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Seeking advice on neighbor pushback after I got an electric mower
I recently bought an electric mower for my lawn to cut down on gas use. My old gas mower was loud and smelly, so I thought this would be a good change. But when I started using it, a couple neighbors made jokes about it being too quiet or not strong enough. One even said electric tools are just a fad and won't help the planet. I felt a bit discouraged, but the mower works great and my yard looks fine. It's also cheaper to run since I don't buy gas anymore. Has anyone else dealt with this kind of pushback when trying to make green choices? How do you handle people who don't see the point in small changes?
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ben_jones1mo ago
Ever get the feeling they're just giving you a hard time because it's different? I had the same thing happen. Next time they joke about the quiet, just say "yeah, I can actually hear my music now." If they say it's weak, point to your cut lawn and say "looks fine to me, and I saved fifteen bucks on gas this month." Most people just repeat stuff they hear.
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grant.skyler1mo ago
My neighbor called my electric mower a toy last month. I joked back that yeah, it's so quiet I can actually hear how out of tune my podcast is! @ben_jones nailed it with that point about people repeating stuff. I used to get defensive, but now I just agree and amplify the silliness. If someone calls it weak, I say it's perfect for my tiny lawn and I don't miss the gas smell at all. Honestly, leaning into the jokes takes all their power away and makes me enjoy my choice even more.
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