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?

Definitely support a ban outside of organised displays. It's so fucking dangerous, every bloody year. I live in a naice street these days but didn't until very recently and in the 3 different cities I've lived in, every year for a month around November there would be dickhead teenagers setting them off in the street on a daily basis. It was always terrifying.

This morning I have read 3 news articles about different children who have been injured (onenof them involved 4 kids found in the street by PCSOs with serious injuries), and a horse that was so terrified by a private display out on next to its field (without notification to the owner) that it seriously injured itself and had to PTS.

People set them off after having been drinking, the vast majority of residential gardens don't have space for them to be at a safe distance and no one is bloody trained.

A very sensible person in an FB group I'm in reported last night that her DH bought some for the garden, one of them malfunctioned and started shooting in odd directions (despite the stick till pointing straight upwards) and she had to grab her children and escape indoors before they were badly injured.

The only reasonable compromise I can see would be to:
A) allow sale for licensed events to properly licensed people
B) allow sale to the general public at 4 times of the year (Diwali, 5th November, NYE, Chines New Year) but ONLY if those members of the public have been on an official training and licensing course (for which they would have to pay themselves) which includes a specification about safe distances from other residential properties, proper notice periods for neighbours etc. So if you've got a 'normal' sized garden in a heavily residential area, you simply can't do it. If you live in the middle of nowhere and have been trained to properly assess risk and notify those who may be affected by it, then maybe.

YANBU. I say it every single year and every single year nothing is done about it.

Private displays aren't even good. Honestly, why waste your money on some shitty generic fireworks to set off in your back garden when you could attend a free or at least very cheap big public display? It makes no sense to me. I don't like fireworks at all, always makes me feel like I'm living in the middle of Gaza fucking Strip. They're a menace to animals, some children, people of a nervous disposition etc. My friends husband, for example, has autism and he really can't abide them. I just think if you love fireworks, go to a safe public display that ends at a reasonable time and causes little disturbance.

I grew up in a country where fireworks are not for sale to the public. There were always plenty of professional displays to go to, though. I don't feel I missed out.

I live in an urban area, so I am walking distance from a big display, and there are others I could easily drive to. I understand that people who live rurally might not have as many options. However, I am sure temporary licensing laws could be made, similar to the sale of alcohol. So, only a licensed person or people could actually set up and let off the fireworks for a school display, or a church-sponsored display.

Cheby I agree with your proposals, they sound eminently sensible.

For some people, "middle of nowhere" can unfortunately be very close to farmland with livestock or stables.

Would extent it so that anyone with the required training can apply for a license to put on a display at any time of year as long as they give reasonable notice. SO people can still have displays at weddings etc.

Its beginning to look hopeful that the petition will get the required number of signatures to go to parliament. Unfortunately this does not mean it will necessarily result in an Act to bring in legislation. However, I can't see any obvious disadvantages in having a licensing system, so perhaps someone will push it forward.

Even the Isle of Man - who is usually lagging far behind the rest of the UK when it comes to legislation - is ahead of us on this one.

Why are people focusing so much on the harm caused to pets and, for the most part, ignoring the trauma this 'fun' causes to people?

I have a dog who was fine with fireworks, until last night when some twatting arsehole threw a firework over my garden wall, which exploded against my wooden back door. It was 5pm my children could have been out in the garden.

My mum's dog reacts so badly he needs sedating for the most part of October and November. Unfortunately, you can only safely sedate dogs for short periods of time, so he still suffers massively.

All of that is upsetting, of course, and I have huge amounts of sympathy for people whose pets are suffering. But people are suffering and that is far worse.

There are children throwing fireworks at other children and moving cars. How long until these children kill someone or take out a family in a car? How many lives would be ruined just so people can have 'fun' letting off explosives in woefully small back gardens at the risk of their neighbours property?

Why aren't we doing everything we can to make sure these children can't get hold of explosives?

The very young and the very old are suffering. People with PTSD are suffering. A young man with PTSD in the US killed himself after fireworks were let off in his neighbourhood. Are we waiting for something like to happen before we add more controls around the sale of explosives?

Why is your fun more important than people's right to live without fear?

"Why are people focusing so much on the harm caused to pets and, for the most part, ignoring the trauma this 'fun' causes to people?"

I agree that the trauma caused to people is equally (if not more) important.

I think people have focused on pets because some posters have said people shouldn't have them if they're bothered about fireworks. PP have pointed out very eloquently why that's a ridiculous thing to say so I won't rehash their atguments here.

*arguments.

I've seen the arguments and I agree they are ridiculous, but those are the people I am meaning.

Why are the people defending their use of fireworks focusing on the harm they are causing to pets and not on the harm they are causing to vulnerable people?

Is that they realise their actions are indefensible and they have no argument or are they truly so self absorbed that they believe their 'fun' trumps everyone else?

I'm focusing on the harm done to pets because that's what I see.Of course there are people who suffer just as much and of course they are important, but I'm sure someone who suffers from this issue and who has children who are affected will be in a better position to put across that side of the argument.

I have first hand knowledge of how fireworks affect dogs, so this is what I feel I can best contribute.

I think having any explosives on general sale is not a good idea.

Even the Isle of Man - who is usually lagging far behind the rest of the UK when it comes to legislation - is ahead of us on this one.

I'm a massive fan of the Isle of Man since it brought in civil partnerships for heterosexual couples. This news just reinforces that.

"Is that they realise their actions are indefensible and they have no argument or are they truly so self absorbed that they believe their 'fun' trumps everyone else?"

I think you've hit the nail on the head there Soo.

YANBU. Had to call the police so many times this week because of idiots lobbing rockets down the street at 6pm.

Started up here again at 4.45pm. Hopefully it means they will finish earlier.

It's getting worse here. I'm just so fucked off with this now.

Started again here too. Really seriously fucked off now - poor dog is distraught and we are all shattered!

Yes, ban all cars too, they are dangerous. Buses and trains only from now on.

I had about two fucking hours sleep last night and I have to work tomorrow.

wasonthelist

Yes, ban all cars too, they are dangerous. Buses and trains only from now on

But people do get banned from driving if they use the car dangerously?
But drivers already need licenses?
But cars don't normally explode every few seconds for hours?

So on and son oin.

Basically, this was a stupid comment comparing two things that are nothing alike, like Cupcakes and Mash Potato.

Or massive exploding things set off by pissed up wankers for weeks on end when people are trying to sleep, as opposed to, erm, cars.

Cars don't disturb people in their bedroom/living room either for the most part either, nor are masses and masses of vulnerable people terrified by the noise cars make.

Cars don't get thrown at children by other children. They don't get posted through letter boxes, thrown over garden walls or land on people's roofs causing fires.

They banned them in Spain except certain counties at certain times of the year and it makes no difference, people travel to France to buy them and there is a black market!
New Years Eve is a nightmare specially if you have kids or want to sleep!

I could do dedicated nights of the year - you can plan for that - but this endless fucking backdrop of blasting has been like unwillingly living in a quarry for weeks.

wasonthelist you need a license to drive a car. That's regulation. Which is exactly what we are asking for the bastarding fireworks. You may want to think before you post?

you may want to think before you post

Did you mean to be so rude and patronising? Ha!