Fireworks- Get off my Lawn?

[athena53]

I've been sort of tolerant of fireworks up to now even though the guy across the lake from me is enamored of them- New Year's, the Chiefs wins, etc. I even bring "lite" ones up to my grandchildren- the poppers you throw on the ground, smaller ones that spin and fly very short distances and smoke bombs. They don't like noisy ones and I won't use bottle rockets, etc. that can end up on a roof because of the fire risk. The only ones the kids are allowed to handle are the poppers.

This year I felt like it was really getting out of control. Started last weekend, pretty much all day July 3 and 4 and into the night. I wore earplugs last night. On July 3 I tried to take an afternoon nap. Five minutes in, BANG! I managed to fall asleep again and 5 minutes after that POP-POP-POP-POP! I gave up.

I'm in MO where they're legal and in late June/early July fireworks stands pop up, some with a share of proceeds going to charity. Our church even let a kids' soccer team have one on our property last year in return for a donation. They told me the 6-foot tall packages that cost hundreds of dollars were VERY popular and they had to re-stock them.

Last week a priest friend on FB said he contacted the local church and told them he disapproved of fireworks stands for fund-raising. I thought he was a bit of a wet blanket but, having seen all the posts on missing pets that got out of the house and fled in panic and the impact on people who have been in combat I'm beginning to wonder.

Thoughts?

 

[ShokWaveRider]

Personally, I think they are a huge waste of money, the epidemy of money going up in smoke. I would rather even the city spend their money on a better cause. I would certainly ban them from personal use if I had my way and leave them to be organized by the cities. What a great use of a sports or venue stadium when not in use. I do understand it is a tradition, as it is/was in the UK for Guy Fawkes day (Assuming it is still legal there, I have been away too long ..... Alan?), but there must be a better way.

 

[Aerides]

I don't care/mind so much about the city doing them in parks and what not, as it makes for organized, safe, tradition. It's the "let's turn this neighborhood into downtown beirut circa 1981" that irks me.

If it's enough to startle me sitting inside my house, it's too much. I know there is zero chance they will ever go away in the U.S., no sooner than Apple Pie. I do wish people would be required to pick up all the trash they create within 24 hours as those stray leftovers will be in the street and lawns for weeks to come.

The main reason I hate them is the sheer terror they create for millions of pets and animals. My cats (feral/outdoor) can handle a lot but they all go to ground for fireworks, even somewhat distant ones.

Quite happy to see everyone come around for breakfast this morning!

 

[Car-Guy]

Around here they are legal and you either shoot them yourself or watch them on TV. Some of my neighbors shoot them off since I can hear them in the distance but they are so far away I only see an occasional rocket. Doesn't really matter to me one way or the other. Heck, we hear gunfire almost daily anyway, of which I'm often a contributor.


I'm sure the kids like the fireworks.

 

[Midpack]

I don't care/mind so much about the city doing them in parks and what not, as it makes for organized, safe, tradition. It's the "let's turn this neighborhood into downtown beirut circa 1981" that irks me.

If it's enough to startle me sitting inside my house, it's too much. I know there is zero chance they will ever go away in the U.S., no sooner than Apple Pie. I do wish people would be required to pick up all the trash they create within 24 hours as those stray leftovers will be in the street and lawns for weeks to come.

The main reason I hate them is the sheer terror they create for millions of pets and animals. My cats (feral/outdoor) can handle a lot but they all go to ground for fireworks, even somewhat distant ones.

Quite happy to see everyone come around for breakfast this morning!

+1. The only solace in my mind is it’s once a year, and it doesn’t go on more than an hour IME. I’ve had smoking embers in my yard, and let that neighbor have it on the spot. They were more careful for the years after. Also agree it was terrifying for our dogs, we basically had to snuggle with them on the bed for the duration of the fireworks…

 

[athena53]

+1. The only solace in my mind is it’s once a year, and it doesn’t go on more than an hour IME.

I wish it were only an hour in my neck of the woods- it's days although they seem to respect the late evening/early morning hours.

Today is still "legal" between 10 AM and 10 PM. Tomorrow I plan to post on the city FB page and ask how many citations they issued for people using them before July 4 (only July 4 and 5 are permitted) and for not having a permit, which was available for free, and what fines they anticipate collecting. The city is perpetually short on funds and this was a golden opportunity- heck, you can HEAR the offenders!

 

[Aerides]

This video is so very July 4th to me:

 

[athena53]

This video is so very July 4th to me:

Wow- you wonder if the guy at the upper right survived.

 

[badatmath]

It is legal a few times a year here (Christmas, New Years, 4th July) and I hate it. I already live in a dry state with high fire danger. How does it make sense to encourage more people to play with fire?

 

[latexman]

Last night about 10:30 p.m., after the hood got quiet from fireworks, I took the dog for her last walk before she went into her crate for the night. Someone left their craft paper bag, that were carrying their horde of fireworks, in our front yard! It was full of firework wrappers now. What the . . . Very inconsiderate! I assume they fired them off at the crossroads beside our place. I guess they thought the center of the intersection was a safe place to shoot off fireworks! Well, there's a cul-de-sac only 500 feet further down the street, which is a far better choice, IMO. Anyway, leaving your trash! Again, very inconsiderate!

 

[Qs Laptop]

In my neighborhood and the surrounding neighborhood there are plenty of fireworks fanatics. It does get tiring, especially the knucklehead that likes the super loud cherry bombs and M-80's. OTOH, some of the airborne fireworks are very good, almost professional, and I admit I watch them from my front yard. I don't have to go anywhere to get a good show. Also, there is a casino and a horse racing track nearby that put on firework shows that I can see above the treetops if I look out my 2nd story windows.

Here in Minnesota fireworks are illegal except for the small stuff like sparklers and ground twirlers, etc. While I'm not opposed to making them legal, I wouldn't care if they remained illegal.

This has led to some specious arguments in favor of legalization...

 

[pacergal]

I like fireworks--the organized ones that light up the sky for an hour or so on July 4th and then done.
Around here, the past couple of years, many cities outlawed them due to extreme fire danger. I am OK with that.
Some areas have even gone to drone ones--very interesting to see!
Even so, we started hearing the loud rocket ones a week ago, last night they went until after midnight. /don't like that.
I do like seeing the wonder and excitement on little kids faces, though!

 

[aaronc879]

They are illegal around here but so is speeding and fireworks get enforced about the same frequency. They start at least a week before the 4th and go for days after. If I were in charge they would not be able to be sold to anyone without a permit and permits would only be given to licensed people. I don't think there should be fireworks other than municipal shows on the 3rd or 4th. Unfortunately I don't think that will happen any time soon. Those of us who are sensitive to noise will have to continue to suffer for a couple weeks every year and people like my Dad who have PTSD from war and a severe heart problem will have to hope the fireworks don't literally kill them.

 

[GenXguy]

Personally, I think they are a huge waste of money, the epidemy of money going up in smoke.

True, just like traveling. But it's never going to end, so people just need to relax and deal with it, whether they have a problem with it, isn't going to change anything. Good luck for anyone thinking they can stop people from launching fireworks over their houses. I expect to hear more fireworks this week.

 

[GenXguy]

Around here they are legal and you either shoot them yourself or watch them on TV.

Interesting that there isn't a public option to view them like there is most places. A bunch of public fireworks displays were held in recent days around here. Although, there are plenty of people that shoot off their own also. Watching on TV would be the worst - just not the same.

 

[O2Bfree]

Fireworks are illegal in my city, but that stops no one. Folks go to the nearby reservation to get the big aerial mortars and other high-powered boomers. Last night the port's show failed because of a technical problem, but we hardly noticed because of the barrage of near-professional quality fireworks going off in our area and across the water.

As with others here, one of my main peeves is the mess people leave—where's their pride in this nation we're supposed to be celebrating? And then there's all the toxins released into the air, some of which are carcinogenic and stick around for decades. But what can you do? A local news site published numbers to call to turn people in, but no one really wants to do that.

 

[Kings over Queens]

I love a good display, put on by professionals, at the appointed time and place.

I hate neighborhood displays. Put me the "get off my lawn" crew.

I'd like to poke the asshat who sent up a bunch this morning at 12:30AM. Jerk.

 

[Qs Laptop]

This article was in the newspaper recently. Guest written by a dog it gives a canine perspective on fireworks.

Fireworks from a dog's point of view

Filling in for James Lileks, a member of the Twin Cities dog community has a few thoughts about Terror Boom Bomb Time.

Hello, my name is Birch. I belong to James Lileks, who has the day off. I decided to write his column. On behalf of all of us in the dog community, I beg you to listen: Terror Boom Bomb Time is coming up and we dogs are begging you to stop it.

We have no idea what's going on and it scares the heck out of all of us, except for Winnie up the street — he's like a beer barrel with fur who wouldn't flinch if a meteor landed next to him. The guy's so chill his butt smells like ice cream. But the rest of us live in dread and fear, because this is the worst time of the year. And I say that as a dog with no sense of linear time at all, so you know previous July 4ths have left an impression.

Look at it from our point of view. It's a nice night. We're all outside, guests are over, the grill's working overtime and we all are having a good time. Then, all of a sudden, there's a sound we can't explain. Something really big just made a huge boom so loud that we can feel it in our guts. Or, worse, a whoosh and a shriek. Or a lot of short, buzzing sounds like when your mouth is full of bees.

And none of you humans seem at all bothered. By any of it.

I'm, like, "Hello? Did you not hear that? Do you not smell that? I know you have bad ears and you couldn't smell a dead deer if it was a mile in front of you, but I've got thick flaps of skin and fur hanging over my ears and I heard it. Every bang, boom and hiss. I'm convinced we're all in terrible danger. It could be that the world is ending. Let's find shelter! Now!"

But you humans just laugh and look at the sky.

Now, I'm used to you people not understanding threat assessment. Every day the mailman comes to kill us and I'm the only one who recognizes the threat. I do, because that's my job. So I respond appropriately. And somehow I'm misbehaving, being shushed and get a Dramamine wrapped in cheese — like that's going to help. Might as well dip a towel in 3.2 beer and let me chew on it for a while.

When Independence Day rolls around, you think you're doing me a big favor by putting me in the Thunder Jacket. It's supposed to give me comfort because it's tight. If you were terrified because a mob is heading down the street setting everything on fire, would you think "Well, I'd better put on some pants I wore in high school."

Are you thinking that a tight jacket reminds us of our mother disciplining us? Newsflash, Dr. Dolittle: When I was a puppy my mom didn't cinch me up in Saran Wrap when I was scared. And then you have the nerve to stand there and laugh at me as I stand immobile, too embarrassed to move.

I understand that this is how you celebrate your independence from England. I mean, I have no idea what that means, but neither do a third of the morons making the Terror Booms, and they don't have the excuse of being a dog, but that's another issue.

Point is, we dogs lived with this for too long, and this year we finally did something about it.

You might have noticed that there is no official Minneapolis fireworks this year. Gosh, I wonder how that happened. Not saying we used our influence with city officials. Not saying we didn't.

But Minneapolis, for one, is switching to a laser show. A blessedly quiet laser show. No Terror Booms from downtown. And while I know there will still be Bad Sounds, it's a start.

It's the cats' turn this year. A laser show? Let the cats go nuts for once.

https://www.startribune.com/fireworks-from-a-dogs-point-of-view/600287085/

 

[Car-Guy]

Interesting that there isn't a public option to view them like there is most places. A bunch of public fireworks displays were held in recent days around here. Although, there are plenty of people that shoot off their own also. Watching on TV would be the worst - just not the same.

Well the nearest town to us is 15 miles away and has a population of less than 1k. We need to drive at least 45 minutes to get to a town that has a population over 10k. So I'm guessing not many folks are going to spend the money to put on a professional fireworks show around here.

 

[easysurfer]

I don't care/mind so much about the city doing them in parks and what not, as it makes for organized, safe, tradition. It's the "let's turn this neighborhood into downtown beirut circa 1981" that irks me.

...

+1. Very well said

As a kid I used to get really excited watching. But now, I take a quick glance and see one, then ready to call it a year. Sign of old age I suppose.

 

[RetiredAndLovingIt]

While it certainly was not quiet last night, I do have to say this season has been remarkably shorter than usual, so much so that people were commenting on it. Normally it starts in May and will go long past July 4th but we hardly had any fireworks going off until a couple of weeks ago. There is also a notable absence of the M80 type that shakes the ground. I'm assuming the police got some intel and shut down that source early.
I did look out an upstairs window at one point and watched the renters across the street almost blow themselves up, 2 grown men bent completely over the fireworks trying to get the fuses to stay lit while their kids ran back and forward around them.

 

[GenXguy]

Well the nearest town to us is 15 miles away and has a population of less than 1k. We need to drive at least 45 minutes to get to a town that has a population over 10k. So I'm guessing not many folks are going to spend the money to put on a professional fireworks show around here.

I see. We had a public show here, but I actually drove about 60 miles to see a bigger show, although I went for other reasons, not just for that. I actually hadn't been to a fireworks show in quite a few years, and it really wasn't that entertaining for me. I think part of what makes it entertaining is just being with those who you are sharing the experience with.

I think the laser and drone shows would be less enjoyable.

The dog I had long ago didn't like fireworks. When I got home late one Independence Day, he had dragged his dog house several feet where he could reach my garage and ripped off wood trim on my garage.

I wouldn't advise people approach these people with fireworks trying to stop them. You never know who might pull a gun or knife.

I really had the most fun with fireworks when I was a kid lighting those fuses myself. It was a great time getting my personal stash of fireworks.

 

[audreyh1]

We have neighbors fireworks every holiday especially Christmas and New Years. Fortunately it’s in another subdivision across a major street behind us. Last night was pretty tame and short compared to most. Maybe because it’s been so hot and dry.

 

[freedomatlast]

Wow, I hope i never get to the point of feeling so old that I don't enjoy fireworks on the 4th. Just another first world problem for some, I guess.

 

[jollystomper]

It was quiet in our neighborhood last night. Sometimes someone within a mile of us would have illegal fireworks and shoot them off so that we could see a show from our home, but that did not happen. When there were lots of kids around, we would get the legal fireworks (the ones that shoot sparks up about 6 feet with various colors/patterns/sounds), but it is not as much fun with no kids around. We have a choice of about 6 towns within 20 minutes that have fireworks displays from the 2nd to the 4th this year, so that may also be a reason so not much neighborhood fireworks.

It is not just the animals these can disturb. We have some friends who saw battle in various wars who do not like being close to fireworks sights and sounds.