep, cows, horses and rabbits eat the grass. It would be great fun for children (and me ).Do you know Phill what is the reason for the curved area that is seen in your first photo on May 5th and your first one today (8th) as it just seems odd?

[Phill_dvsn]

Leodian wrote: They could even paint them green. Ooops, I hope I've not given them an idea! Do you know Phill what is the reason for the curved area that is seen in your first photo on May 5th and your first one today (8th) as it just seems odd? We used to have green concrete laid into kerbs, just like a grass layout would look outside your house, but it was green concrete. Anyone using the shops on Kentmere Approach at Seacroft in the 70's and 80's will remember that. It used to be quite widespread on the 60's built council estates, the green concrete dye fading over the years till it was hardly visible. The fake grass kerbs and dyed concrete have been taking up now, the whole lot being filled in with tarmachttp://goo.gl/maps/vTxYUCan anyone recall where this fake concrete grass can still be seen around Leeds?The half circle was for cars to turn around Leo, normally they are full circles if space permits. Believe it or not but the bus used to go up that narrow road when the estate was built in the 60's, and before the turning circle was built at the top. Roads were built so narrow back then, hardly anyone had cars. The grass cutter guy has gone now by the way, the large areas of sloped grass STILL untouched     

[Leodian]

Cheers Phill for the info that the half circle is for cars to turn round. It seems so obvious now but I had wondered if there had been something there at one time but now gone and/or covered over and the half circle bit was what is left. So no secret tunnel leading off from there then, unless (like the Kirkstall Abbey tunnel) it's so secret nobody can admit to it being there!