Fireworks

[Skylark]

Every year it seems that fireworks do not last just for one night - 5th November, but for the whole month. Also it also seems that they are getting louder. I feel that the loud fireworks should be outlawed. What does anybody else out there think

I feel they should be outlawed from private personal use. I do feel it should be ok at a place being done for a public show. For example like at a fair or any gathering where professionals are in charge of it. This way it will be a lot less dangerous to people. There should also be a permit for handling them no matter what class of fireworks they are.

I also feel they should be banned since people seem to set them off all hours of the night for days as Skylark said. Some just have no respect for people who have to work or have little ones in bed. Its so annoying.

The city I did live in all private personal use is banned and only certain types are aloud to be used by professionals with or without a permit. I am one who does enjoy the shows though.

Partypoopers! I LOVE fireworks. Also, it's not disturbed my little ones at all.

You'd never cope with Ramadan, then, Skylark and 3angels! It started here last night. Because people are not allowed to eat during daylight hours they have breakfast at 3am and one way of making sure noone misses out is to set off firweorks from about 2.30am, as well as making lots of noise with dustbin lids and so on. And this is every night until 6th December!! But life goes on and no one moans about it.

Oh, I forgot to say, working folk seem to manage with all this 'disturbance' and they work so much harder than most people in the west. If your job is less than 35 hours a week you are officialy classified as unemployed in Indonesia and are urged to get a second job!! I tell you, it's an eye-opener living here and seeing how the other half live. We are so lucky in the west to only have a few fireworks to fret over.

Suedonim, Ramadan is a REALLY big deal where I live in London. The end of it is always huge and the atmosphere locally is amazing (in a good way). Firewoks are also huge - last night was like being in the trenches with fireworks literally everywhere for 3 - 4 hours. Guess we just have generally enthusiastic locals.

Fireworks don't bother me although Peter White on Radio4 last night highlighted the very distressing impact that fireworks often have on guide dogs.

That's interesting, Bells, about your part of London. I guess it will be the same in some other cities in the UK too. I was surprised about the guide dogs as I thought they were trained to be 'bomb-proof' wrt to things like that.

Your part of the world sounds a busy place, SueW, with all those celebrations taking place. When my older dd was small she said she wanted a firework display when she got married, but she didn't want a husband as well!!

Have to agree with SoupDragon. My husband bought 2 enormous boxes of fireworks (2 for 1) and entertained all the neighborhood kids for hours last night. He started around 6pm so the younger kids could participate too. He was very careful and didn't put anyone at risk. And at the end let each of the younger kids hold a sparkler under supervision. I must live in the same neighborhood as bells2 because we were surrounded by Diwali fireworks (we live very near a hindu temple). If I didn't have a newborn baby I would have gone. As is, I had to settle for my dh's display.
There will always be irresponsible people with everything everwhere. Banning things doesn't get rid of them, it just spoils it for everyone else. Should alcohol be outlawed because people drink and drive/fight/vomit/etc.

I agree Skylark, I think that they should be banned for private use, and just used at organised displays, which usually tend to set them off earlier. Last night, they were almost continuous from around 6pm (which I don't mind) to 12:30am (which I do mind!!) I'm 32 weeks pg and my little baby really hated them, and kept doing tap dances under my rib-cage - does anyone know if this is OK?

I know I've ranted elsewhere about this, but last night confirmed how much I HATE fireworks this year especially. Don't get me wrong - organised displays and families who get them over and done with by 8 pm or so I can live with, but last night we had the damn things going on til past MIDNIGHT! As a result, had the worst night's sleep for months as both the baby (DS2) and toddler (DS1) were unsettled by them in the early part of the evening, and then after the final round at about 12.10 am, DS1 decided he was too scared to sleep - tried to put him back to bed 3 times without success over the next few hours and he finally ended up in our bed at 3.30 am.... baby then woke us all up at 4 am - fed him - ds & dh go back to sleep and I lie awake in DS2's bed for next 2 hours unable to sleep before DS2 wakes up again at 6 am....

YAWN......

Im just curious why theres fireworks in other areas at this time. I know here we have them mainly on the 4th of July.

Last week our local paper ran an article from our local councillor about fireworks. He wanted peoples opinions on the fact that he was persuing the introduction of a fireworks licence. So peolpe who wanted them for weddings and other such special occassions would have to apply for a licence, as you would do a drinks licence, in order to have them at their party.

I for one think that this is a jolly good idea. I cannot stand fireworks as they make far too much noise for one thing. I also find it very irritating when bofire night lasts for about three weeks!

Why don't you all write to your local MP and see what they have to say.

Threeangels in England we have Guy Fawkes Night/bonfire night on 5 November. Guy Fawkes attempted and failed to blow up Parliament (using gunpowder hence the fireworks). Another tradition is to make a "guy" which is an effigy of a person, meybe jacket and trousers stuffed with straw or something and burn it on a bonfire. We, of course, do not celebrate 4 July!

Have to say that my DS enjoyed standing on the windowsill watching the early evening fireworks before going to bed without a murmur at 7.45 pm and staying there until 7.45 am today. Before I sound too smug I should add that I, on the other hand spent the night (until 5.45 am) on the settee trying to sleep through sinusitis before retiring to bed for the last 3/4 hour before the alarm. So now I sound like a martyr. I give up!!

I personally loathe fireworks but they give a lot of pleasure to others & are a great fund-raiser for charities. Being country bumpkins we don't get so much as a sparker going off before the 'official' village do on Sat night - at which DH will be an organiser; DS will be in bed I will be on Mumnset with a glass of wine!!

Did feel like I was living in a war zone last night with fireworks going on till past 11pm. The house opposite had a big display in their front garden and seemed to reserve the loudest ones till just after my frightened 5 yr old had got into bed. Having begged me to stay with him until he fell asleep and me being mean and telling him I would check on him in 5 mins, when I ran up the stairs after a particularly earth shattering explosion he was fast asleep none the wiser!

I personally love fireworks and watched displays all over Bristol from my attic room window - much fun!

going back to the guide dog issue - a friend of mine is blind and actually, they are dogs underneath, despite the training. They will jump at loud noises and, especially labradors, scavenge if there is any grub lying in the gutter. I've witnessed some spectacular (and dangerous) kerbside scavenges, and also some exremely funny ones involving restaurants and dessert trolleys .......

Droile - don't mean to make fun of your very pertinent post, but have you seen how it looks on the listings page....

Willow2, I don't get it. Which page? (Feeling a bit thick tonight, must be the worms. Do you know, they tell me I can't take the medicine because I'm breastfeeding? ARFUR.......what am I supposed to do, live with it?)

Droile - look on the Last Day page under this pages heading. It does look very funny.

Can't believe there are fireworks going off as I write!

Ahhh, had a look now. yes. ROFL!