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 also ban selling privately. So inconsiderate. And I say this as someone who loves fireworks!

Yes. It should be organised displays only.

It's terrible for the animals, and in recent years increasing numbers of idiots throw them in streets (sometimes at random passers by) for some brainless 'fun'. Public sale is too dangerous.

I adore fireworks, but I would love to see them restricted to organised displays only. We have a —complete wanker of an— excitable neighbour who sets them off almost completely randomly anywhere from the middle of October to some days after NYE, just over the road from us. He and all his ilk can get in the sea.

I can't believe they're not banned from sale to the public. Organised displays I can live with. Wankers on my road letting if random bangers for weeks nearly putting my dog in heart failure are just ridiculous.

Not really bothered about the noise myself but I'm sick to death of seeing posts on social media about kids throwing them at people in the street and just in general playing with them. So yeah I think they should be banned for public sale tbh. Love the displays and love having a few fireworks in the garden on bonfire night but I could live without that.

@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!

People have been whinging about fireworks for years.

I don't want to go to a big display. I want to enjoy my own safe bonfire and safe fireworks in my own garden as I have done for over 60 years.

What they could do, which would meet more peoples needs is to ban fireworks over x number of decibels - I can't see why louder is better except to the antisocial
AND
enforce current restrictions better by ensuring that it is not possible for underage persons to acquire them. Oh - and as people seem to want to be considered children much longer, perhaps they should use the same restrictions as they do for alcohol. If they look under 25 they have to prove they are over 18 or preferably 21,

I like big (ish) fireworks but I would much prefer they didn't make the excessive noise

This is the sort of thing I'm talking about. The link below is the mail but it's been widely reported on across all sections of the media in recent years.

www.google.com/amp/s/www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8892383/amp/Thugs-fire-terrifying-fusillade-fireworks-Islington-apartment-block-residents-cower-fear.html

I’d love to see them banned permanently. Someone was setting off fireworks at 11pm last night. The noise was ridiculous. I had to get up and bring my dog in from the conservatory where she sleeps. The poor thing was shaking like a leaf. I had to stay up with her then to settle her. She was still shaking for ages after they stopped.

They have just started again now so I can’t see me going to bed until it’s time to get up again. It’s absolutely pissing down! WTF is wrong with people? 😡

Large parts of the country are on restrictions designed to help ease the pressure on the NHS. Meanwhile fireworks (explosives!!!) are still for sale, no doubt with far more people buying them as there will be no public displays this year. What's the likelihood of an increase in admissions due to misuse or abuse? Doesn't make any sense to me.

Organised displays I think are fine, good fun actually, and they do look very nice. In people's gardens tho no. Half of them don't know what they're doing, and they always look shit!

My dog is terrified. It’s horrific to watch. She is terrified because one exploded right outside our house.

When I was younger and ex-boyfriend set one off in is garden whilst we had our own ‘display’ it went wrong and came towards us and exploded where we had been stood.

Both these things have led me to believe that they should NOT be available to the public at all. Public displays only.

YABU to start yet another carbon copy of threads which have already been done to death.

@Bwlch

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.

No. It's just that supermarkets etc only stocked them for that week. Specialist carnival shops and small firework makers sold them (& still sell them) year round.

I'm in Ireland and they are banned here...thank god!! I couldn't be doing with that OP!

I would support a total ban on such firework sales / parties. Only properly registered, insured & organised displays should be allowed. And they're always much better anyway, because the fireworks are better quality/more expensive, often electronically controlled, & planned well in advance.

Yes they should be banned.
Lots of fun to be had with bonfire + sparklers + special food. No need for explosives
The teenagers set them off at people round here

Someone complained on FB because they work shifts and were being woken. Caused a bust up with a Hindu person who said it was racist, but something to do with a holiday next month?

I don't remember all these religious fireworks going on until fairly recently. Used to find the actual few days near Guy Fawkes enjoyable but now it is far too often, for any reason, no-one knows when so can't keep their pets safe indoors and the noise of some of them is terrible.

I think sales should be restricted and religious displays kept to the grounds of the buildings that are celebrating them, not randomly set off in any garden or park they fancy. Same with public displays, and noise limits too.

I love fireworks. Brings back fond memories of family bonfires as a child. But there's a big difference between the 'selection box' of small ones my dad used to set off and the 72 shot one box things that our local idiots have been setting off for about a month. At 3am.
There needs to be a lot tighter regulation or if all else fails a ban.

Most of the general public shouldn't be trusted with a log in a field let alone handheld explosives.

I've been taking the time to read through all of the replies, thank you for sharing your thoughts :)

I must admit that I've been wavering a bit on how strongly opposed I am to private sale - I'm a bit of a people pleaser at heart and don't like taking extreme positions. But I do find myself agreeing with quite a few people here; fireworks are a huge liability and it's definitely concerning that anyone over a certain age can buy them, regardless of experience or intent.

@TheFairyGarden I feel your pain, one of my dogs is barely grown and isn't used to the frequency so as soon as they start going off unexpectedly he burrows into us, shaking all over! He's a big thing too and it's strange to see him so terrified, breaks your heart that you can't even explain what's going on

@Lockheart If you find it boring then why comment? Just shake your head and move on to more uniquely interesting threads.

As a child growing up on a council estate in the 70's Bonfire night was a big thing - to the point wood had to be guarded on the run up!
On the night itself we and all our neighbours had bonfires and Standard Fireworks, jacket spuds, hotdogs, Parkin and sparklers.

Fast forward to present day fireworks are used by chavvy over paid imbeciles for the whole of autumn and winter months and it's nothing to do with Bonfire Night!

I personally have always loved fireworks however they are hated by all other members of our household. My 2 dogs hyperventilate and bark relentlessly at them. And my husband was in the infantry and was injured at war so suffers with severe PTSD. This time of year is always so stressful for us. Don't have so much of an issue with big organised displays - even the dogs don't seem as bad with them, it's more the random cracks and bangs in the street. This year we've got to deal with keeping our first newborn asleep through the dogs kicking off so that's going to be fun!

Forgot to vote.
Yea I think the sale of fireworks to the general public should be banned.

I wouldn’t ban them all just the ridiculously big ones and make them for official displays only. I would make them all silent and allow private sales for the wee ones

They’re also a frivolous waste of minerals and elements, not to mention polluting.