Fireworks

[tamperman36]

Last night some stupid degenerate decided it would be fun to place a banger firework in our letter box, the result of which has luckily only left us requiring a new letter box. Luckily neither my wife or I were hurt but it did leave us a little shaken.

 

I have thought for several years that the use of fireworks should be licenced and controlled as youngsters these days seem to have no common sence or brains, and seem to think playing with fireworks (basically explosives) is fun. They don't seem to care about the possible dangers. This is why I think that fireworks should only be sold to a licenced and trained person. These people should have to pass an exam to become a qualified pyrotechnician so the can then use fireworks under controlled conditions.

[PatB]

Already the case in the majority of Australia. It still doesn't seem to stop anyone who really wants to from playing silly b*$$@rs with stuff that goes bang.

[peanuts]

Last night some stupid degenerate decided it would be fun to place a banger firework in our letter box, the result of which has luckily only left us requiring a new letter box. Luckily neither my wife or I were hurt but it did leave us a little shaken.

 

I have thought for several years that the use of fireworks should be licenced and controlled as youngsters these days seem to have no common sence or brains, and seem to think playing with fireworks (basically explosives) is fun. They don't seem to care about the possible dangers. This is why I think that fireworks should only be sold to a licenced and trained person. These people should have to pass an exam to become a qualified pyrotechnician so the can then use fireworks under controlled conditions.

and just as there are idiot parents /elder relatives who buy younger siblings alcahol then drop them at the local park out of there sight to cause mayhem .there will be the same idiots who will do the same with pyrotechnics its not affecting them and there little darlings are too well behaved to do anything irresponsible or stupid with them 

[Robert]

While I sympathise with you, I don't really think that an outright ban is the answer.  This would be another case of the minority spoiling things for the majority.

 

Here in Germany, New Year is the time when fireworks are let off.  For one evening, virtually the country goes completely and utterly mad!  Forget the "firework code", people let them off in the street, throw them around, and if you live in a town it seems like a war zone for one evening.  Also, yes, people are injured but usually because of doing something stupid.

 

Fireworks are only on sale from the 29th December until the 31st - outside of those dates, they cannot be bought (except in exceptional circumstances).  Also, you need a permit to let them off other than on New Years eve (although a blind eye is usually turned for a couple of nights either side).

 

As you said, the problem is lack of common sense and lack of responsibility where people's own actions are concerned - and this is the problem that needs to be addressed.

 

Hope you are not too shaken up, and I suggest you report the incident to the police.  Given that I assume you have an internal letterbox, the firework could quite easily have started a fire which would add a whole new dimension.  I am not an expert on the law, but I would suggest this is at the very least, criminal damage.

[tamperman36]

The incident was reported to the police and is recorded as a case of criminal damage as we needed a crime number to stop us being charged by the local council for the repair. I could do the repair myself but why should I end up out of pocket for some other idiots actions. 

[bbishop]

Did someone refuse to do "!trick or treat"?

 

Bill

[kevinlms]

Already the case in the majority of Australia. It still doesn't seem to stop anyone who really wants to from playing silly b*$$@rs with stuff that goes bang.

I think they are still available in Northern Territory. I think the ACT stopped them a few years ago. So someone needs to be pretty determined to bring them to the southern states.

[Mallard60022]

While I sympathise with you, I don't really think that an outright ban is the answer.  This would be another case of the minority spoiling things for the majority.

 

Here in Germany, New Year is the time when fireworks are let off.  For one evening, virtually the country goes completely and utterly mad!  Forget the "firework code", people let them off in the street, throw them around, and if you live in a town it seems like a war zone for one evening.  Also, yes, people are injured but usually because of doing something stupid.

 

Fireworks are only on sale from the 29th December until the 31st - outside of those dates, they cannot be bought (except in exceptional circumstances).  Also, you need a permit to let them off other than on New Years eve (although a blind eye is usually turned for a couple of nights either side).

 

As you said, the problem is lack of common sense and lack of responsibility where people's own actions are concerned - and this is the problem that needs to be addressed.

 

Hope you are not too shaken up, and I suggest you report the incident to the police.  Given that I assume you have an internal letterbox, the firework could quite easily have started a fire which would add a whole new dimension.  I am not an expert on the law, but I would suggest this is at the very least, criminal damage.

Deffoe report, as someone might have seen someone. This dangerous behaviour and if it had been a frail person's LB they may well have become ill or even worse.

Phil

[Mallard60022]

Last year I posted on here about being narrowly missed by a falling spent rocket case; it was one of those huge things and it would have hurt. I also wonder what would happened if the thing had hit my car. No chance of getting paid for that damage.

These modern fireworks are a bl##dy nuisance and should only be allowed at special and permitted events.

Phil

[petethemole]

I've probably got enough rocket sticks put by so I'm inclined to agree.

[grandadbob]

Saw on the evening news earlier some morons in London are using them as weapons and firing them at passers by. An eight year old girl has already been burnt. It is high time the bloody things were outlawed.

[ELTEL]

IMHO fireworks should not be sold to the general public

 

They should only be available for official trained operators at organised events.

 

Problem solved.

[brianusa]

Same trouble over here although some regard it as  a second amendment right to bear fireworks and let them off!  The same morons reside in our town and elsewhere with the same attitude.  Worse still, the tribal lands are permitted to sell fireworks which don't always meet the standard available elsewhere and the same morons buy their heavy artillery to let them off where they will.

 

Brian.

[peanuts]

Last year I posted on here about being narrowly missed by a falling spent rocket case; it was one of those huge things and it would have hurt. I also wonder what would happened if the thing had hit my car. No chance of getting paid for that damage.

These modern fireworks are a bl##dy nuisance and should only be allowed at special and permitted events.

Phil

my dad used to do the fireworks display at our local cricket club which included lighting some of these big display rockets leaned to wear a hard hat after the first year and a couple of near misses when gravity kicked in 

[Horsetan]

IMHO fireworks should not be sold to the general public

They should only be available for official trained operators at organised events.

Problem solved.

There will be a whole industry dedicated to getting round this.

[Ozexpatriate]

I have thought for several years that the use of fireworks should be licenced and controlled ...

I'm a bit surprised, given all the references I see here to 'the nanny state' and 'elfin safety' etc that they are not already so.

 

Where I live, the heavy artillery is banned - despite the cultural affinity here for things that go bang in the night. The national anthem is full of such references. When you live in a place that is positively infested with sappy resinous trees that dry out in the summer time and explode in the presence of warm air and a spark, it is a sensible to limit the use of fireworks.

[kevinlms]

IMHO fireworks should not be sold to the general public

 

They should only be available for official trained operators at organised events.

 

Problem solved.

Seems to work well with the big public displays that occur down under. The organisers can afford to put on a decent display, rather than a few piddling examples. Some individuals even let them off in daylight - Duh!

 

Some morons, still seem to take their dogs to the public displays though. How stupid can you get? Its cruel.

[APOLLO]

Day after "Bommy night" I have a walk round our estate, picking up fallen rockets - the wood sticks come in very handy !!. Some are huge - 2 foot long and the wood is near 1/4" square, as already noted it would give you a headache if it hit you !!

 

Brit15

[62613]

my dad used to do the fireworks display at our local cricket club which included lighting some of these big display rockets leaned to wear a hard hat after the first year and a couple of near misses when gravity kicked in 

Photo?

[peanuts]

Photo?

 i wish bro somewhere ? can still remember him running around with his yellow hard hat on lighting rockets with Gren and Burnsy  . all of our gang standing down wind waiting to chase and catch the parachute flair and chainey throwing thunder flashes down the banking at the back . spending all day helping build the bonfire making dens in the pallets from shaws Burnsys waggon full of sleepers and "doings " happy days memories of a childhood where we took risks got dirty had fun and generaly apart from the odd bump or bruise nobody got hurt  oh and we could buy fireworks aged 14 and generaly were better behaved with them than current 18 year olds odd that 

[Colin_McLeod]

IMHO fireworks should not be sold to the general public

 

They should only be available for official trained operators at organised events.

 

Problem solved.

That is the situation in the Republic of Ireland.  As fireworks contain explosives they can only be legally in the possession of or set off by the Irish Army for organised displays.

[Mallard60022]

OK own up, who used to blow up airfix kits or similar, using something like  Mighty  Thunderer (or whatever they were called) just for fun? I didn't of course as I was a very good lad.........................................

Phil

[34theletterbetweenB&D]

Oh, the group I mixed with did. We sank the Bismarck/Tirpitz/Scharnhorst several times over with Brocks 'Cannon' bangers. (The inestimable advantage of one of our number being the son of a newsagent who sold both Airfix kits, and fireworks in season, just might have had something to do with this malarkey.) We did all of this well away from any chance of adult observation, knowing full well that it would not be approved of.

 

Then again, standards of adult behaviour at that time were far inferior also. They seemingly thought nothing of disposing of their clapped out car or motorbike by pushing it into a worked out quarry or surface drainage trap, or otherwise dumping it in some unobserved waste ground. which led to youthful experiments with the combustible liquid such things often contain.

[ikks]

For as long as I can remember we used to celebrate  Guy Fawkes night 

with fireworks, we had a bonfire , mum would make toffee , spuds in the fire and baked apples, all supervised by our parents but we were still allowed to enjoy ourselves  with sparklers and a Roman Candles you could hold. Lots of bangers and rockets and other spectacular fireworks that did lots of things.... all in our back yard .....we loved it, only trouble was.........it was over too quickly  . I guess the key word here is to use these things responsibly...........not a word often thought about in today's vocabulary

 

Rgds,,,,,,,,,Mike

[PatB]

I tend to tread very carefully around the concept of banning or licencing things because they can be a bit risky, because I can think of several dozen dangerous things and/or substances which I find quite handy and which I'd rather didn't become unobtainable because idiots have misused them.