BS: Fireworks! Hate them!

Subject: RE: BS: Fireworks! Hate them!
From: Mo the caller
Date: 06 Nov 07 - 04:13 AM

From Down the Lane forum
"I have just had a distressing mail from one of the girls on my forum. A house a few doors down her lane had a firework party tonight and didn't tell her.
As she was out shutting them away, and she has about 30 chickens, the fireworks started, panicking them all.
Two died in front of her from heart attacks, and one is now indoors very, very poorly.
I think we should shut them away early rather than late for a week or so.
Wendy"

I don't remember WW2, but spent the nights in under the table, under the stairs. Is that why I hate bangs?

Subject: RE: BS: Fireworks! Hate them!
From: Stu
Date: 06 Nov 07 - 04:12 AM

"I didn't like crabby old carping fussbudgets then, and I still don't like 'em much, truth be told."

Well, this crabby old carping fussbudget says ban them now - no reason to sell them in a society incapable of self-restraint. Too many injuries, too noisy for weeks as the cider-swilling offspring of the town's miscreants throw them at people's houes, chuck them in shops (check out http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/manchester/7071486.stm), and send my dog into a state of perpetual terror for weeks.

I'm all in favour of the big displays - love 'em, but keep them on open sale to the the UK public - time to accept we are just not responsible enough.

Subject: RE: BS: Fireworks! Hate them!
From: GUEST,Tunesmith
Date: 06 Nov 07 - 02:29 AM

First, there are no restrictions on fireworks in the UK being set off any time of the year; it's my birthday - let's set off some firteworks; I come home from the pub a bit merry - let's set off some fireworks, And, so on. Fireworks are now an all round year phemonenom. Why have laws stricting noise in society and then allow fireworks! Crazy! Fireworks are just bad news. The elderly mother of a friend of mine has spent every night for the last month believing she was back in WW11 and that Germans were bombing the area. And god knows what the effects of fireworks are on wildlife.

Subject: RE: BS: Fireworks! Hate them!
From: Rapparee
Date: 05 Nov 07 - 10:18 PM

... Old people know these bangs are caused by fireworks, not falling artillery shells....

No, Nick. I've seen people 40 years removed from a war zone react to an unexpected explosion (especially the kind that whistles first) as if they were still there. One of them was my own brother, two July 4th's ago. If you've been there once, it's always there with you. The trick is to let people prepare themselves first, don't surprise them. PTSD can show up at the most inconvenient times.

Subject: RE: BS: Fireworks! Hate them!
From: Sorcha
Date: 05 Nov 07 - 09:35 PM

I have no objection to SAFE, RESPONSIBLE use of them but I do object to homes and thousands of acres set on fire from them. In the US July 4th is Independence Day....and it's hot and DRY then.

Just have a little sense please. Ever see an RV/caravan burn? They go FAST. So does a grass fire. If there is a person in the RV or a house on the grass, just say Oh well, it sure was fun.

Subject: RE: BS: Fireworks! Hate them!
From: The Walrus
Date: 05 Nov 07 - 09:14 PM

I have no objection to fireworks on November 5th (or even, as this year, the weeken adjacent), what I do object to is having so many set off before (and after) the date, that it turns October and November into a minitature sound effect of the Western Front barrages.

Subject: RE: BS: Fireworks! Hate them!
From: Little Hawk
Date: 05 Nov 07 - 09:08 PM

OUCH! Well, you have to be careful, don't you?

Subject: RE: BS: Fireworks! Hate them!
From: Donuel
Date: 05 Nov 07 - 08:29 PM

I saw Hap the clown lose 3 fingers when he fumbled to light an m80 to simulate the backfire of his clown car at the fair.

Subject: RE: BS: Fireworks! Hate them!
From: Little Hawk
Date: 05 Nov 07 - 07:53 PM

Well, when I was a kid you could buy cherry bombs all year round at the variety stores...and me and my friends did. We used them to blow up tin cans, toy soldiers, bunkers we made out of dirt for our toy soldiers, and so on. You now cannot buy cherry bombs legally at all in the province of Ontario.

But kids played outside most of the day then if the weather was half-decent. I guess times have changed.

Subject: RE: BS: Fireworks! Hate them!
From: Bobert
Date: 05 Nov 07 - 07:51 PM

Luv 'um... But 'round 10:30 'er 11:00 its time fir them to be over ifr the night... New Years Eve being the exception, of course...

I go up to Pennsylvania once a year by up 'bout $300 of the good stuff... I got a "Prefereed Customer" card which means that when I buy one of anything I get the 2nd one free... Then when I get to $300 I get a $100 assortment of really good sh*t... Like 19 shots stuff that you light and then you get 19 real solid booms with lots of stuff happening overhead... I mean, $300 and you can put on one heck of a show for a private party...

B~

Subject: RE: BS: Fireworks! Hate them!
From: Peace
Date: 05 Nov 07 - 07:38 PM

When I was a kid the biggest fireworks available to us was the Roman candle. You see some of the stuff available today? We be talkin' one fu#kin' BIG BANG.

Subject: RE: BS: Fireworks! Hate them!
From: Little Hawk
Date: 05 Nov 07 - 07:36 PM

I love fireworks. They are reserved only for special occasions, and they're fun. The noisy ones don't bother me, and the ones that make a bright show in the night sky are marvelous! Let's have more fireworks, I say!

My viewpoint on this matter has remained unchanged since I was a kid, and I'm glad of it. I didn't like crabby old carping fussbudgets then, and I still don't like 'em much, truth be told.

As for those who wish to eliminate ALL imagined dangers from the lives of both children and adults, I say...you are pursuing a will-o-the-wisp and you will never run it to ground. And a good thing too.

Subject: RE: BS: Fireworks! Hate them!
From: Nickhere
Date: 05 Nov 07 - 07:25 PM

Actually I must confess to rather liking fireworks - one of the few 'honourable' uses of gunpowder. They give great entertainment.

I know some people are disturbed by the noise, but in fairness - fireworks tend to be limited to a few timnes a year and regulations exist to ensure they do not go on all night. That's a far better situation than your neighbour's ghetto blaster going dunmph!dunmph!dunmph! like a relentless jackhammer all night as the cops explain on the phone 'there's not much we can do actually...have you tried telling them?" (no, I don't like the look of their dog). Or unnattended car alarms (all car key rings should have a receiver attached that emits a shrill alarm at the same volume as the owner's car alarm until the absentee owner returns to their car and turns off the offending alarm). Some say old people and animals are frightened by them. Maybe - I often hear dogs bark at them, but then dogs will also bark at any loud noise, car alarms, passing cats etc.,

But as pointed out above, fireworks are limited mainly to a few times a year, domestic animals can be brougt indoors. Old people know these bangs are caused by fireworks, not falling artillery shells (unless they're the unfortunates in Iraq) so what's the big deal? I suspect the real reason why old people are afraid of the bangs sense they are likely to be connected to other worse anti-social behaviour by young (and old) louts. That's a separate issue that needs to be sorted.

And then what about hunting season when armed men go after unarmed innocent ducks (my sympathy clearly lies with the ducks, and I make no apology for it), the dull slam of their shotguns echoing across wetlands to nearby housing estates?

As for injuries - yes, young kids shouldn't be using fireworks unsupervised and irresponsible adults who supply them to kids should get a rap on the knuckles!

Subject: RE: BS: Fireworks! Hate them!
From: Victor in Mapperton
Date: 05 Nov 07 - 07:23 PM

Guest, there seems to be a flourishing trade in illegal fireworks these days. One reputable dealer said on local television that his trade was down last year by 40% because very powerful fireworks are freely available illegally that would require a licence if bought from his premises.

Subject: RE: BS: Fireworks! Hate them!
From: Richard Bridge
Date: 05 Nov 07 - 07:15 PM

Darwin?

Subject: RE: BS: Fireworks! Hate them!
From: Peace
Date: 05 Nov 07 - 07:02 PM

What was that line from "Armageddon"?

'Close your hand over a fire cracker. Someone's going to be opening your ketchup bottles for you.' Something like that. (Saw it many years ago and my memory is failing.)

Subject: RE: BS: Fireworks! Hate them!
From: Victor in Mapperton
Date: 05 Nov 07 - 06:53 PM

Kids no longer buy traditional fireworks as I remember them. What kids light these days are small bombs. I watched local kids this afternoon carrying three foot rockets and ten inch bangers. A local shopkeeper told me lorry drivers on continental runs are bringing them in and selling them illegally. The local ambulance crews are seeing some horrific injuries due to the amount of black powder in these devices.

Subject: RE: BS: Fireworks! Hate them!
From: Rapparee
Date: 05 Nov 07 - 06:38 PM

I don't mind those that are either professionally staged shows OR which are "ground effect" (fountains, for example). I really don't care for things that explode.

Subject: RE: BS: Fireworks! Hate them!
From: Peace
Date: 05 Nov 07 - 06:27 PM

They happen here, too. Not a good thing, IMO.

Subject: RE: BS: Fireworks! Hate them!
From: Jean(eanjay)
Date: 05 Nov 07 - 06:12 PM

The Gunpowder Plot was an English thing so as well as the UK other commonwealth countries will celebrate Guy Fawkes Day.

Fireworks do seem to be associated with celebrations, and other countries do use them for such but I'm not sure they go on week after week both before and after the event.

I'm not keen either.

Subject: RE: BS: Fireworks! Hate them!
From: Bainbo
Date: 05 Nov 07 - 06:11 PM

Three exceptions to the law. Tonight they can let them off till midnight, and on New Year's Eve and Chinese New Year they're allowed to go on till 1am.

It's been quieter then ususal in the run-up to Guy Fawkes on this bit of the coast of North East England, and the bangs and cracks which started at dusk tonight had gone away by about 10pm.

Subject: BS: Fireworks! Hate them!
From: GUEST,Tunesmith
Date: 05 Nov 07 - 05:55 PM

Today, Nov 5th - is Guy Fawkes Day. A day for firework displays in the UK. Unfortunately, the weeks leading up this day are also an excuse for letting off fireworks. I believe, by law, anyone can - and does - let off fireworks until 11pm ( it is now 10.50pm and I can hear them just outside my house). Every year more and more - and louder and louder - fireworks, are used. Now, does this sort of thing happen in other countries?