UK store bans sale of fireworks - what ya think?

[AurumPunzel]

It's not going to stop people going elsewhere to buy fireworks. As the UK is a unitary country (ie without federalism and city-level ordinances, apart from devolution to the 4 countries that make up the union), national law regarding fireworks is absolute, so there's no problem of one jurisdiction banning them and another not reciprocating the same law, unlike in the US. This is just one chain engaging in virtue-signalling, while others don't do the same.

 

[NYCgrrl]

Individual use of fireworks are illegal in NYC and have been for at a good twenty five years if not longer. Law enforcement turned a blind eye to them in one part of the city during Lunar New Year until a mayor decided it must be enforced citywide. I believe the concern when the ban was enacted were accidental fires and maiming.

 

[ronandannette]

I'm guessing it's like most places--personal usage is not legal but commercial usage/firework display usage is.

That's just my guess though and it's how it works in my area.

Here too, and commercial use/events must have a permit, conform to safety regulations, have their sites inspected, provide security and emergency medical response and follow a million other rules imposed by municipal oversight.

 

[skyblue17]

I live in an urban area, so fireworks going off are usually just another addition to the rest of the noise pollution we put up with on a daily basis. Still, I'd prefer fireworks be left to scheduled, professional displays and not people buying them themselves. There's a bit of irony in that we celebrate our country by doing something that has a good chance of making people who fought for our country miserable, or worse.

 

[NYCgrrl]

Apparently even sparklers are illegal in Massachusetts. That doesn't stop people from going to New Hampshire to buy all sorts of fireworks and the police generally don't bother enforcing the ban, in my experience.

Also NYC. People used to go to other states to buy them but the fine is a butt kicker and if you have too many it's also an arrestable offence. However, it's not illegal to light steel wool and swing it around on a string. To me this this has more potential for danger than a sparkler.

I've love organized fireworks but the under or un supervised versions tend to just make unnecessary noise and pitiful streaks of colour.

 

[mummabear]

I am in NZ and they are legal here.
They are sold for just a few days around fuy fawkes.
We used to have a public guy fawkes display but that moved to Matariki a few years ago since it is dark so much earlier (6pm rather than 10pm) and people felt it was important to celebrate a NZ "holiday" rather than a UK one.
I think we inky have a couple of years left before they are banned, people complain every year.
I love setting them off with kids.

I think those complaining about how they keep kids awake or bother pets need to remember that those same kids and pets can bother the neighbors as well.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

I am in NZ and they are legal here.
They are sold for just a few days around fuy fawkes.
We used to have a public guy fawkes display but that moved to Matariki a few years ago since it is dark so much earlier (6pm rather than 10pm) and people felt it was important to celebrate a NZ "holiday" rather than a UK one.
I think we inky have a couple of years left before they are banned, people complain every year.
I love setting them off with kids.

I think those complaining about how they keep kids awake or bother pets need to remember that those same kids and pets can bother the neighbors as well.

A firework is hardly a good comparison IMO to a barking dog or annoying kid. The sheer decibel level alone though I do believe decibel allowances can vary by country. Not to mention it's random booms. It annoys me when the kids next door jump on the trampoline for hours but I'll take that over fireworks going off in close proximity to me, especially without my noise reduction headphones.

 

[luvsJack]

I don't know. I have had neighbors ( and they aren't even that close to our house) with barking or howling dogs and that can be extremely irritating. Same neighbors set off fireworks for a week or more around the 4th of July and the week between Christmas and New Year's. The sound is much more muffled by the trees between us. But of course everyone doesn't have the luxury of the trees muffling the sound of them.

Everyone has their own thing that gets on the nerves of others. For some its fireworks. Now, I am not talking about someone with PTSD or even a dog that is frightened (I have one of those, we just put him in his safe spot in the house) , but most here just don't like them so naturally, the sound of them is going to be more irritating to you than the sound of say, children yelling or dogs barking or howling or lawnmowers or whatever else people have/do that bother other people.

Doesn't mean the fireworks are worse than other stuff. Just means its worse TO YOU.

Fireworks can be dangerous in the wrong hands. But, I have never personally met someone that didn't set them off safely. We do let the kids do sparklers and the older ones do Roman candles--with an adult one on one with them. We don't do a lot of the bigger things that are supposed to mimic the professional shows. 1. they aren't going to be that big. 2. they are expensive. 3. the kids prefer smaller things. One of their favorites is the little tank that you light and it runs down the road/driveway. We usually will get one or two of the bigger ones to use right at midnight on NYE or to end the night on July 4. They are set off in a way that is safe. The kids are back far enough to see them but not be in any danger of being burnt. They are situated between two ponds to be lit.

We live out in the country and its easy to do it this way. I can certainly see where setting them off in an urban area could be more of a problem with fire, sparks hitting stuff, etc.

 

[LSUmiss]

I am in NZ and they are legal here.
They are sold for just a few days around fuy fawkes.
We used to have a public guy fawkes display but that moved to Matariki a few years ago since it is dark so much earlier (6pm rather than 10pm) and people felt it was important to celebrate a NZ "holiday" rather than a UK one.
I think we inky have a couple of years left before they are banned, people complain every year.
I love setting them off with kids.

I think those complaining about how they keep kids awake or bother pets need to remember that those same kids and pets can bother the neighbors as well.

Keeping someone awake & terrifying them are 2 different things. Thankfully they’re illegal here & children & dogs aren’t so if my neighbors are rude enough to not respect their fellow neighbors, I will & have called the police. And thankfully our police dept enforces the ban. Ftr my dogs rarely bark outside at all & if my child is outside it’s during normal daytime hours.

 

[luvsJack]

Keeping someone awake & terrifying them are 2 different things. Thankfully they’re illegal here & children & dogs aren’t so if my neighbors are rude enough to not respect their fellow neighbors, I will & have called the police. And thankfully our police dept enforces the ban. Ftr my dogs rarely bark outside at all & if my child is outside it’s during normal daytime hours.

I agree with your first sentence with a BUT, not everyone that is bothered by fireworks is terrified.

You live in the city, if I remember correctly so can certainly agree that your situation would be totally different from mine and I would agree with a ban in NOLA and would call myself. I can't imagine how terrible it would be if a fire started from fireworks in some areas of New Orleans.

 

[LSUmiss]

I agree with your first sentence with a BUT, not everyone that is bothered by fireworks is terrified.

You live in the city, if I remember correctly so can certainly agree that your situation would be totally different from mine and I would agree with a ban in NOLA and would call myself. I can't imagine how terrible it would be if a fire started from fireworks in some areas of New Orleans.

No I agree your situation is way different. When I called, the neighbors were in the street & no one could pass & they were shooting them basically right in front of DS’ window b/c our houses are so close. I didn’t call 911 just non emergency number. But when I called the lady told me I was like the 10th call on the same ppl. They sent a unit out & no one got arrested or even ticketed, but they did tell them if they got another call they would. So they stopped.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

I don't know. I have had neighbors ( and they aren't even that close to our house) with barking or howling dogs and that can be extremely irritating. Same neighbors set off fireworks for a week or more around the 4th of July and the week between Christmas and New Year's. The sound is much more muffled by the trees between us. But of course everyone doesn't have the luxury of the trees muffling the sound of them.

Everyone has their own thing that gets on the nerves of others. For some its fireworks. Now, I am not talking about someone with PTSD or even a dog that is frightened (I have one of those, we just put him in his safe spot in the house) , but most here just don't like them so naturally, the sound of them is going to be more irritating to you than the sound of say, children yelling or dogs barking or howling or lawnmowers or whatever else people have/do that bother other people.

Doesn't mean the fireworks are worse than other stuff. Just means its worse TO YOU.

Fireworks can be dangerous in the wrong hands. But, I have never personally met someone that didn't set them off safely. We do let the kids do sparklers and the older ones do Roman candles--with an adult one on one with them. We don't do a lot of the bigger things that are supposed to mimic the professional shows. 1. they aren't going to be that big. 2. they are expensive. 3. the kids prefer smaller things. One of their favorites is the little tank that you light and it runs down the road/driveway. We usually will get one or two of the bigger ones to use right at midnight on NYE or to end the night on July 4. They are set off in a way that is safe. The kids are back far enough to see them but not be in any danger of being burnt. They are situated between two ponds to be lit.

We live out in the country and its easy to do it this way. I can certainly see where setting them off in an urban area could be more of a problem with fire, sparks hitting stuff, etc.

You don't have sensitive ears and must have missed my noise reduction comment if you're referencing my comment. A dog barking does not physically hurt me (well not normally), a kid bouncing on a trampoline does not physically hurt me, the kid next door who loves to play his music in the car with the bass up does not hurt me.

Loud, sudden bangs do physically hurt me.

I agree that not everyone is terrified by fireworks. I am not terrified of fireworks. I love watching them myself but the professional ones as they operate differently than the neighbors who are a few streets away. A lot of that has to do with how professional ones are shot off very high in the sky, the type of fireworks they get, etc. The noise tends to disipate and spread out easier. I can't enjoy my in-laws fireworks because the ones sold for individuals are shot off soooo much closer to the ground, I'm not able to get away from them, nowhere near far enough away from them, as I can with professional displays done.

We have full trees here for 4th of July in my neighborhood but that sure doesn't seem to do too much but only evergreen style (and the like) trees will still have leaves on them in the winter. Cold crisp nights will also carry sound differently.

So yeah..not about irritating and different things you can be irritated about. A lawnmower is a slight annoyance (which is why I have a battery operated on, much quieter on the noise pollution scale). A lawnmower is not the same as a firework.

 

[Heather07438]

Growing up in NJ, fireworks beyond sparklers were illegal to sell. That didn't stop people from hosting their own backyard show because bordering states sold fireworks. Everybody knows somebody who bought a bunch in another state and will sell you some so you didn't even really need to drive 60 minutes to obtain some.

In 2018, our Gov Christie made the sale of smaller fireworks like bottle-rockets legal. So now for the first time we are seeing displays at the supermarket certain times of the year.

Another thing people in the US like to do... shoot their guns off into the sky. Depending on your angle, quite possible the bullet coming down is deadly if a human is in the path. It happens.

 

[pezgirlroy]

I live in New Hampshire were people set off fireworks because it is Tuesday. Seriously. Honestly, I just do not understand the point. I personally wish they would just be limited. They do cause a great deal of harm to some people and I just don't understand the point.

 

[luvsJack]

No I agree your situation is way different. When I called, the neighbors were in the street & no one could pass & they were shooting them basically right in front of DS’ window b/c our houses are so close. I didn’t call 911 just non emergency number. But when I called the lady told me I was like the 10th call on the same ppl. They sent a unit out & no one got arrested or even ticketed, but they did tell them if they got another call they would. So they stopped.

I am glad they responded so quickly! I don't blame you a bit for calling. I would have too. They were shooting them dangerously if shooting that close to a house!

 

[LSUmiss]

I am glad they responded so quickly! I don't blame you a bit for calling. I would have too. They were shooting them dangerously if shooting that close to a house!

And that’s probably why they are illegal here. There is no way to shoot them far enough from houses.

 

[Lilsia]

The problem that I have with people shooting off fireworks is that they can't just do it on the 4th, like they are supposed to. They have to shoot them off every night for 2 weeks around the 4th. Then you get those jerks that have the big M80 fireworks that shake the whole neighborhood at 1am. I go into work at 3 am so I am up by 2. Having 2 weeks of firework noise while I am trying to sleep really affects me. Nobody would want to have fireworks going off until 4am while they are trying to sleep every day. The other pet peeve of mine is how nobody wants to clean up after themselves anymore. When we were young and the neighborhood was shooting them off for the 4th, everyone got their brooms out and swept up the street and make sure the "duds" where put in water just in case. Now when you go out, the streets are littered with debris.

 

[luvsJack]

You don't have sensitive ears and must have missed my noise reduction comment if you're referencing my comment. A dog barking does not physically hurt me (well not normally), a kid bouncing on a trampoline does not physically hurt me, the kid next door who loves to play his music in the car with the bass up does not hurt me.

Loud, sudden bangs do physically hurt me.

I agree that not everyone is terrified by fireworks. I am not terrified of fireworks. I love watching them myself but the professional ones as they operate differently than the neighbors who are a few streets away. A lot of that has to do with how professional ones are shot off very high in the sky, the type of fireworks they get, etc. The noise tends to disipate and spread out easier. I can't enjoy my in-laws fireworks because the ones sold for individuals are shot off soooo much closer to the ground, I'm not able to get away from them, nowhere near far enough away from them, as I can with professional displays done.

We have full trees here for 4th of July in my neighborhood but that sure doesn't seem to do too much but only evergreen style (and the like) trees will still have leaves on them in the winter. Cold crisp nights will also carry sound differently.

So yeah..not about irritating and different things you can be irritated about. A lawnmower is a slight annoyance (which is why I have a battery operated on, much quieter on the noise pollution scale). A lawnmower is not the same as a firework.

That is still something that is individual to YOU. You have an issue with the noise. Someone else finds them irritating.

Other people can't handle the loud bass of a car stereo. Or a child screaming while they play. It physically hurts their ears. That doesn't make them wrong and you right or you wrong and them right. Just different things bothering different people. A lawn mower is a slight annoyance to you, doesn't mean it can't be a big problem to someone else.

Of course, admittedly, I live just a few miles from an army training facility. Groups out there all the time training. Just had a group from Alaska. And they blow things up out there. So I am quite used to booms in the night. All night.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

That is still something that is individual to YOU. You have an issue with the noise. Someone else finds them irritating.

Other people can't handle the loud bass of a car stereo. Or a child screaming while they play. It physically hurts their ears. That doesn't make them wrong and you right or you wrong and them right. Just different things bothering different people. A lawn mower is a slight annoyance to you, doesn't mean it can't be a big problem to someone else.

Of course, admittedly, I live just a few miles from an army training facility. Groups out there all the time training. Just had a group from Alaska. And they blow things up out there. So I am quite used to booms in the night. All night.

Please don't make light of my sensitive ears. I don't have an issue with noise. It's something I was born with and has only slightly lessened over time as my hearing has been naturally damaged. Again it's not that it bothers me. Again it's not that is annoys me. Again it's not that it a big problem to me.

As far as the lawnmower...that's why I got a battery operated one. It's quieter..gee how considerate of me to think of other people too

Please don't compare it with other things like irritating, annoyance or whatever. You wouldn't make light of it to someone with PTSD and tell them well you know some people are annoyed/bothered or whatever adjective you can come up with to downplay it by xyz. Well maybe you would who knows.

I'll use a line so often played here on the DIS--if you don't have experience with it you just won't understand Let's agree to disagree and move on

 

[luvsJack]

Please don't make light of my sensitive ears. I don't have an issue with noise. It's something I was born with and has only slightly lessened over time as my hearing has been naturally damaged. Again it's not that it bothers me. Again it's not that is annoys me. Again it's not that it a big problem to me.

As far as the lawnmower...that's why I got a battery operated one. It's quieter..gee how considerate of me to think of other people too

Please don't compare it with other things like irritating, annoyance or whatever. You wouldn't make light of it to someone with PTSD and tell them well you know some people are annoyed/bothered or whatever adjective you can come up with to downplay it by xyz. Well maybe you would who knows.

I'll use a line so often played here on the DIS--if you don't have experience with it you just won't understand Let's agree to disagree and move on

No reason to get so defensive or take things so personally. It is an issue for you because the noise hurts you. The noise bothers you. Doesn't mean it isn't an honest pain for you. I know that it is. Stop looking for an argument where there isn't one. I didn't make light of anything. Its not downplaying to say that you have an issue with the noise because you do, in fact, have a physical issue with noise.

All I am saying is that fireworks noises are something that cause you pain. Children playing and screaming in the pool next door may cause pain for someone else. The neighbor's teen son's car music with way more bass than it should have, can cause it for someone else.

To you, the worst thing in the world is neighbors setting off fireworks. But someone else would think that the children in the pool is the worst thing ever and for someone else its the bass in the music.

Not sure what we are agreeing to disagree about since I wasn't disagreeing with you. You do realize that not every conversation is a debate, don't you?