Firework Laws

[Sark79]

Have they actually done anything to stop idiots setting of fireworks before November 5th in your area?     As far as I can see there has been absolutely no improvement, morons are still setting them off just the same as they always have. 

I hate this time of year, it is impossible to predict when an idiot will decide to let one off and as a result planning walks for the dogs is  very difficult.

A few days ago I heard a women telling her friend that one of her neighbors sons had been injured with a firework,  I think I was the only person who thought this was a positive thing as sadly it is the only way for these people to learn they are dangerous things and should not be messed with. At least now he will not plague society for many years to come. He will tell his Kids to stay away from them.

Why do they sell them weeks before the actual night?    Why allow junkies/neds to buy them?  Isn't it obvious they are going to break the law and illegally set them off before November 5th in a public place?     

The laws aren't working in my opinion

[kinboshi]

A little difficult to police really.

They have to sell them before the 5th - so people have them for the day.  They only get a small window in terms of when they are in demand (much like pumpkins from what I've seen in the supermarket) - so the sellers are going to sell them to anyone who want to buy them.

How are the police supposed to crack down on people using them when they shouldn't?

[byronkincaid]

Why allow junkies/neds to buy them?

yeah everyone who wants to buy a firework should have to have a drugs test first!

Our rabbits hate it as well.

[Sark79]

Each Village/Community should have a couple of appointed people who are respected by the local residents.  For example the local Scout leader or Fireman, etc..  He/She should be the only people who are allowed access to the fireworks until the actual night.  Sadly people in general cannot be trusted and are incapable of handling the fireworks in a sensible way.  Selling to the public will result in them being used in an illegal way.  I would like to see properly organised displays and the banning of casual use of fireworks by members of the public

[Bongo]

It's not illegal to set them off on other days, so why would they stop people?

[Sark79]

Why allow junkies/neds to buy them?

yeah everyone who wants to buy a firework should have to have a drugs test first!

Our rabbits hate it as well.

ok,  I maybe overreacted with that one   .  The other day I was in Morrisons and a couple of little neds who were about 15/16 were buying a box of fireworks.  If I had £1 million , I would bet anyone that they are not a box of fireworks anymore and are the remains of a box of fireworks.  They would be mentally unable to wait untill the actual day and would have set them off the very night he bought them.  It seems crazy to me that anyone can buy explosives.  

I told the story before of the junkie on the bus who let off a firework last year.  He was upstairs and I saw what was about to happen and moved downstairs. A few minutes later a big bang sounded through the bus, the driver screeched to a hault and went upstairs.  The junkie pleaded his innocence with cries of  "It wasne me big man....  I dinny dae nothing man....f...ks  sake I didne day it man".  The sad thing was the guy wasn't a Kid, he was an adult of about 30 years old.  The Public in general cannot be trusted and it should only be appointed people who are allowed to handle them.

[kinboshi]

Each Village/Community should have a couple of appointed people who are respected by the local residents.  For example the local Scout leader or Fireman, etc..  He/She should be the only people who are allowed access to the fireworks until the actual night.  Sadly people in general cannot be trusted and are incapable of handling the fireworks in a sensible way.  Selling to the public will result in them being used in an illegal way.  I would like to see properly organised displays and the banning of casual use of fireworks by members of the public

Wouldn't trust a local scout leader with a sparkler.

[raab11]

the public sale of fireworks should be banned entirely

[thetank]

 

A few days ago I heard a women telling her friend that one of her neighbors sons had been injured with a firework,  I think I was the only person who thought this was a positive thing as sadly it is the only way for these people to learn they are dangerous things and should not be messed with. At least now he will not plague society for many years to come. He will tell his Kids to stay away from them.

Sark, please consider the following.....

People were fooling around with fireworks in an irresponsible manner 10/20/30 years ago. Yet you don't see any adults playing with fireworks in the street now. (Asides from the rare junkie on a bus)

If the following were true of firework accidents....

sadly it is the only way for these people to learn

Then every single one of them must have gotten a serious firework injury at some point. Either that or perhpas there is maybe some sort of natural maturation process that us humans go through. Which is more likely?


Furthermore, the assumption that someone who injures themselves will stop doing something potentially harmful is not always true. I know folk who have overdosed on drugs, gotten run down in the street etc. Yet soon after they are out of hospital they are back on their poison, ignoring crossings, whatever.
When I was a smoker, a nasty bout of midnight coughing or a heart twinge wouldn't stop me buying a pack of Malboro in the morning.


I find your complete faith that someone injuring themselves is a good thing to be disturbing. I find your reasoning that such an event will miraculously cure a youth from being, as you so dramatically put - a plague on society - to be lacking in substance. 
For all you know, the injury could just serve to increase the aura of danger and coolness surrounding fireworks. Instead of getting bored with the things, the nutters who hear the story have their interest in explosives retained by the perverse possibility that somebody could actually get hurt tonight. Before you dismiss this, ask why the circus act is called the high wire and not the one metre off the ground wire.


Your posts makes me wonder if you would wish for all your local non-chess club teens to be put in hospital so that your dog wouldn't be as hard to walk for a fortnight next year.

[thetank]

After making sure that he has his emergency exit plan sorted, and that his furniture is of the slowly combustable variety, the local officious fireman gets a knock on the door from Sark and the local branch of the Hitler Youth.

"Control group 456's annual ration of highly explosive fireworks has arrived from Big Brother. Would you be so kind as to store them 12 deep in your spare room for a month. Ta."

"Dunno if that's a good idea, I could leave a bucket of sand in the hall I suppose?"

But it was too late, Sark and his footsoldiers had seen a boy in the next street wearing a jumper looking the the wrong way at a squirrel. They efficiently go and beat him to death with copies of the Daily Mail.

[Sark79]

I honestly believe that Kids who are willing to set of fireworks in the street also lack respect for authority.  This lack of respect for the law and other people mean that in order to send them a message that fireworks are dangerous, they have to be injured by the firework or have a friend injured by the firework.  More than injuring the individual,  a potential outcome of this unfortunate event happening may be a move by Government to ban the sale of fireworks to the public.  No amount of education or horror stories will deter a ned from having his 30 seconds of fun hearing a loud bang.

If you consider an area of road that has a reputation for being dangerous.  Year after year people say "someone is going to get hurt on that stretch of road one of these days".  When a bad accident eventually happens and someone is badly injured or even killed, only then is action taken to alter or fix the hazardous road section.  This is almost always by public protest.  

I would have said the same thing 30 years ago and I will say the same 30 years from now.  Fireworks are dangerous, they scare animals and should only be used at organised events.

"Your posts makes me wonder if you would wish for all your local non-chess club teens put in hospital so that your dog wouldn't be as hard to walk for a fortnight next year".

I don't want to answer this one   .  

I am more concerned for my dogs wellfare than a bunch of idiots who lack respect for other people.  Unfortunately my dog has no rights and people do regardless of their actions.  

[Sark79]

After making sure that he has his emergency exit plan sorted, and that his furniture is of the slowly combustable variety, the local officious fireman gets a knock on the door from Sark and the local branch of the Hitler Youth.

"Control group 456's annual ration of highly explosive fireworks has arrived from Big Brother. Would you be so kind as to store them 12 deep in your spare room for a month. Ta."

"Dunno if that's a good idea, I could leave a bucket of sand in the hall I suppose?"

But it was too late, Sark and his footsoldiers had seen a boy in the next street wearing a jumper looking the the wrong way at a squirrel. They efficiently go and beat him to death with copies of the Daily Mail.

lol 

[bolt pp]

sark sort it out mate, calm down.

Theres been 2 shootings on the estate where i live in the last two weeks(one fatal) and about 6 all together in the last 3 months in the surrounding area, seeing a multitude of colours rising into the sky after hearing a loud bang outside my gaff before fireworks night is a welcome relief.

get a bit of perspective mate.

[Sark79]

These are my views and I will change them for nobody.  I am perfectly calm Bolt.  What does shootings have to do with my firework question anyway? 

[HOLDorFOLD]

Barking and Dagenham sent round information with which dates fireworks could be set off, and between which times.  I cannot remember the exact dates but it included EID and Diwali as well as Bonfire night.

It also said that shop owners were to be fined if caught selling fireworks to under aged people and they were only allowed to sell them on certain dates (something like a week before an important date - I did not pay too much attention to be honest).

A telephone number was listed for members of the public to call if they saw any shopkeepers selling on any of the dates not listed, and if anyone set them off after 11pm.

There has been a considerable decrease in fireworks being set off at all times and all dates (although there has been the odd one or two very late at night) - how much of this is due to the new rules I do not know.  It could just be that I am getting deafer and just can't hear them as much this year 

Yes fireworks are dangerous, as is crossing the road these days, but I for one adore this time of year and love going to organised displays.