To think that fireworks should be banned from public sale?

[Runny]

It would be nice if people could use them responsibly and reserve their use for the 5th of November and New Years Eve, but around here theyve been going off for weeks and even now as I'm sitting here typing this, as 12.40 in the afternoon some idiot is letting them off in broad daylight. In fact it's been happening all morning! My poor dog is going beserk. I'd like to go around to whoever it is, ram a lit firework up their arse and launch them into space for being such an inconsierate, anti social selfish twat!

They are bloody dangerous in the wrong hands, they cause distress to animals, young children, elderly people, war veterans and people with ASD. How is it possible that anyone over the age of 18 can walk into a shop and buy them?! It's absurd. There is no need for them to be on sale when you can go to an organised display and watch them.

Please can we ban them?

Some of us do not have easy access to organised events due to there just not being any local. I don't buy fireworks personally but I do not object to watching those that people do. Our local council used to do a big display and provide public transport so people could get to it but that stopped a few years ago. I am going to a big event tonight but that's because I'm stopping with friends who do have one local.

I think YABU.

I think that firework displays are over-priced, over-crowded, joyless and sanitised.

They can't hold a torch to lighting fireworks at home and feeling like an active participant in the event.

Although I think that it is inevitable that legislation will come in and outlaw fireworks at home. Such is the risk adverse nature of our culture.

As a child I was very nearly hit by a firework (the type where they fire off shots every few seconds) as it fell over and cornered me in the garden as I jumped over the shots. It was being prepared and set off by a very responsible person who was taking all necessary precautions but accidents happen I was lucky that I could jump high enough.

I think they should be kept to organised displays, I hate them every year, they go on for weeks, frighten DD and wake her up, and keep me awake at night. Even the responsible people can have accidents and it's just not worth it. I've signed the petition.

Signed.

If fireworks are to be on general sale they should be specially manufactured to be less powerful and with with noise restrictions so they don't sound like a bomb has just gone off 100 yards away.

It would also be nice to think that anyone wanting to set off fireworks privately has to give a few days notice to neighbours etc.

I don't have a problem with louder & more powerful fireworks being used in organised displays.

My main issue is that fireworks are available all year round, and certain communities like to use them to celebrate notable family events. I live in such an area.

I really worry about animals being startled/scared by excessively loud bangs that occur without warning at odd dates all year round. You get used to (eg) keeping cats indoors or getting some sort of tranquillisers, for those dates when you might reasonably expect to hear fireworks - say Diwali, Bonfire Night, New Years Eve.

However, I don't keep a note of which neighbours are getting married or having notable birthdays & what have you, so I often have evenings punctuated by sporadic loud bangs.
I can imagine some nervous people would get really upset about a dozen very loud explosions over an hour or two - it certainly bothers me more than a concentrated hour or two on Nov 4th/5th or New Year's Eve.

I was badly frightened by having bangers thrown at me when I was a child, but I do like seeing organised displays.

The fireworks on general sale now are far more powerful, and dangerous, than anything we had 40/50 year ago.

YANBU. Its not safe to walk around my estate at this time of year. Even with CCTV cameras around, they are still being used on the street.

I like organised displays, but as a pp said up thread, they can be expensive, particularly if you have a largish family. When the kids were smaller, it was nice to get a few sparklers and basic fireworks for the back garden, particularly for my youngest DC who has ASD and was terrified of bangs, but loved watching the colours and flashes. He used to stand inside and watch through the window while other DCs watched outside.

Yanbu. I'm sorry for the people who responsibly use them but too many people don't and for that reason I think they should be get for public displays only, be that Diwali or Bonfire Night. Same as bringing back dog licenses or similar, the irresponsible minority mean the responsible majority have to 'suffer'. Not that not being able to buy your own fireworks is suffering.

And the comparison with Halloween is nonsense, Halloween is one night of the year even if you live somewhere that doesn't adhere to the 'lit pumpkin' rule. Once the fireworks are for sale, which is weeks before Nov 5th, that's it, random fireworks going off. It's not just one night for Diwali or just one night for Guy Fawkes.

YANBU.

We've had kids throwing them at passing cars here this week, as well as people letting them off past 11pm on weeknights. Had LOADS on Halloween too. We don't have a dog, but our neighbours' dogs have all been going wild, poor things.

Love that some people are justifying buying them because of the price of organised displays. Around here they cost anything from £2 - 10 to get in, most are kids go free. To buy fireworks is much more expensive!!

Agree with you OP.

My son is asd and loves fireworks so please don't assume all people with asd are the same.

I rather them not banned as then there is proper government control over fireworks that are safer than off the black market.

Yea, but the vast majority of people wouldn't buy black market fireworks if they weren't available in Sainsbury's, they just wouldn't buy them at all.

YABU. You can't ban something you don't like when millions enjoy fireworks

The OP doesn't want to ban them

yanbu I walked along a residential street the other night to hear a young girl say she had a firework thrown at her in that very street. They are dangerous, used by idiots a lot of the time, scare young children and are dangerous to pets and wildlife. Organised displays maybe but not for public use.

YABU. Making them only avaliable for 5th November & NYE, is not diverse. How will Diwali be celebrated?

They should be banned for public use with just organised displays allowed.

YABU but also a bit NBU. They shouldn't be banned but they should be regulated more strictly i.e. only sold for a few days before major festivals like Divali, Guy Fawke's and New Year's Eve. Anyone letting fireworks off at any other time should be subject to a fine. In my country you can only buy and set off fireworks on New Year's Eve and in some areas at the end of the boating season. To set them off at any other time of the year you have to apply for a special license from the fire chief (which makes sense). Sucks that I can't have fireworks tonight because its not a festival here of course but the rules are very sensible and means people know when to expect fireworks.

YABU. The knee-jerk reaction of 'ban them' overlooks all sorts of other options, such as restricting who they are sold to (higher age limit) and what sort of fireworks are sold to the public (restrictions on size/noise level).

The vast majority of people enjoy fireworks and use them sensibly.

Divali was recently fireworks were on sale 2 week s ago so people could buy them the op isn't wanting a ban on fireworks just regulations on them if people had to apply to buy fireworks in someway then imo a lot of people wouldn't bother.

It will still be the same idiots setting them off illegally.

Getting fireworks off the black market.

I mean letting them off in daylight means these people just don't care

Ach it's Diwali

Yabu and yanbu

We are not going to an event this year as both DC are coming to end the of that sickness bug going around, so tonight we are doing a small lot in the garden rather than infect the masses. I have spoken to the neighbor who is fine by it and for some reason fire works don't upset my dogs! They will probably watch from the kitchen window.

We will start at 6.30 and finish by 7.

Hardly unreasonable, at the same time I want to kill the idiot who was letting them off at 12.45/1am this morning there is no need for them at that time.

YANBU and I've signed. I've always been scared of them, I used to have spend weeks comforting my trembling dog and then clear all the debris from my sodding garden.
Around here, groups of kids have been throwing them at people's doors and at moving cars. One video I saw showed them doing it right outside a petrol station. This isn't a few kids either, the police dispersed big groups.
The weekend nearest bonfire night, diwali and NYE is all that's needed. Ban them any other night and enforce it!

I think eggs should be banned from sale too as round here a young lad lost his sight in one eye after one was thrown at him on Halloween one year.