« By Jean Chrétien | Main | Grossly Inappropriate»
October 6, 2003
Sprinkler Madness
I find it odd that companies in Seattle aren't content with the amount of precipitation the city gets. Seattle is one of the rainiest cities in the United States, seeing the sun only during the summer months, and under a canopy of grey for the other eight. So what is it about certain Seattle companies (Microsoft included), that lead me to believe they want more rain?
Sprinkler systems.
It seems every office building or place of business with a patch of grass in front of it has a sprinkler system. I guess so they don't feel ripped off by only being able to use it during the drier summer months, they try to amortize the cost per use by turning the sprinklers on even while it's raining.
I remember seeing this several times on my walk to work last year as an intern, and I forgot all about it until tonight. Having come home and realizing that I had no clean clothes for tomorrow and there was no laundry detergent in the apartment for me to use, I decided to trek to the grocery store in the rain. On my way I walked past an apartment building with a tiny well-manicured lawn in front of it. Despite the light (and forecasted) drizzle, the sprinklers were on full force.
I wonder who would complain more if they put a tax on water in Seattle, small businesses or coffee drinkers?