Will fireworks be banned ?

[Dog]

On November 5th this year airbomb type fireworks were all the rage, the slates on the old dog kennel rattled most of the night as one after the other thundered into the heavens above. The problem for many is that this didn't just happen on November 5th, it happened nearly every day & night for two weeks leading upto the official night of sulphur smoke and colourful bits of fire. Kids were stuffing rockets through letterboxes, sticking them in their mouths and throwing them into crowds of shoppers, just how many people have to be maimed or blinded before only official firework displays are allowed and all other sales of fireworks banned ?

 

[Gill]

Be grateful that you don't live in an area where Diwali is celebrated a few weeks before Bonfire Night. We've been suffering nightly for close on six weeks. Thank goodness everything seems to be over now.

We've got three dogs and it's been sheer torment. I wouldn't mind if people just celebrated on the proper night, or perhaps the Saturday closest.

And another thing...how come fireworks are so readily available at this time of year, yet I can't buy saltpetre to make preserves (a la Delia Smith) because the government fears that it could be made into explosives? What are fireworks made of, anyway? This is a very sore point with me :x .

Rant over

Gill

 

[Drew]

I can top your six weeks, we had the windows rattling for a good two months before Guy Fawkes night. That plus the fact a lot were the illegal chinese fireworks made life untenable round here for any pets and a lot of owners.

Drew

 

[Noel]

Here in N. Ireland fireworks have been banned for most of the last 30 years. Currently only organized displays are allowed. You simply can't go in to your local cornershop and buy a box. The authorities reasoning behind the prohibition of fireworks was obviously related to the slightly unstable society we've had here in recent times. Firearms, explosive devices, petrol bombs, all the usual hardware of terrorism were/are part of everyday life. In the goverments' eyes fireworks could be part of this hardware.
So this leads me to ask: in a more stable society - mainland uk - are fireworks any less dangerous than the aforementioned list of terror hardware? After all fireworks are small explosive devices and in irresponsible hands they are weapons of terror and therefore without some measure of control should be banned.

Rgds

Noel (just in from the pub)

 

[Drew]

Hi Noel

I can see it going the same way here on the mainland. All because some numbnuts cant get their kicks anyway else. Last year we had a pensioner terrified when her bedroom exploded into flames. Some youths had targeted the room using a huge arial bomb and she lived on the tenth floor. There is talk of legislation coming in this coming year on fireworks. I never thought I would be in the camp of those that wanted them banned from over the counter sales, but unfortunately because of all the morons my generation has bred it is now needed.

Rant over.

Drew

 

[Scrit]

I've got to say that I'm with the antis on this. Apart from having had about three weeks of rigidly controlling our three cats' forays into the outer world (and anyone with one cat, let alone three, will tell you how "difficult" that can be), I've also had to endure damage to my (hired) van caused by a wayward rocket which landed on the roof and burnt a large patch of paintwork (a first, I have to admit) - the explanations and form filing took a happy three hours.

A recent trip into Leeds also revealed the "fun" which can be had with fireworks - in one district we counted no less than five burnt-out telephone boxes - they apparently make good sport for the mad bombers. I just wonder what they'll cost to replace (I've been told about £2k each)

Personally, I think they have it right in Northern Ireland, and after all, hasn't that nice Mr. Blair presented us on a plate to Al Qaeda - so you'd have thought that the powers that be wouldn't want people to have anything which could go bang so loudly, especially during Georgy Porgy's state visit...

Scrit

 

[Dog]

"Dogs have owners, cats have staff" I have 14 cats and two dogs so you can imagine the fun I've had keeping that lot controlled during the 'semi-lethal war zone' this Autumn. I agree with what you say about fireworks getting into the wrong hands and possibly landing in the wrong 'Bush' or not depending on your views just as long as only a Bush was affected and not a whole bunch of innocent by-standers but I'm not going any further with that comment :wink: The saddest thing about the kind of fireworks that were on sale is that with some helpful knowledge off the Internet it is possible to make some extremely deadly weapons. I recently read how to turn an innocent can of hair spray into a bomb complete with full intructions and other information about the use of fireworks and how, if tacks are added to the mixture, a very nasty but simple 'nail bomb' can be constructed and yet the potential ingredients for such weapons has been freely on sale right here in the UK :roll:
Please note: I reported the webpage where I came across this information and it has since disappeared!

 

[Argus]

I've come to this one a bit late, but I'm glad to see the consensus on this one. Indiscriminate fireworks are a complete and utter menace. 1 am in the morning is not unknown in my area (Berkshire) and they will carry on over christmas and the new year. I am completely opposed to the sale of percussive bombs that terrify my animals.

Many of us have animals that are driven to distraction by all this and those who agree may be interested in this RSPCA site that has organised a parliamentary lobby. There is a Bill proceeding through the commons on regulating fireworks.

Please encourage the RSPCA and parliamentarians to help sort this mess out.

[/url]http://www.rspca.org.uk/fireworks

 

[CYC]

Noely I am confused because there are shops all along the border with the republic that sell fireworks!!! In fact this is pretty much a good way to tell you are at the border.
It banned here in the republic, yet we have as much firewoks as you all have discribed, why? because everyone can drive quickly to the border and buy all they want to make plenty of noise.

Only 5 years ago you wouldn't hear any fireworks except may be on halloween night.

Don't blame the kids for setting off fireworks, blame the parents for buying them.