The fireworks tonight

[annabel85]

AIBU or are you probably just an anarchist or an arsehole to be setting off fireworks and firecrackers during a lockdown, when official displays are banned?

There's no excuse to be frightening animals either tonight. Don't be a dickhead.

My first

Legal to have them. Illegal to set them off in public places, if it's not an official display.

And perfectly legal to let them off on your own land. So, what exactly is your point?

Most people will be setting them off in their garden though? Ive never seen anyone set them randomly off in a park?

I dont see why lockdown prevents people setting their own fireworks off?

Its only going to put additional pressure on the nhs if people arent careful.

@hopingforonlychild

Yeah, people really love their fireworks.

I asked quite nicely on my local community facebook group if there were any locals planning firework displays in their back gardens as i have a new hamster and want to know if tonight is a good night to introduce it to the playpen.

People just laughed and thought it was a joke. Don't really see how its a joke, a hamster might be a tiny animal but its still included under animal welfare laws.

Hang on, you have a hamster and you think tonight is a good night to introduce it to outside (I'm presuming the pen is outside - hence your fb question) ? Why on earth would you do that?

I would say the concern welfare would be on the owner. Of course there will be houses letting off fireworks.

I would advise you that you should introduce him to his pen.... next week.

@OverTheRainbow88 problem is though, it isn't one night a year is it. Absolutely isn't. They have been off here for 2 weeks and I imagine will continue into next week.
If it was just organised displayed and one night or weekend closest to November 5th it would be easier to cope.

@:runninguphills the playpen is inside. but it wouldn't have the bedding for it to burrow in. I don't get why they are letting off fireworks yesterday either.

They cause accidents every single year and our emergency services are already stretched without adding more pressure on. They shouldn’t be legal for private use, only professionals should be allowed to purchase and use them for public displays.

Oh and yeah it’s never ‘just one night’. People start setting them off on Halloween and it keeps going every night for at least 2 weeks.

@Noitjustwontdo

Oh and yeah it’s never ‘just one night’. People start setting them off on Halloween and it keeps going every night for at least 2 weeks.

As I said on the other thread on same topic - I totally get people complaining about fireworks when they stretch out for days/weeks. But there's no justification for objecting to fireworks on Bonfire Night itself ffs.

I love the "it's legal, innit" argument that comes out when it's to defend something people want to do, and that gets vilified when the illegality of something covid related gets in the way of "my life my roolz".

The reason for bonfire night has been long forgotten and it's frankly just another consumer frenzy. Utter bollocks.

Here they've been going off every night since before Halloween & usually people will continue to have fireworks at the weekends or presumably whenever it's someone's celebration until mid-January. The locals don't just limit them to Bonfire Night & New Years Eve...
I live in an estate built in the 1980s so there's more space than the really new estates but the noise here is still bad.
I've got the curtains closed, music on & the cat has gone to her usual place under the dining table.

Fireworks started here about 20 minutes ago and are going off thick and fast. I can feel myself starting to panic thanks to my phobia of fire. Home is where I am supposed to feel safe, but I currently feel anything but.

Perhaps those who think its all fine and people who don't like fireworks are just whining could advise me how to cope? Earplugs won't work because having heard them, I will still know that they are going off. My usual CBT techniques don't work because they are for coping with fear of something hypothetical happening, whereas the risks and dangers of fireworks are real. But I can't use practical problem solving either because there is nothing I can do to stop them going off or to prevent one landing on my roof or hitting my windows.

I don't get the instance every year of having it in the garden. Why do people feel like people suggesting there only be one official public display is such a infringement on their rights

100% agree, op. This has been going on for the last weeks here and my tolerance of stupid people is already pretty low.

Cat is fucking terrified and next door's dog has been howling for the last hour.

It's so incredibly selfish.

I love fireworks and if I had a family would probably set off.

Some people are so joyless.

I like them. But! I don't like them the week ahead of tonight AND they really should impose noise limits on manufacturers! They look beautiful (some are just wowowoowow) but they are getting really loud.

Some people are so joyless

Totally. I mean how ridiculous for people to care about the welfare of pets, wildlife and the environment. Much more important to stand in the garden and watch a few crappy fireworks, right?

Normally I’d agree with restricting fireworks to bonfire night, but this year it doesn’t seem unreasonable for people to have moved their celebrations forward to pre-lockdown nights.

Loads going off here. I firmly believe that all the neighbours are looking after their various animals, they’ll all be at home this evening with them.

MN is weird. During lockdown people couldn't do anything without being berated for potentially causing themselves an injury that may need medical attention (e.g. "don't drive to exercise in case you crash and need to come into contact with paramedics/Drs").
But fireworks are totally fine.

@LastGoldenDaysOfSummer

It's bonfire night. Perfectly legal to have fireworks. Next door has all the grandchildren round for a small display. It's lovely.

It's not lovely, it's illegal. Households are banned from mixing indoors or in private gardens during lockdown.

I think the complaining about fireworks goes on for longer than the fireworks themselves.

It's not lovely, it's illegal. Households are banned from mixing indoors or in private gardens during lockdown.

If you're in England. (Or Wales if they haven't finished their lockdown)

I bet your the sort that complains when the bin men come too early

I absolutely fucking hate fireworks, especially the really loud banging ones - BUT I'm gonna stop being a miserable twat tonight and let people have their fun.
I'm fine with fireworks at this time in the evening (before 7pm). Anything after 9/10pm is ridiculous and antisocial in my opinion.
People round my area (Barnsley) love fireworks for some reason

Hate them. Used to not mind them
Then someone put one through my window and it landed next to me and exploded. The damage had to be paid for by me, and the fear..
I have all my windows shut, curtains closed and lights off because they will put them through windows/letterboxes. Last year the care home had them thrown in, and a woman with a baby in a car