I need this explained in words of one syllable

The ones available seem to be getting bigger each year.

Not far from where I work there is a small, what looks like, wooden shed, down a back alley, behind houses, which sell the things all year round.

Dont think there are any real restriction on the things, or at least not any I can see.

 

totally agree - i am so fortunate as we have no Fireworks going off here. Living in an agricultural area we only have organized displays that take place in the city and I realize how blessed I am- i really feel for anyone having to deal with this problem and always sign petitions that ask for only organized events to be allowed

 

Although no longer an issue where I'm currently living I agree with you FC. Many of those buying fireworks probably have no idea what they were originally associated with. Surely it's about time the so called celebration of this event was knocked on the head completely!

 

I am so lucky to live where I do now. Like BeeHappy I live in the countryside and there are no fireworks around for at least 2 miles.
I feel for all the animals who will have been terrified while humans are having fun at their expense. I nearly lost a pony to colic caused by him being so frightened by idiot next door neighbours where I used to live who had a huge firework display. I asked them if they could have the display in their front garden and not in their field which was much closer to where the wee pony was. They said they would oblige but didn’t keep their word which resulted in a vet, my daughter and I being up all night fighting to keep the pony alive.
We didn’t miss those neighbours when we moved!

 

@silu that must have been terrifying for all of you- such a relief when that ordeal was over but not something you would ever mentally recover from Im sure

 

I've got mixed feelings about this.
In our culture, they are traditionally a symbol of Guy Fawkes night (at least, that is how I grew up with the concept). Then, they became synonymous with New Year's Eve. This was during an era of terrorism/bombings.
Now we live in a multicultural country, I understand Diwali is also celebrated with fireworks (festival of light?) and also, July 4th for our cousins from across the pond who have settled here.
People also enjoy indulging in fireworks for celebrating weddings and birthdays.

I agree those large "festival" style fireworks should only, ever, be used at an organised display and only as part of a regulated, timed, event. By nature, those would be publicised in advance, thus giving the ordinary man/woman/child/domesticated pets advance warning and therefore time to prepare. Sadly, it would do nothing for the impact on wildlife as they wouldn't be able to read the billboards and could still be traumatised by such events.

However, by that same token, it doesn't appear to be the large, organised events which are causing the real problem. It is the random nature of human beings let lose with fireworks to use/explode ad hoc.

*If* fireworks were only restricted to "trained professionals", then those "trained professionals" would be in charge of a niche market and the cost of attending such events, or hiring those professionals for celebrations, would rise exponentially. Not to mention a rise in black market activity!

I'm not a huge fan of fireworks really, but I do like to indulge (from a distance and for free) an annual "ahh", "ooooh", "wheeeeee" each year.

If random people are being idiots and randomly setting off fireworks ad hoc in a built up area, there is no reason they cannot be reported for anti-social behaviour! After all, letting off bangers in a residential area, in public, is hardly a firework "display" in the traditional context and if it is causing a nuisance/disturbance then it should be reported as such! The Police may be too stretched to treat it as any kind of "emergency", but, surely this is what PCSO's were designed for?

The sad fact is, *we* have to report it. *We* have to be proactive in letting the ne'er do wells know that their behaviour will not be condoned. That is how it worked when I was growing up: you did something you shouldn't ... the neighbours would "report" you to your Mam! Ok, so we don't have those tight knit communities so much now, but, again, this is where your PCSO comes into play: TELL THEM!

 

I can sympathise
The fact is though, with today's technology, no one has to put themselves in a situation of confrontation/danger: film the boogers! That way you are distant enough to avoid confrontation, but still gather "evidence" of who the perpetrators are so they can be reported.

Agreed, yet, even organised displays - which would give license for those ever bigger whizz-bangs - would have just as much of an impact on animals (wild, domestic and farmed!). So, to an extent, the "animal" argument cannot be overcome/eradicated.

Not quite but I take your point.

 

https://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=3&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwj-8fibxqzXAhXSo6QKHcgBDAEQFgg1MAI&url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-wiltshire-41885652&usg=AOvVaw3SdZWZynIiBLFrCQ42CdOx
Things also can mulfunction

 

This reminds me an e-mail that circulated around the Council. In a nutshell it said, if you see the receptionist being beaten up - stay behind the locked glass door and call the police. Do not intervene and put yourself at risk.

The idea being, if you do intervene and get injured, then it's your fault, you can't sue the Council because you were told not to intervene.

The general consensus in the office was that the instructions would be roundly ignored and any one attacking the receptionist would very quickly be restrained using 'reasonable force' m'lord - whilst someone else called the police.

Fireworks - ban them from sale to private individuals - organised displays only .

 

I'm not sure that you can actually say by letting off fireworks in your own garden that you are not doing it in public.
What actually is the difference?????
Once the rocket, or whatever, is launched it is out of their garden and basically in the public domain.
I've got holes in my polycarbonate roof, on the conservatory, from years gone by, to prove the point, sticks from rockets of more than 10 mm in section can cause all kinds of damage, not to mention those plastic bits that rain down from god knows what kind of bangers.

I'm the last one to call for regulations on most things, but fireworks are out of hand, they have become too big and too easy to come by, bearing in mind that most of the households around here, that are a problem with them, will tell you tomorrow that their unemployment payments are late again, and they need to go to the food bank.

 

We have noice limits on lawn mowers etc why isn't there a noice limit on some fireworks

 

I wholly oppose the notion of banning them. Life is becoming too safe, too sterile and too unexciting. Any minority who shouts gets their way. This has seen all sorts of things become outlawed and it is depressing.

Give the pets some knock out tablets for a night and let the kids enjoy the thrill of fireworks.