To want fireworks banned from public sale?

[JellyDiamonds]

I'm not a killjoy, but I'm sitting here with a fucking terrified dog. He is not a dog who scares easily, but it sounds like the Blitz out there tonight I've got the TV turned up loud to drown out the sound, I've shut the curtains and he is still cowering in the corner. Not even the lure of a treat is bringing him out.

It's the same every year, selfish fuckers buying bombs to set off in their gardens with little consideration for neighbours with pets and young children. At least pets have shelter from it though, farm animals and wildlife don't.

In fact I hate the entire concept of bonfire night really. Burning a catholic on a bonfire. How is that still acceptable in 2014.

Just go to a public display and stop inflicting this noise on your neighbours please!

If they can't restrict them to the public why can't they restrict the sale of them to just a couple of days before bonfire night instead?

I think YABU. We are having ours tomorrow as it is ds birthday too. As long as they are done with at 9 and people aren't idiots with them then there is no problem. I have a dog and 3 cats as well. It's not fair to ban something just because of a few dick heads. Dick heads drive cars too and you don't see anyone wanting to ban cars.

Why do you think restricting them to public displays will solve your problem? There are two public displays in our neighbourhood - one of these is less than a quarter of a mile away and we get far more noise from that then we do from anyone's private fireworks.

Not that it bothers me personally 'cos I can watch out of the back window and get a free display

Why can't manufacturer's make them quieter then? I know it can be done.

Where I come from you need a licence from the fire brigade to hold a private fireworks display. They do appear if people let them off and check licences, heavy fines otherwise. It won't deter EVERYONE but it massively reduces the numbers letting them off willy nilly in their gardens. I think we could copy this in het he UK. Would also reduce chances of kids letting them off in streets etc.

If it's public displays only then at least people can plan ahead, get calmers for animals etc. The reason this is such a problem is because firework displays at people's homes happen for any random event now. Birthdays, Halloween, Christmas, Weddings, any bloody thing.
When you knew that you needed to plan for Fireworks Night and maybe the weekends before and after it wasn't such an issue.

YADNBU I would like to see them banned for sale to the public all together for a wide variety of reasons.

Yes... no exceptions. That is all.

So the real point of the thread is that you want to ban bonfire night. I've never in my life wanted to burn a Catholic, yet bonfire night (safely and publicly arranged) was always superb as a child and has only fond memories. I absolutely despair of people who want to wreck things like that.

YA sooooo NBU!!
I'm going to a public display on wednesday with my little sister as I am at home for the night. But, when I have work at 6am every morning, I don't appreciate them going off util half 11. I only think of people's DCs who are screaming and little dogs who are scared. People need to sleep and I find it very inconsiderate. I don't like fireworks. I only like the display because it's warm near the fire.

I love fireworks however I am dismayed at the huge fireworks that you can now buy. Many of them are for gardens nuch larger than those round here but people just ignore the information. As a kid we used to have a tame little home display with a few roman candles and silver fountain type things - no loud bangs and nothing much shooting up into the air.

Big fireworks should be confined to public displays organised by professionals who know what they are doing. The added advantage is that the date is advertised in advance so pet owners can make suitable prepaprations.

I was aghast to discover when we moved out of our old house that unbeknown to us we had been sleeping under a huge box of old fireworks for 10 years! Left for us by the old owners - what kind of idiot does that? (Well actually I know his name .......)

We didn't execute Guy Fawkes in any way. He tried to blow up the House of Lords in 1605, was found after a search and was sent to the gallows. He was not hanged - he jumped off the scaffold and broke his neck. If he were burned in the end, he was already dead before that.

UncleT How I agree with you. Fewer people now have their own small family Fireworks Party on Guy Fawkes' Night (mostly because of do gooders) so younger people now do not know how enjoyable it was for us older people. There'll come a time when no one remembers having fireworks in the garden, rockets standing in milk bottles and youngsters waving sparklers around.

If anyone brings up the subject of even barbecues being of a fire danger in private hands, the fires are usually caused by fools who pour an inflammable liquid onto their charcoal or whatever they use.

I say to you do gooders who know no better - keep your hands off our British traditions and customs. Those of you with animals of any sort, keep them indoors with familiar noise or get rid of them rather than spoil our fun.

Totally agree. Its beyond ridiculous that children are protected from sweets in lunchboxes and from carol singers without a license but anyone can buy a handful of explosives and set them off wherever they like. Not to mention the huge public disturbance directly outside your home for day after day at this time of year causing distress to people and animals.

Mentioned this in previous threads on this subject but I had a firework damage my car last year from a neighbour shooting fireworks off in a garden less than eight metres square, backing against a whole circle of other houses and gardens. Fireworks landing on roofs, in ponds, on cars, on lawns and hedges, on decking... how there wasn't a major fire I have no idea. I was amazed to find that if someone damages your property by being stupid with a firework you have absolutely no protection or come back at this time of year because even if you saw them set off the firework you can't prove it was the same one that landed. Too many people have too little sense of responsibility, and there are too many new build houses clustered too closely together on estates with tiny gardens for this to be safe any more.

I'd wholeheartedly support organised and licensed displays only, and limited to a short, set period like the 5th November and the Saturday either side, so the distress it causes is kept within bounds. Its ridiculous these are still freely available to the public.

Oh dear - I'm now a do-gooder and should keep my hands off British Traditions. I thought the Chinese invented fireworks? And us do gooders, who are concerned for the welfare of other people and animals, know no better? Well, in that case, I'm glad to be ignorant

YANBU

Infact Ive just had a look at the epetitions website and found this so have signed. Looks like its a long way off having any effect though, but Ive signed anyway.

Im confused why the sale of explosives and gunpowder are freely available to anyone who appears old enough to buy them.

In Australia they are banned.

Thanks for the link, biscuits!

Those of you with animals of any sort, keep them indoors with familiar noise or get rid of them rather than spoil our fun.

Yes everyone, take your horses and cows and pigs and swans and wild creatures indoors, you know those soundproof buildings you all own?

dickhead

Those of you with animals of any sort, keep them indoors with familiar noise.

Bet the swans will enjoy that.

I'm another who comes from a country where fireworks are strictly licensed. Apart from improved safety and less ridiculous noise levels, the public fireworks displays are much, much better as a result.

YANBU. When I lived in a city they were used as weapons by some of the locals, it went on for weeks.

A couple of items about people who suffer - but then maybe they're just oversensitive.....
www.walesonline.co.uk/whats-on/arts-culture-news/photographer-commended-images-former-soldier-6555451

veteransforpeace.org.uk/2014/veterans-in-prison/

I can just imagine my sister in law horse curled up on her sofa.....

There are some horrific experiences on this thread. This is one instance where im grateful for having overprotective parents. My dad used to do fireworks in the garden in the 70s and 80s and wouldnt let us hold the sparklers He put them in the ground instead.

IMO the sale of them should be banned. Its not fair on frightened animals and there are too many idiots about. Too many ppl and animals being hurt Its not worth it.

We have a shop in our local shopping centre that has opened just to sell fireworks. A shop assistant in one of the other shops has spotted the bloke running it smoking just outside the shop. She didnt say how far away he was from the fireworks while smoking.

Here we go. again.

yes its nov 5th and expect them, yada yada yada......

almost lost track of date cos they've been going over 2 weeks now and they wont stop.

just had a load of yobbos lighting some and throwing them in our drives, luckily a police patrol car was cruising along and took the yobs away.