Are fireworks getting more dangerous ?

[stephec]

as its paid for by the government i would assume taxes pay for it

Ah you mean the organised public displays, I was thinking of the people who let them off in their back gardens at midnight.

 

[roley poley]

we always went to the organised firework displays to see some of our tax payers money go up in smoke because it was much nicer and safer ..ps..dad said a dropped sten gun could go off as happened when he was in the Suez crisis que lads leaping under land rovers and some one on a charge

 

[Dave7]

Jumping Jacks, I recall.

Up north we called them rip raps.

 

[Drago]

I think there was a case of a US law enforcement person showing off his skills on the dancefloor when his pistol, tucked into his trousers under his jacket, fell to the floor and shot a fellow dancer. I think the victim survived.

He was FBI. He should have known better on so many sifferent level.

 

[ColinJ]

Exactly, even as 13/14 year old Air Training Corps members it was made clear in no uncertain terms that you only point a weapon at someone you intend to kill, prior to shooting practice on the range...

A mate and I fancied having a go in a glider so we bimbled down to our local ATC at that age, hoping to get a chance to fly later. A couple of hours of marching up and down a drill hall soon taught us that we were not cut out for it, but we had been promised one shot each on their indoor rifle range so we stayed until the end of the afternoon. I pointed my rifle at the target, squeezed the trigger, and was rather shocked by how loud the shot was. (No ear defenders in those days!). I was even more shocked when my wayward bullet missed the target completely, hit something hard, ricocheted back, and hit the wall behind me!

 

[classic33]

Up north we called them rip raps.

Jumping Jacks this side o'border.

 

[cougie uk]

An army pal was on deployment in some very sandy country - I forget which. Multinational forces all billeted in the same accomodation.

He's watching his iPad with his flash Bose headphones on and is distracted by his bottle of water leaking all over his bedside cabinet. Weird he thinks. Next thing he knows is his next door neighbour bursting through the door - pistol in hand.

Apparently he'd been cleaning it and sent a round through the wall - missing my pal but taking out his water bottle. He begged for this not to be reported but who wants a trigger happy neighbour ? He was sent home in disgrace I believe.

 

[Drago]

Oh aye, a negligent discharge is very bad ju ju. The moment you pick up a weapon the first thing you do is check it's clear - the only exception is if you're about to shoot someone with it.

 

[Scotty55]

We were on holiday in Oxfrodshire a couple of years ago, in a nice rural setting. We didn't know there was a wedding venue nearby. We did when the freworks went off. I honestly thought that someone was attempting to kick the front door in.

Another time, I was watching the Edinburgh fireworks from the top floor of a flat in Charlotte Square (castle is roughly a mile away). The explosions from the fireworks were so powerful that car alarms were being set off.

Nice to look at, but absolutely no need for them to be so loud.

 

[Drago]

Scotty raises a fair point. Fre would mind if fireworks were simpy pretry. Its this bizarre need to emulate the sound of artillery that is upsetting ordinary decent folk.

 

[bikingdad90]

It amazes me how much goes up in smoke but it's their money, and as the saying goes, 'a fool and his money are easily parted.'

We live next to a field and quite often at bonfire and the new year we get people setting off their fireworks on it. It’s great, we save our cash and get a free show but sometimes they are ridiculously loud and bright.

 

[Beebo]

There are more stupid people in the world now.

When I was a kid, I cannot recall being able to buy an entire firework display in one box. It was take one out of the tin box one at a time.

The display in a box has been around for at least 20 years. I bought one for the millennium.
The safety benefit is that you only need to light it once rather than having 20 different fireworks to place and light.

 

[cougie uk]

We were on holiday in Oxfrodshire a couple of years ago, in a nice rural setting. We didn't know there was a wedding venue nearby. We did when the freworks went off. I honestly thought that someone was attempting to kick the front door in.

Another time, I was watching the Edinburgh fireworks from the top floor of a flat in Charlotte Square (castle is roughly a mile away). The explosions from the fireworks were so powerful that car alarms were being set off.

Nice to look at, but absolutely no need for them to be so loud.

Aah we had a great week in a penthouse just below the castle one August. Loved watching the lights and fireworks each night. Perfectly happy for them to be quiet fireworks though.

I know Disney used to do fireworks every single night. Imagine living by them !

 

[gbb]

Best fireworks display I ever saw was silent and with me at maybe 1000 ft in an aircraft, I saw every firework on the horizon from the Chanel to Gatwick, marvelous.
But on ground level, they're getting out of hand IMO, multiple launch boxes that are al ost display quality, being set off in a neighbour's garden 30 ft away is a bit much.

 

[Notafettler]

Can't be arsed with them myself. Dog loves them though, she would sit and stare out the window at them all night if I let her.