to think that fireworks should be banned

[MadLabOwner]

Some idiots have just set off a mini firework display very close to my house, leaving me with a crying baby, two barking dogs and two scared cats. I really cannot see the point of fireworks since having had pets and now a baby too - I think fireworks are dangerous, noisy and polluting.

Firework displays should be either banned or set up somewhere miles from residential areas, so those who don't want their evening ruined don't get disturbed. Am I being unreasonable?

bloody hate the things

Like Squonk I live by a hotel wedding venue.
They always wake my lo.
YANBU.

I really do think there are laws about fireworks out of season. I'm rubbish with google but perhaps someone else could see what laws there are governing firework use. Surely if it's regular you have rights?

This is too wierd. We must all live in the same street or something! There were some set off here earlier this evening which nearly woke DS - grrrrrrrr!!!!!! I hope this isn't the run up to fireworks night, cos it will be a long time coming.

Well, have just realised what the display near me at 9 pm and then again at 10pm was - I live near the coast in Essex and my town was having its annual regatta this weekend, hence the fireworks last night.

Have to say, I'm extremely glad I was on my own last night (DH away) as if there had been anyone to baby and dog sit I would have marched out to where ever the display was and told them to stop it. In the cold light of day, as this would have meant shouting in front of hundreds of people, I'm rather glad this didn't happen!

No they shouldnt they light up the sky in beautiful coloues

we had some as well in wandsworth...really annoying

The sky has beautiful colours of it's own without the need for noisy, smelly, litter creating explosives.

And, for what its worth, fireworks do cause a large increase in airbourn pollution - my friend did her PhD on this very topic and she found there was a massive spike in nasty airbourn particles around 5 November each year.

There is no way that fireworks should be on sale to the public, you never know who is getting their hands on them, but it seems to be a large amount of teenaged boys causing mischief and misery.

We live in a seaside resort town and during the summer there is a fireworks display every Wednesday night, and some sundays, at about 10pm, set off at the bandstand on the seafront. We live about very close and I don't mind hearing it tbh, I tend to think of the people who have wandered down there for an evening walk abd who are enjoying the show and the music it is set to. Fortunately dd sleeps through them fine but I'm sure I'd be feeling very differently if she didn't!

I've just voted to Ban the Bang

You can't buy them here in Ireland unless you have a licence. Doesn't stop millions of people getting them from the North for Halloween though.

YANBU

I don't have babies or pets to be scared of them but mum's dog nearly loses her life with fright when they go off.

Thanks Oggsfrog - have voted too.

funnily enough we had a huge and very noisy display at 10.55pm, which disturbed the baby all night
it was a wedding I think, but surely if they wanted a display it could have been at 8pm or something?

I quite agree they should not be for public sale. The period in which they are set off by idiots in the streets and parks around here just gets longer each year. It starts long before November 5th and goes on for weeks and weeks. One of our dogs is absolutely petrified and is in a state of panic each night for the whole of that time.
Why are they sold to anyone other than public display organisers anyway? No-one needs to let off their own fireworks with the great public displays they have now.

Apparently there were fireworks here last night too (Dorset). I have to confess I didn't hear them though as I was asleep .
I've signed the petition too though. Where I live is fairly rural and there are lots of horses.

YANBU, I hate fireworks.

YANBU

I like fireworks, but think they should be kept to a public display, as the weeks before and afterwards are a nightmare, as they set off next doors dogs.

YANBU - should be public displays only.

It has made me PMSL that in America you can't buy fireworks, but you can buy a gun

Reading through the thread this is what I would like.
Fireworks on sale to the public only in the week before 5th Nov.
Only allowed to be used in the week surrounding 5th Nov.
No "bangs" allowed at all.
Heavy fines for flouting rules.
Public displays allowed for good reasons NOT every night for carnival week, weddings etc.

I have always loved fireworks but a neighbour has a massive display every time a family member has a birthday, passes an exam, gets a new job etc and it REALLY annoys me.

YANBU - should only be for public displays if at all and then they should be limited.

Live near port here and every time a liner is in the firewroks go off.

There were loads being let off last night where I live too, was it a new holiday that no-one's told me about? Or are we supposed to going crazy over it being the first day of the month from now on?

Yes, ban 'em. It used to sound like downtown Beirut some evenings in the autumn where we used to live. Lots of houses for the noise to echo off - scared the children.

Deffo YANBU - I hate the damn things.

They should be available for organised public desplays only & should be strictly licensed. From the middle of September almost through to xmas there are numpties setting them off round here. Plus when dd1 & dd2 were tiny I came out of a shop one evening to see a crowd of aseholes hanging around the chippy opposite mucking around. Something made me sit 2yo dd1 in the buggy with 1yo dd2 on her knee & cover both with the raincover. It's a good job I did 'cos one of the fckwits lobbed a lit firework which bounced off the raincover. I went ballistic & they scarpered I'm so glad we moved from there 'cos it hasn't got any better.