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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To ask everyone to stop releasing balloons

208 replies

Nixandwotsit · 07/08/2021 16:53

Why - just why - are crowds of people still thinking that it's a good idea to mourn a death or celebrate an occasion by releasing 100's of fucking balloons into the sky? They land, animals get tangled in them, sometimes they eat them or the ribbons, then some of them die. The balloons don't just vanish like magic fairy dust, they lay around for years littering the countryside.
Am I being unreasonable to ask everyone to just think for a few minutes and stop doing this? And don't even get me started on those lethal bloody chinese lanterns.

OP posts:
Bingbongbash · 07/08/2021 19:33

Yabu asking everyone. Most people don't and wouldn't do this. I find the assumption that I may do it if it wasn't for you irritating.

lavieengris · 07/08/2021 19:34

The balloons and lanterns are stupid and dangerous, for the reasons already pointed out.

Can we perhaps start brainstorming better alternatives? People are more likely to listen when you present them with a better solution.

Planting stuff doesn't really work if you don't have a garden and/or are planning on ever moving. Bubbles don't really go very far, so the gesture is a bit sad. The balloon people are clearly a very visual, symbolic tribe - what else could they try?

I can't say I'm very keen on lighting candles in general, unless they're constantly attended. (Candles in churches make me very nervous as they often seem unattended, but I imagine there's someone discreetly keeping an eye on the million tea lights).

I suppose if you lived near a fast-flowing river you could float something natural down it (as long as you weren't a group of mass-mourners who ended up blocking the river with crap).

Any better ideas?

FrangipaniDeLaSqueegeeMop · 07/08/2021 19:36

YANBU.

I think the best approach is to explain rather than get cross though

Original poster
Nixandwotsit · 07/08/2021 19:43

@Bingbongbash

Yabu asking everyone. Most people don't and wouldn't do this. I find the assumption that I may do it if it wasn't for you irritating.
Tough shit. Many people do it and if we change the minds of one of them that's brilliant. There's nothing in this that says we're talking about you... Or is it a case of if the cap fits wear it?
OP posts:
GrrRightBackAtYou · 07/08/2021 19:44

Thanks for the link @TableDesk very happy to see my council listed.

If they could also put a stop to the local spot where relatives leave plastic wrapped bunches of flowers tied with plastic ribbon and teddies with their nylon fur to remember their loved one I’d be thrilled.

Highflyingadored · 07/08/2021 19:45

@Nixandwotsit sorry I meant biodegradable balloons not chinese lanterns

But I dont have info on how long they take to degrade or the damage they can do to an animal if swallowed.

Like biodegradable glitter, still in the environment for a period of time.

Original poster
Nixandwotsit · 07/08/2021 19:47

The problem with biodegradable balloons is that they can still kill animals if eaten. Also they tend to get tied up with fancy shiny ribbon, which isn't biodegradable. There must be an answer along these lines though, it would be good.

OP posts:
ChardonnaysPetDragon · 07/08/2021 19:48

I read threads like this and everyone seems to be unanimous that it's wrong. So where are the people who still do these stupid things? Some of them must be on MN

They are on MN. We're have heated threads about this over the years and many went "you cannot tell me what to do and I want to release balloons and lanterns then I will*. This one has gone differently and I'm very glad to see the ballon tide turning on here.

ChardonnaysPetDragon · 07/08/2021 19:49

Biodegradable balloons are like flushable wipes. Same turd, but polished.

Charmtaste · 07/08/2021 19:50

YANBU. I found a deflated balloon in my garden the other day with an RIP tribute to someone’s grandma. Unless grandma really liked littering in other people’s gardens I don’t understand how that is appropriate.

ancientgran · 07/08/2021 19:57

@NiceGerbil

This is weird. Again not a thing round here. Do get football shirts flowers etc where people get killed on the road or murdered sometimes.

Went to where my gran lived by the sea recently. All the benches along the front only 8 or so there. Had at least one bunch of flowers.

As not seen it before was confused what about and wondered for a moment if it meant we shouldn't use them!

I live in a seaside town and most of the benches, loads of benches here, have plaques on them. In fact I'm not sure if there are any benches without plaques. The flowers are a nuisance, make it awkward to sit down, look horrible as they rot. I often wonder if the council could put some thing on the end of the bench where people could just put the flowers in without the plastic/ribbon/etc. Would be easier for the street cleaners to get rid of them when they have died. If you could put some water in they'd even last longer.

Maybe I should suggest it.

ancientgran · 07/08/2021 19:58

@TableDesk

www.mcsuk.org/what-you-can-do/campaigns/dontletgo/dontletgo-councils/

Councils that have rightfully banned them

Banned where I am, that's why I've never seen them then.
KatherineOfGaunt · 07/08/2021 20:09

I watched a YouTube programme yesterday about the world's biggest balloon release - some years ago in Cleveland, they released 1.5 million balloons. It turned into a complete disaster - a storm blew them all back down to Earth almost immediately instead of rising up into the sky. A woman's racehorse died after it ingested one and, even worse, two men were missing in the water of Lake Eerie and the search had to be called off after thousands of balloons landed on the water and they couldn't tell if there were any people out there because all they could see were balloons. Their bodies were washed up on shore two days later.

You'd have thought that would have been the catalyst for these things to be outright banned, but no. About time the law was changed. A person's life can be remembered and celebrated without releasing a load of plastic into the air.

BeingATwatItsABingThing · 07/08/2021 20:23

@TableDesk

www.mcsuk.org/what-you-can-do/campaigns/dontletgo/dontletgo-councils/

Councils that have rightfully banned them

Excellent! My LA is on there!
havesomepatiencechild · 07/08/2021 20:25

@crosstalk

Another one for banning fireworks, or making them silent. And making sure there's nothing in them that can land on fields (sticks, plastic, smouldering remnants) to damage animals and fields
Here here!
MoseSchrute · 07/08/2021 20:35

There are also places like this actively encouraging the things…..

www.nightskylanterns.co.uk/blog/?appeal-to-stop-councils-from-banning-all-sky-lanterns

Sirzy · 07/08/2021 20:44

[quote MoseSchrute]There are also places like this actively encouraging the things…..

www.nightskylanterns.co.uk/blog/?appeal-to-stop-councils-from-banning-all-sky-lanterns[/quote]
Presumably they cash in from the lantern sales!

BeingATwatItsABingThing · 07/08/2021 20:47

[quote MoseSchrute]There are also places like this actively encouraging the things…..

www.nightskylanterns.co.uk/blog/?appeal-to-stop-councils-from-banning-all-sky-lanterns[/quote]
FFS! The level of stupidity in that post is astonishing!

Easyvision01 · 07/08/2021 20:56

God only thickos do this. Twats. How can anyone think it’s acceptable to release rubber, plastic, helium and shiny ribbon into the air, and where do they think it ends up? Or setting fire to a lantern and waving it merrily off into the wild blue yonder. Dickheads all of them, there are too many stupid people in the world.

phishy · 07/08/2021 21:09

They probably think it ends up in a Disney movie , a la Tangled.

bonbonours · 07/08/2021 21:13

@clickychicky

I don't know if any one does this anymore?
Yes they definitely do, I saw something the other day where people did it for a little girl who died. Obviously you can't complain at that point because they are dealing with a terrible tragedy. But I do hate the environmental impact of these things.
Dontwatchfootball · 07/08/2021 21:17

Not to mention that helium is a finite resource which is needed in medical machines like MRI's. It is time to save it for that, not because some one wants a floaty balloon.

Teaandakitkat · 07/08/2021 21:22

God only thickos do this. Twats

Or a young family who have just lost their mum and are trying to cope as best they can.

Yes there are better ways and letting off balloons for virtual strangers or to just be a part of an event is rubbish.

But if it brings someone a scrap of comfort at a shit time in their lives, it's not so black and white.

ChardonnaysPetDragon · 07/08/2021 21:26

But if it brings someone a scrap of comfort at a shit time in their lives, it's not so black and white.

But surely you can recognise that this is emotional blackmail that perpetrates the environmental crime that is ballon releases and lanterns? This is why legislation is needed.

Easyvision01 · 07/08/2021 21:27

But then everyone’s grief gives them a free pass to do this and nothing ever changes does it? I know it’s not easy to suggest something different to grieving children but it’s the go-to expression of grief all over the country and it’s ridiculous overall. Nobody can ever say anything because it’s ‘insensitive’ but it’s insensitive to just keep pumping shite out into the world and damn the consequences