BANNING private firework sales - What do you think?

[ChaoticGouda]

It's only October and already most nights (and days!) I've been interrupted by the mother of all BANGS outside, seemingly at random. I understand that with Covid restrictions preventing any public displays this year, people are looking to bring the celebration home.

But surely it's horribly unfair to all the people who wish to take shelter from the noise? To the pets who, while hopefully trained to tolerate scheduled displays, are often terrified by the randomness of it all? The children who have their sleep interrupted?

It sometimes feels like, as soon as laws permit, countless people flood the local Asda to pick up an assortment to send off in their back gardens or local hills, surrounding neighbours be damned.

Now - I don't believe a TOTAL ban on private fireworks would be much fun (so yes, the title is a little misleading) but AIBU to think that sales should be restricted to times around actual events, like Bonfire Night, New Years and Diwali? Surely this is a happy medium for everyone - big bang enthusiasts get their enjoyment, while those looking for a bit of peace and quiet have less uncertainty to handle?

YABU - It isn't fair to stop people from having fun, especially this year. Keep the law as it is!

YANBU - YES, something has to change!

I would rather they implemented noise limits. They are getting louder. Just saw a silent one yesterday!

They used to be only available for sale to the public during the week before November the 5th. I'm not sure when and why that changed.

It's anti social and trashy. Yes, sales to the general.public should be banned.

Why not a total ban? no one needs to buy fireworks, its not a human right.

Organised, insured displays only

Yep, I think sales should be banned for private displays. Too many members of the general public prove year after year that they're too stupid and selfish to be trusted with fireworks

ThistleWitch that is a silly remark.... lots of things on sale aren’t needed to uphold human rights but you can still buy them. It’s called freedom. Alcohol, cigarettes, higher heel shoes .

@ThistleWitch well no one is going to be able to attend an organised display at the moment, are they?

I live in Wales, so like everything they're banned here.

The whole idea of celebrating bonfire night should be banned anyway.

Yes they should be banned. Too many idiots don’t use them safely and put themselves and their neighbours at risk.

It's utterly insane that anyone can buy explosives for "fun" in this country.

There should be an outright ban on all public sales of fireworks.

Too many members of the general public prove year after year that they're too stupid and selfish to be trusted with fireworks

Let's be honest here. Too many shouldn't be trusted with a fork😂

[quote Fatted]@ThistleWitch well no one is going to be able to attend an organised display at the moment, are they?

I live in Wales, so like everything they're banned here.

The whole idea of celebrating bonfire night should be banned anyway.[/quote]
you could still hold a socially distanced event

We dont 'need fireworks, so its not a problem not to have them this year eh?

I'm in favour of banning them. At displays on specified dates - fine. But we get them all the time around here even when there are no special occasions on. It's a form of antisocial behaviour imo.

Absolutely ban on public buying. The fact that you can buy explosives in the supermarket just because of the date is completely ridiculous.

Sparklers - fine. Anything you light to make explode - ban unless an organised display.

I'd be happy if they got banned. (Or sold to licensed persons only, for agreed use).
They are dangerous, I remember my school day and there were kids setting them off in the building / out of windows / on the walkways.

Even having neighbours setting them off in the autumn gets annoying.

I enjoy a good fireworks display but I still think that they should be banned from public sale and should be available to licenced displays only.

They are very dangerous if they get into the hands of arseholes and hooligans, which they can easily do.

They are antisocial when used wrongly and can terrorise some people and animals. Their availability should be far more strictly regulated.

Yanbu. Allowing the public access to explosives is a terrible idea. They are so dangerous, and cause distress to many, including my poor neighbours who had them launched at their windows.

I have been to private functions which are group run, like youth group/church group, this ban would effect them. Organised displays are expensive and crowded.

It's a joke. I can't believe people can still buy them.
This week already we've had fireworks going on from 6pm sporadically until 5am one night, kids letting off fireworks in broad daylight in the street and an accident caused by fireworks then went wrong and it's not even November yet

Baby DS has had his sleep routine go to pot as well.

I love fireworks but in displays not in people's back gardens

I think they need reining in at least if not a total ban.
I'm dreading this year with there being no organised displays around, even more people will have them in small and unsuitable gardens, and we've already been treated to the local yobs setting them off randomly in the streets.
I really feel for the emergency services/a&e this year, I reckon they'll be busier than ever.
But then it seems it's perfectly acceptable to cause pain and misery in the name of fun.

I'd be in favour of very heavy regulation around insurance and licensing as well as a limit on the noisy and velocity that's allowed and curfews on when they can start/end. Those screechy rockets and the sonic boom things can fuck right off.

Two of my DC are autistic and I can prep them for 5th November and to a lesser extent NYE. I can explain that there'll be fireworks once it gets dark, there'll be bangs, etc but it'll be over by around 9pm. I can make sure they have their ear defenders, they are towards the back of the house where you can't hear them as loudly, and that they have their shows on the TV to drown it out a bit. But I can't do that when its random booms and screams in the run up to Bonfire Night as I can't plan ahead for it in the same way I can for a fixed date/time.

I live fireworks, I’m like a kid - in normal years I’ll go to as many displays as possible BUT I would never have them in my house, as a kid of the 70s/80s they scare the shit out of me (remember the scary adverts?)
I’d be very happy to see them banned for sale to the public. My DH is from another country & he’s amazed people are just allowed to buy them

Someone near us has boasted about the "professional" fireworks he's going to set off in his garden oblivious to any guidelines/distancing etc required to set them off ie away from houses etc. Arse.

Letting most of the idiot public have access to explosives is mental. They cause great distress to some ex veterans, elderly people, young children and domestic and wild animals but it’s all ok as long as the humans get their fun!

I can't believe people can still buy them.
This week already we've had fireworks going on from 6pm sporadically until 5am one night

We had a young guy die by suicide which is obviously tragic for everyone who loved him but his friends decided that the best way to commemorate him was to set off those sonic boom type fireworks for several hours a night for an entire week. When people on the residents group asked if they could please stop they got reams of abuse about it from the friends who then started setting them off just to piss people off.

Would love it if they were banned permanently