To hate the neighbours for this

[highlandspringerdog]

We live in a little street of terraced houses. Everyone knows everyone and it's usually lovely and safe. My kids are late primary school / early secondary school and I feel totally at ease letting them nip to the shop in their own, to school etc.

Acouple of years ago I arrived home from work to find neighbours were having a firework display with the bucket of fireworks in the road about 2 metres from my front door. I found out about it as I drove down the road and nearly knocked into their cocking bucket. A firework whizzed out of it into the sky when I was practically on top of it. Slammed on brakes. Did not cause enormous car based explosion. Phew.

Neighbours had all their kids milling about - including toddlers just pottering about. I could not believe it!

Parked up at the top of the street and went in my front door. Found one of my kids in tears too scared to go out the house as the fireworks were there but worried as she was meant to be meeting friend at bus stop.
Livid.

I didn't say anything to the twerp neighbours that year as I was too in intimidated - the ones that set these off are the sort of A list neighbours, all friends, go on holiday together etc. I just felt a bit shy to go and say actually can you please not have your bloody fireworks in the street.

Last year - the same. Got home, war bucket in street, fire explosions coming out of it. With a twist - they'd stuck a twisting firework to a tree right outside my house and then lit it. So this fucking thing was whizzing around in a circle with sparks flying out of it and I was stuck in my car watching, and desperately repeat calling the landline phone to tell the kids not to come out of the house. I called the police. They came just as the pricksters were finishing up their display, and told them it was fine!!!

And now it's this year.

I thought I should be brave and ask them not to do it in advance. I've spent about a month worrying about fireworks injuries v annoying the neighbours, and in the end decided not to be a wimp, but to be super friendly.

Texted neighbours. Asked could they maybe not set off fireworks in street this year but instead do in their garden. Said I totally appreciate that some people love fireworks but I found them v frightening and would really appreciate them not being in our street on the pavement or in the road. "We'll try not to do it in the street" was the answer! Followed quickly by a message asking for me to not text them again.

AIBU to wish they'd all fuck the fuck off ? And take their fireworks with them?

[MumsTheWordYouKnow]

WTAF never heard of anything like this and if teenagers did this people would be up in arms and rightly so. They are dangerous in the safest of situations. I don't think handling difficult situations by text works though I'm afraid. People usually take offence as there's no context of how things are said.

ExitPursued you must the the neighbours

[highlandspringerdog]

I actually don't mind fireworks. Went to a fab display last night, organised by the council, in a field. Was totally great.
It's just the sheer inconsiderateness (possible this isn't a word) of putting other people in danger that really gets my goat about these fuckers. I don't really care if they want to stand their kids next to a bucket of fire, totally their own affair. But when it comes to them inflicting it on my kids, we do have a teensy problemo.

[highlandspringerdog]

It has come to my attention that I don't give two fucks if people think I'm uptight. I'm not having my kids have to walk past a bucket of explosives to get home!If that makes me uptight so be it.

[bloodyteenagers]

There's a mum on FB who is sharing the story of what has happened to her dd. Maisie. She's sharing the story to get people to think about the damage fireworks causes.
They do cause damage and I cannot believe people are saying chill out it's once a year. It's just a few fire works.
Tell this to the children that every year do get hurt. Tell that to the girl who has had surgery because of a few fireworks.

[Mummyme1987]

It's a disaster waiting to happen. This is how people get hurt. Well done on standing up to them. It was just a matter of time until it all went wrong. They just had been lucky up to now. They know they are in the wrong but can't admit it hence the bad vibes.

[JosephineMaynard]

I think it's weird to get upset about a few fireworks once a year.

What, even when they're being let off in a bucket in the middle of the open, public, road you have to go down to get to your house?

[Thingamajiggy]

I think it's weird to get upset about a few fireworks once a year. You sound a bit uptight

[gamerwidow]

I'm pleased they didn't do the fireworks in the street and they have no right to be so rude to you.
I have never ever heard of people being so inconsiderate as to actually do their fireworks displays on a public street. I don't mind fireworks and had some in my own garden on Saturday but this is just ridiculously selfish. I'm fairly sure you need a license with risk assessments and other safety measures to hold a display anywhere other than your own property too. You can't just pitch up somewhere and start letting fireworks off.

[Blu]

They have no business to be cold shouldering you, OP.

[highlandspringerdog]

No firework bucket in road this year! Correct!
But I still think they're total fuckers. They're all giving me frosty looks and total silence when I walk past, which is so bloody annoying S my initial text asking them not to do it was so bloody polite and grovelling I was disgusted with myself!

[Blu]

To be fair, as I understand it, this is the first year that the OP asked her neighbours not to do it, and they didn't!

There was no firework, in bucket, in road this year!

[ChardonnayKnickertonSmythe]

wreck not week.

[ChardonnayKnickertonSmythe]

I don't think there would be any petitions if it was a once a year occurrence, even a weekend. My dog is a week, but if I knew it would be one weekend I wouldn't worry too much.

Most people are fed up with firework season dragging over weeks, months even.

[Lozzamas]

Your neighbours are totally wrong/ illegal/ inconsiderate and rude given your reasonable request. However, it is once a year so I'd be happy to just avoid - and let them worry about their kids. We go to a friends who has a great firework party, big bonfire, lots of food drink and fireworks- no kids. I enjoy the evening and for that reason I wouldn't want fireworks banned - I won't be signing any petitions for a ban, but I may call the fire brigade or police if people were letting off fireworks in public. My pets don't like the noise but it's a once a year national pastime, part of our heritage so I just cope with the animals and keep them in... I don't like protracted firework night I.e. Going on somewhere around us on several nights in the run up - or just past it. This year was better being a weekend, most people seem to have done it Sat or Sunday.

[aaahhhBump]

You have my sympathy. My pig ignorant neighbour has a friend round the last 4 years who sets of about £300 worth of fireworks in our garden. I am beyond livid this year. They don't pick up afterwards. Boxes and bits of soggy wet cardboard and rocket sticks still sticking up all over the garden. The grass is scorched in places. I have passive aggressively been dumping it on her doorstep.

[godaddy]

I would've have gone f'king ape – over both the fireworks and the text. Your street is a shared communal space; not theirs, and they should have been asking you and you neighbours to agree before even contemplating turning it into a war zone. The text is typical of the ignorance you get from people in denial. They probably know it is unreasonable (and selfish).

There is no law that says you have to get on with your neighbours – but there is a law against a recklessness disregard for public safety. (We've lived with our unreasonable fuckwit neighbours for 3 years now in a state blissful mutual dislike, and honestly don't care at all). Good luck.

[mumto2two]

Agree with sapphire..am amazed there are so many ignorant people out there who don't seem to be aware that letting fireworks off in a public place is illegal, and even more amazed that there are so many others posting here who are happy to condone this kind of reckless illegal ignorance!

[Jedimum1]

I think the police only said it was ok last year because they arrived when it had finished and probably got a different version from the neighbour. Since it had finished, there was no evidence or anything to retrieve, do couldn't actually say much other than "do it safely", which the neighbour probably said they were doing.

Anyway, it's really stupid. A few years ago one of those fireworks that go up in a swirl hit my window and broke it to tiny pieces, we were in bed and the guilty kids scattered around so didn't realise it was fireworks at the time. We thought it was a gun! We called police, didn't sleep the whole night and only discovered the firework "stick" next morning between part of the glass. It was scary and worrying. If one of us had been looking at the display from the window, we would have been seriously injured. Bloody dangerous!

[Iwannabelikecommonpeople]

• have a talk with them

[Iwannabelikecommonpeople]

Very irresponsible of them..Are they for real? I would have contacted Police or fire service to go and have with them long ago !

[SapphireStrange]

I don't know why this discussion is still even going. Doesn't it end at the point where someone posted that link to show that it's illegal to set off fireworks in the street?

OP, YANBU x a million and I'm just disappointed that you went out instead of calling the police. Then again, I'm disappointed that the police couldn't/wouldn't do anything in advance. How about the council?

[mumto2two]

Not sure if anyone has pointed this out yet, but do your ignorant neighbours know it is a legal offence to let fireworks including sparklers, off in a public street? It must be done on private property within certain time & date constraints. Check out the GOV.UK website and contact your local council also, as they may have additional restrictions or info. I would certainly not be endeavouring to make friendly efforts with something this reckless. If you know they are planning another street 'event', inform the police in advance or as soon as they start. If they are not there in time, take photos as evidence!

[karis84]

Why was it that the police deemed it "fine" last year? I don't understand that at all.

[Briarthorn]

Aarrgghhh, apologies, that was very presumptive of me. Sorry ArchiesDad, I've seen the "just go out / away" argument from people who have no DC / pets / elderly relatives with dementia / older DC with SN / loved ones with PTSD far too much over the last few days.

Peace

[Briarthorn]

I take it you don't live with Archibald? Children should be in bed / asleep at a fairly reasonable time you know, and school-age DC can't be whisked off on holiday either.