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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

AIBU to be furious about fireworks?

183 replies

Mamaof1DD · 29/10/2023 21:34

I’m not opposed to them on bonfire night, or even the weekends around bonfire night, but WHY do people feel the need to set them off in the days (weeks!) running up to bonfire night?

DD is 5 months and an amazing sleeper, but has been woken up four nights running by fireworks!

Luckily, our dog isn’t scared of fireworks so it’s not a problem for her, but I know a lot of pets are terrified.

AIBU for being annoyed that people are setting them off outside of the approved (by me!) times and days?

OP posts:
Onethingatatime23 · 30/10/2023 08:58

Not too bad here. Our cats just hide and the dog isn't bothered. They will likely just be this weekend and then that's it - haven't heard any so far this year.

MamaToABeautifulBoy · 30/10/2023 08:59

bellac11 · 29/10/2023 21:41

Kent and Sussex, more Sussex have a whole bonfire season, we try to see as much as possible

Im sure children managed to sleep through during all that.

Eh? Confused

Tangled123 · 30/10/2023 09:03

Irish people use fireworks for Halloween. As Halloween falls on a Tuesday this year, a lot of celebrations were held the weekend before. That doesn’t justify fireworks being set off for the last few weeks, but does help explain the last few days.

Crumpleton · 30/10/2023 09:05

This reply has been withdrawn

This message has been withdrawn at the poster's request

Stupidnighty · 30/10/2023 09:05

WalkingThroughTreacle · 30/10/2023 07:54

More like you really do hear some ridiculous made up nonsense every day. Why would drug dealers communicate by whatever other means they use (SMS, WhatsApp, word of mouth or whatever) the other 50-odd weeks of the year but switch to fireworks for a couple of weeks in November? If a drug user sees fireworks going off, how do they know they are a dealer signal and not just somebody letting off fireworks? How do they know which dealer? Why would a dealer spend £40 on a box of fireworks when they can send texts for free?

In other news, paedophiles are not using fireworks to communicate either, nor are terrorists, people traffickers or Young Conservatives.

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That’s as maybe, but bloody hell it’s been a nightmare since the rotary club decided that newsletters are not efficient enough for mass communication, and a few bangers make the point much more quickly.

GreekDogRescue · 30/10/2023 09:10

Apparently Asda and some places sell silent fireworks.
And please only build your bonfires on the day folks, so that hedgehogs don’t nest in them.
Even if you check for them they are easy to miss and won’t run away as when under threat they ball.

Zebedee55 · 30/10/2023 09:14

UnderwaterSpaceCadet · 29/10/2023 21:38

Don’t ever move to Sussex - bonfire / firework season starts at the end of September here.

God, yes...I lived in Rye for a number of years and Bonfyre season was taken incredibly seriously.

It was positively pagan watching the "Bonfyre Boys" marching down the streets, blacked up, with burning oil "spears" 😳

Residents marching behind - it was a health and safety nightmare.

Then a massive display down at the Salts with the yearly bonfire and the effigy, which varied every year, burnt.

Strange tradition lol

Isittimeformynapyet · 30/10/2023 09:19

PawsisShady · 29/10/2023 22:03

Depends where you live doesn't it?
Fun wasn't having one put through an open window into my home and having to find the money to pay for the damage. I now don't open my windows any time around bonfire night

Or the woman that had one thrown in her car with her baby, or the police that get attacked by having them thrown at them every year
Or that people injure animals with them every year whether it's hedgehogs or tying fireworks to cats

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Being beaten with a rounders bat is criminal. Does that mean that playing rounders is not fun?

oOiluvfriendsOo · 30/10/2023 09:22

Here we have pre-teens throwing them at pedestrians and cars.
Who on earth is buying them for them??

Crumpleton · 30/10/2023 09:22

ItWorksBothWays · 29/10/2023 22:00

Our next door neighbours have 2 dogs that bark all the time all year round , frequently get through the fence and shit in our garden and we have to keep repairing the fence. They leave the dogs for hours each day so they go mad , nothing we can say makes them stop but every year for the past 3 years they’ve written us a letter instructing us NOT to have fireworks as the dogs get so distressed they have accidents and shake and they will have to be sedated by the vet etc etc etc - our ds is autistic and his birthday is early nov and he loves fireworks but hates crowds so we do a small box in the garden - this year apparently they will call 999 if we go ahead !!

@ItWorksBothWays
Have you mentioned about their dogs getting into your garden?
It's not up to you to keep their dogs out of your garden it's up to them to keep them from getting out of their's.

I'd be telling them they've got bigger problems to worry about than trying to convince someone from the police to come out about a few fireworks going off when someone from EH comes out about their dogs shitting in your garden.

Oganesson118 · 30/10/2023 09:23

Common occurrence round here. We have a couple of country hotel type wedding venues that do them all year round, a large muslim population who use them at weddings and other celebrations, the usual bonfire season shenanigans and a very active drug dealing network.

reactuniom · 30/10/2023 09:32

pumpkinpie25 · 30/10/2023 08:09

People are selfish twats op. They will continue to do it when they want because they don't care about anyone else's children, pets, feelings, inconvenience...just as long as they can have their fun.

There are the same arguments every year on our community FB page and there always one person who was fiercely for fireworks, calling those who complained 'snowflakes' etc. Well last year one of her family dogs ran away due to the fireworks and was lost for several days. Cue several 'help find our dog' posts and asking for everyone to rally round and find it. Thankfully the dog did turn up but she's been weirdly quiet about fireworks ever since.

People only care about their own satisfaction. It's a sad world. I think fireworks should be for pre planned displays only. Not sold to all and sundry. Silent fireworks should also be compulsory.

To be fair - on here alone the posts are filled with really selfish dog owners and parents of small children who think they can do whatever they want too - so fairs fair.

TenderDandelions · 30/10/2023 09:38

We live in an area with a large Asian community. The fireworks start when wedding season starts (so around June), then runs through to Halloween, Bonfire Night and Diwali. Thankfully our cats aren't bothered by them (as long as they're not too close), but some people do let off fireworks at ridiculous (and illegal) times. Our local facebook group is regularly full of rants of people that have been woken up at 1am by some idiots setting off a barage of ridiculously loud fireworks.

Of course there's nothing anyone can really do about it, as by the time the police would have turned up everyone's long gone.

The only thing that can be done is to restrict the sale of them even further, but even that won't stop most people wanting them for a celebration.

It might stop the idiotic kids that drive around throwing them at people, etc, though.

mydogisthebest · 30/10/2023 09:59

Deathbyfluffy · 30/10/2023 08:47

All of those incidents could also be done with other freely available incendiary devices.
Your problem isn’t fireworks, it’s dickheads.

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Sadly it seems that a very high proportion of firework lovers are dickheads

aSofaNearYou · 30/10/2023 10:28

You realise how deeply annoying they are when you have a baby. I'm hoping it gets less annoying again when you're past that stage.

ImNotReallySpartacus · 30/10/2023 10:41

Rosiem2808 · 29/10/2023 22:15

It was heartbreaking to watch my Chihuahua running around the house tonight trying to escape from the bangs and frightened to death. It's time it was stopped. Damn it is not even November - not yet.

Why on earth did you get a dog of a notoriously neurotic breed if you can't cope with it getting hysterical?

Maxus · 30/10/2023 11:34

ImNotReallySpartacus · 30/10/2023 10:41

Why on earth did you get a dog of a notoriously neurotic breed if you can't cope with it getting hysterical?

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The typical I'm all right Jack response of some that sets off fireworks and dosent give a shit about anybody else. It frightens dogs, horses, children,babies, people with dementia and kills wild animals. But you think this is alright do you? Like I said it's the typical I'm all right Jack attitude.

ImCamembertTheBigCheese · 30/10/2023 12:21

Deathbyfluffy · 30/10/2023 08:57

What she did wasn’t illegal, so why should she care?
It’s inconsiderate (not the fact she set them off, just the fact it’s nowhere near November) but not against the law.

The irony is that half these dogs that are terrified have spent the rest of the year yapping in a garden pissing everyone else off, but once the tables are turned it’s a different story 🙄

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why should she care?

Basic decency. Being a good neighbour.

mydogisthebest · 30/10/2023 12:33

ImNotReallySpartacus · 30/10/2023 10:41

Why on earth did you get a dog of a notoriously neurotic breed if you can't cope with it getting hysterical?

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What a nasty post. I guess you are one of the morons that think fireworks are fun.

I doubt you have read the thread but if you have you will have seen my post about my dog. I trained him as a pup not to be scared of fireworks but when he was 6 an absolute twat let off a firework (one of the ones that sounds like a bomb exploding) in daylight and not around bonfire night just as we walked past their garden. My poor dog was terrified and has been ever since (he is 12 now).

Isseywith3witchycats · 30/10/2023 15:55

its true drug dealers do use fireworks here i didnt say they set off a forty pound box they usually last about five minutes a few rockets and believe me the users know exactly which dealers it is and its all year round not just this time of year

BOOTS52PollyPrissyPants · 31/10/2023 00:40

When I lived in London and my sister visited with her teenage son they were delighted that you could just buy in local shops. Cannot buy them here. But even so there is fireworks going off but not so many but my dog gets scared as dogs hearing so much stronger than ours. For myself does not bother me but have to comfort the dog or send her into my son as she frets so much.

BOOTS52PollyPrissyPants · 31/10/2023 00:43

Meant to say hopefully they will be over in a few days and your baby gets to sleep as normal, is horrible as they are so loud but all you can do is comfort her and hope all is over soon.

BOOTS52PollyPrissyPants · 31/10/2023 01:05

We were lucky if had a sparkler and we loved it and the small organized bonfires in many parts of our town and we would go around and see them all and it was great fun and all safe and great memories but no fireworks as not sold here.

Mydogmybestfriend · 31/10/2023 02:25

Hate them

Luckyduc · 31/10/2023 06:39

Thankyou! 👏

Your dog isn't terrified and neither was mine so all these folk who have terrified pets . ..its because the pets have no idea what the sound is and that the owners have made them terrified rather than train them to see that its an OK noise.

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