Leaf Blowers

I hate leaf blowers. They're noisy and smelly, and not really very good at moving leaves from where they are to where you want them to be. Not to mention spending all that gas.

For doing the job, I think a rake (or on pavement, a broom) is much more effective. You can push the leaves exactly where you want them to go - first time, every time - instead of having to chase them hither and yon as with a leaf blower. A rake or broom is also much quieter, doesn't require gas or produce pollution. What more could you ask for?

So here's the question:
Given a choice between (a) a tool that is effective, efficient, and eco-friendly, and (b) a tool that is inefficient, both in terms of performing the task and its use of resources, which would you choose?

Obviously, the logical answer is (a). So why is (b) the most common answer?

What Were They Thinking? - Bathroom Design

Every day, I encounter things that seem not to have been very well thought out. Things about which I have to ask myself: "Who thought this was a good idea, and why?"

I'm going to start posting about these things once a week or so, and the first one is about a bathroom design element that seems really wrong to me.

Why is it that public restrooms almost always have a large sink with a short faucet? You know what I mean: the sink is so wide from front to back that you have to reach almost arm's length to turn on the water, and the faucet is so short that you almost bump your hands against the back of the sink when washing them. Who thinks that makes any sense at all? Besides making washing awkward, it virtually guarantees that water will be splashed around on the counter, making a mess.

What were they thinking?