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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

The fireworks tonight

336 replies

annabel85 · 05/11/2020 17:03

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.

OP posts:
Love51 · 05/11/2020 19:50

@lovepickledlimes any other year, sure.
We haven't actually set of any fireworks this year, just sparklers, we walked up the hill and could see fireworks for miles around, in a beautiful quirk of geography.

I'm not actually against licensing them, banning them just seems so draconian! It seems futile to rail against private displays this year when that is the only type possible!

ilovesooty · 05/11/2020 19:51

@Ginfordinner

I think because of lockdown more people are having their own fireworks. I stuck my head out of the back door tonight and it sounded like the nearest town was being bombed or fired at. The noise was relentless.
It's utterly relentless here too. It's now been going on for almost 4 hours tonight. But of course some children are going to have their mental health profoundly damaged if their parents don't let bangers off.

Antisocial fuckers.

Love51 · 05/11/2020 19:51

We didn't see any people mixing on our walk. We only saw the gardens we walked past though, but it isn't fireworks making people mix, it is thinking they don't have to follow the rules. We were T3 anyway so not in the habit of mixing even before today.

lovepickledlimes · 05/11/2020 19:53

@Love51 this year yes I get it. But every year from mid October to January it's firework after firework. If it was just on that night we could prepare but people are now setting off fireworks in October!!!

Buddytheelf85 · 05/11/2020 19:54

It’s Diwali next week.

StormcloakNord · 05/11/2020 19:55

Not much different to a thunderstorm? Are you serious?

The difference is people. You can't help a thunderstorm but if people weren't such chavvy, tactless, classless, selfish, arseholey twats then we wouldn't have to be sitting cradling our dogs or wondering where the hell our cats are because people seem to think it's their god given right to have some tacky display of explosives in their back garden.

brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr · 05/11/2020 19:57

@LizaE

you bought your animals knowing bonfire night and fireworks exists. fireworks on bonfire night are not a problem

Let's all tell that to the animals that don't understand, and we'll all be ok, hey.

Hmm

people who choose to keep animals as. pet chose to keep them in a world where fireworks already exist, this isn’t the first time there have been fireworks on or around bonfire night. it’s part of the pet owning experience.
EerieArmOff · 05/11/2020 19:57

This year, more than ever, people need something to enjoy and if that's a few hours of fireworks then so be it.

I've had fireworks and sparklers in my garden this evening for DD, as have all my neighbours (and those on the surrounding streets.)
We'd usually go to the big organised display but obviously that can't happen.

Lockdown doesn't = no fun whatsoever.

Flowerpot345 · 05/11/2020 19:59

Idiots have been setting them off since monday here, its ridiculous.
Having seen the footage from idiots setting them off them at pedestrians whilst driving, setting them off at police and sticking them through peoples letter boxes as well as setting peoples gardens on fire and firing them through peoples windows its time they were banned, they are dangerous and in idiots hands can cause alot of damage and injury.

As well as the absolute dickheads thinking they need to set them off everyday totally anti social and twatty.

Tellmetruth4 · 05/11/2020 19:59

I normally hate private fireworks displays because I had an incident where I was almost hurt as a kid and now I’m scared of them. However, there are no public displays. Let people have some fun for goodness sake and I say that as someone with pets.

StormcloakNord · 05/11/2020 19:59

@brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr are you purposely being thick?

Whether people choose to own animals as pets or not, doesn't negate the fact that they actively suffer because of fireworks. Sheep, cows etc die from stress because of them. It's fuck all to do with choosing to have them as pets, they are still traumatised whether they're someone's pet or not Hmm

StormcloakNord · 05/11/2020 20:01

@EerieArmOff there are plenty of other ways to have some fun that don't involve traumatising animals, children and adults with disabilities/SEN by setting off explosives ffs.

changeofnameforthisposting · 05/11/2020 20:04

@DollyParton2

Oh please changeofnameforthisposting “keep things as normal as possible”... ITS NOT BLOODY NORMAL IS IT?? ANY OF THIS FUCKING YEAR. So stop pretending it’s anything but. And sure, celebrate Christmas and birthdays- go all out. But bloody November 5th??? Really??? Please. It’s such an insignificant, pointless event anyway. Anyone who spends money on, wastes time on, and causes MASS upset to animals, the environment and people by still letting these monstrosities loose in the sky just has zero sense, consideration or class.
For children who've been looking forward to the firework display they go to every year, it is important. It keeps a sense of normality for them.
TidyOmlette · 05/11/2020 20:04

Well I’m obviously a dickhead.

I bought fireworks and sparklers for my kids tonight to have in the garden. Something we do every year. My eldest has asd and was never able to attend displays so we always buy low noise baby ones.

We have had a lovely night 😁

Original poster
annabel85 · 05/11/2020 20:05

@StormcloakNord

Not much different to a thunderstorm? Are you serious?

The difference is people. You can't help a thunderstorm but if people weren't such chavvy, tactless, classless, selfish, arseholey twats then we wouldn't have to be sitting cradling our dogs or wondering where the hell our cats are because people seem to think it's their god given right to have some tacky display of explosives in their back garden.

It's sadism. People do this every year because they get a kick out of terrifying small animals, either that or they just don't give a shit.
OP posts:
StormcloakNord · 05/11/2020 20:05

@brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr I'm sorry, the first part of my reply was really rude.

I'm just absolutely exhausted with trying to calm my dog down. My nerves are on edge as I hate loud bangs myself and I just don't see the appeal in fireworks at all. It's one of these things that every single person knows the awful affect it has on people/animals but still choose to do it. It's the height of selfishness and I can't abide selfishness in people.

Original poster
annabel85 · 05/11/2020 20:07

@TidyOmlette

Well I’m obviously a dickhead.

I bought fireworks and sparklers for my kids tonight to have in the garden. Something we do every year. My eldest has asd and was never able to attend displays so we always buy low noise baby ones.

We have had a lovely night 😁

You've gone to the effort of buying low noise ones out of consideration for others because you're not a sociopath. This isn't the issue .
OP posts:
DisgruntledGuineaPig · 05/11/2020 20:08

I would have thought it was pretty obvious that with public displays being banned, more people than normal would have back garden fireworks? Why is anyone surprised by this?

Every year its the same - MNers with pets complaining about fireworks at bon fire night as if its not something that can be planned for, its surely a given from 3rd to the next weekend, there will be lots going off? We just put the guinea pigs in the kitchen from yesterday afternoon and will put them back in their proper hutch on Sunday.

Our garden is too small for a safe display, so we've stood out and enjoyed our bigger gardened neighbours' displays. No households mixing. Just enjoying the fireworks.

Blownaway1 · 05/11/2020 20:08

People really need to try and make peace with fireworks going off tonight. It’s not come as a surprise surely. There will always be fireworks going off on 5th November. We’ve done sparklers and a firework set in the garden tonight. Kids had a lovely evening watching for fireworks out of the window. I really don’t think it makes us classless/selfish/twats!!

lovepickledlimes · 05/11/2020 20:09

@TidyOmlette so surely you understand how bad it feels to see a loved one so stressed out. It's not just animals that don't cope well with fireworks

userxx · 05/11/2020 20:10

people who choose to keep animals as. pet chose to keep them in a world where fireworks already exist,

Never thought of it like that, let's have a massive animal cull so we can let off fireworks on a few nights of the year, makes perfect sense 🙄

OverTheRainbow88 · 05/11/2020 20:10

Having a small garden display makes you a sociopath?

Ginfordinner · 05/11/2020 20:10

The thing is quiet fireworks do exist. So why do they have to be so loud?

Lis4Laughter · 05/11/2020 20:11

@LastGoldenDaysOfSummer

It's bonfire night. Perfectly legal to have fireworks. Next door has all the grandchildren round for a small display. It's lovely.
Hmm
AlwaysLatte · 05/11/2020 20:11

For the first time in several years we didn't buy any for tonight, although we had a lovely big bonfire. Kind of disappointed not to see many people set them off
In our village either 😟