July 4th woes

[Eric.]

I'm not unpatriotic.  I get it.  People wanna celebrate.  Although I do think - just like most other holidays - the true meaning is completely lost on the vast majority of people and the activities and consumption become the celebration in and of itself instead of the actual reason for it.  And honestly...how many of these boneheads didn't even vote?  Many, I think it's safe to assume.  Yeah, true patriots.

Rant -

These people and their fireworks.  Ugh.  I've had it.  I live in a densely packed suburban county, and in my city and several of the surrounding cities, fireworks are ILLEGAL.  Full stop.  No hours, no rules and regulations...just illegal.  As in, don't do it.  But they do it.  And not just on the 4th.  And not just until 10PM or so.  And not just a few random pops throughout the evening.  Two full weeks of it, afternoon until the middle of the night...constant explosions.  Everywhere.  On my street, on the next street over, on every street.  It's not uncommon that I'll be awoken at one or two in the morning.  Artillery shells exploding right above my roof because the rednecks on the next street over haven't polished off their cases of Budweiser yet.

It's already started.  Right now it sounds like a freaking war zone out there, and my kids are in bed.  It's not even July yet, people, seriously.  I got into a heated debate with a few idiots on our neighborhood forum today, and none of them seem to understand how inconsiderate it is to blow shit up while people are trying to get some sleep for the next day of work.

"Get over it, dude.  It's only a couple weeks a year.  It's tradition.  It's my country and I'll do what I want."

Sorry, if you live in a suburban neighborhood and you're shooting off fireworks at midnight on a Tuesday...you're an asshole.

I can't be the only one who thinks firing off consumer-grade fireworks is among the stupidest things that Americans do.  It's a mindless activity and a waste of money.  Not to mention dangerous to body and property.  People get their fingers blown off and their houses caught on fire every year, en masse.  It's idiotic.  Not even entertaining.  Just...boom.  Wow.  Amazing.  Let's do it again.  And again.  And again.

How about go watch a professional display instead?  They do it better than you anyway...and guess what?  There's a reason they end it at 9:30...it's called common courtesy!  If you wanna be obnoxious, go out to the river where it's legal and there isn't a sleeping family 30 feet from your stupid explosions.  And I hope that urine you call beer gives you cirrhosis of the liver.  Idiot.

Sorry.  Had to vent.  And I'm sure I offended someone.  But you needed to hear it.

[Llama]

16 minutes ago, Eric. said:

how many of these boneheads didn't even vote?

Roughly half... statistically speaking...

Did you call the cops about this? They are breaking several laws, and it's stupid and rude.

I like fireworks, but I go where the pros are doing it. Even when I was a kid I thought it was dumb to set of fireworks at the house. It usually turned into a competition where you win NEXT year, maybe.... 

[estesbubba]

I totally agree with you and I could rant forever too but since I'm on my iPad, 2 things:

1. When we lived in town our house was the last street of our subdivision and the street behind us was 1 car garages. I'm pretty sure most of their May and June paychecks went to Busch Light and fireworks. Not only did they do 2 weeks straight of fireworks but they also had a cannon! Nothing like a 3am wake up call from that!

2. If you blow off your fingers you get free advertising of your GoFundMe page on the local news, so there is a potential reward for the stupidity. 

[Coop]

My neighborhood is so poor, people can't afford both fireworks and beer, so they don't choose fireworks. Seriously though, our police don't take it lightly, so we don't have a problem. 

[..Kev]

I live in the boonies and set my own off for family and friends.  Never on the 3rd or the 5th, only the 4th.  I also shut it down at midnight.

[Marmotjr]

4th of July = The night I would spend with a german shepard wrapped around my head. 

 

 

The suburban neighborhood where I grew up would hold a total "block party" for the 4th every year.   I don't remember it ever going late, but I was young.  The entire neighborhood would be involved, probably 40-50 houses.  But it was only one night a year.  One night.  Fireworks in the neighborhood were frowned upon as a whole any other night.

I hate public fireworks.  Despise them.  But, I hate crowds and traffic.  I don't mind watching them from afar, but I detest going anywhere to see them. 

[wdwerker]

It's legal here now and it just gets worse. They adopted hours and restrictions but don't enforce them. I grew up occasionally running to adjoining states to buy fireworks. We always quit shooting them off well before midnight.  And never more than the day before and day after a holiday. 

The low life's on the next street over start a week before, go to till 3 or 4 am, sometimes spontaneously erupting at the crack of dawn and might start shooting them off when there is no holiday on the horizon.

I got to help shoot a few small professional fireworks shows 10-15 years ago. Dropping a 6" mortar shell in a thick steel tube, lighting the fuse with a flare then ducking back for another shell while it explodes right over your head is fun, scary, dangerous and definitely a younger mans game. All the bits of clay and smoldering paper wrappings are raining down on your head. Even wearing hearing protection you feel each blast and with 6 guys right around you lighting them as fast as they can it gets very intense. 

I support the exuberance of shooting off fireworks but damn common sense is in such short supply lately.

[drzaius]

It's illegal in most towns & cities here & people tow the line. If you go setting them off there'll be the cops, bylaw officer & the fire dept knocking on your door. And in addition to the fines there will be a hefty invoice from the fire department.

[Pondhockey]

I would still call the cops.  Don't wait till the 4th, call them now, at the first sign of them going off.

I've tried the "reasonable" approach, and have found that calling the cops works better.  Only other method that came near, was marching over with 3 very oversized (ex football player, olympic wrestler...) relatives and reading them the riot act.  Perps were local college athletes, so there was a moment when it was possible that people would go flying over the balcony.

Better to call the cops.

[Chet]

It has gotten so bad around here that if you were to confront the offenders you wouldn't even know were to start.  The police department set up a website to report idiots.  Be interesting to see if it helps.  My dog dies a thousand deaths the next couple of weeks.

[mat60]

3 hours ago, Eric. said:

I'm not unpatriotic.  I get it.  People wanna celebrate.  Although I do think - just like most other holidays - the true meaning is completely lost on the vast majority of people and the activities and consumption become the celebration in and of itself instead of the actual reason for it.  And honestly...how many of these boneheads didn't even vote?  Many, I think it's safe to assume.  Yeah, true patriots.

Rant -

These people and their fireworks.  Ugh.  I've had it.  I live in a densely packed suburban county, and in my city and several of the surrounding cities, fireworks are ILLEGAL.  Full stop.  No hours, no rules and regulations...just illegal.  As in, don't do it.  But they do it.  And not just on the 4th.  And not just until 10PM or so.  And not just a few random pops throughout the evening.  Two full weeks of it, afternoon until the middle of the night...constant explosions.  Everywhere.  On my street, on the next street over, on every street.  It's not uncommon that I'll be awoken at one or two in the morning.  Artillery shells exploding right above my roof because the rednecks on the next street over haven't polished off their cases of Budweiser yet.

It's already started.  Right now it sounds like a freaking war zone out there, and my kids are in bed.  It's not even July yet, people, seriously.  I got into a heated debate with a few idiots on our neighborhood forum today, and none of them seem to understand how inconsiderate it is to blow shit up while people are trying to get some sleep for the next day of work.

"Get over it, dude.  It's only a couple weeks a year.  It's tradition.  It's my country and I'll do what I want."

Sorry, if you live in a suburban neighborhood and you're shooting off fireworks at midnight on a Tuesday...you're an asshole.

I can't be the only one who thinks firing off consumer-grade fireworks is among the stupidest things that Americans do.  It's a mindless activity and a waste of money.  Not to mention dangerous to body and property.  People get their fingers blown off and their houses caught on fire every year, en masse.  It's idiotic.  Not even entertaining.  Just...boom.  Wow.  Amazing.  Let's do it again.  And again.  And again.

How about go watch a professional display instead?  They do it better than you anyway...and guess what?  There's a reason they end it at 9:30...it's called common courtesy!  If you wanna be obnoxious, go out to the river where it's legal and there isn't a sleeping family 30 feet from your stupid explosions.  And I hope that urine you call beer gives you cirrhosis of the liver.  Idiot.

Sorry.  Had to vent.  And I'm sure I offended someone.  But you needed to hear it.

Sorry Eric.

 

[RichardA]

I live in real redneck country, and we've been hearing those fireworks for a couple of days already. They scare the critters and like Eric, they piss me off. But I realize that you just can't fix stupid.

[Tpt life]

8 hours ago, Eric. said:

How about go watch a professional display instead?  They do it better than you anyway...and guess what?  There's a reason they end it at 9:30...it's called common courtesy! 

I was with you until this. Our move to DST means dusk is at 9:30...so fireworks displays run from 10:00-10:45. The only way to be home by midnight is to have your own fun. That said, there are four days in my state where curfew noise restrictions are pushed back to midnight for fireworks. One is New Year. None are in June...

[Eric.]

8 hours ago, Llama said:

Roughly half... statistically speaking...

Did you call the cops about this? They are breaking several laws, and it's stupid and rude.

I like fireworks, but I go where the pros are doing it. Even when I was a kid I thought it was dumb to set of fireworks at the house. It usually turned into a competition where you win NEXT year, maybe.... 

 

I call the cops on the jackwagons next street over every year.  They let those artillery shells rip all night long and they literally shake my house.  It takes a while for the poor cops to get over there because I'm sure they're run ragged with all the calls...then there will be a lull in the explosions...wait an hour or two...they're back.  They don't care.  It's their world and only they matter.  They do what they want.

I'll be calling again this year simply on principle but I'm not expecting it to make a difference.  Like Chet said, there's just too much of it for the police to even make a dent in the noise.

 

31 minutes ago, C Shaffer said:

I was with you until this. Our move to DST means dusk is at 9:30...so fireworks displays run from 10:00-10:45. The only way to be home by midnight is to have your own fun. That said, there are four days in my state where curfew noise restrictions are pushed back to midnight for fireworks. One is New Year. None are in June...

 

Well that's understandable.  If professional displays need to go a little later because you guys are on the edge of a time zone then I can get behind that.  I'm not saying we shouldn't have celebrations.  We take the kids every year and sit in the back of the truck away from the masses ( @Marmotjr ) and get eaten by mosquitoes.  They love it and it's all good.  Even I will admit that some of these displays are a certain kind of art form.  I can dig it for what it is...for 45 minutes.  Even if it goes until midnight on the 4th I could live with that.  One night.  Not before, not after, and not in my backyard.  It's illegal here.  Don't burn down my house and let me sleep...that's all I ask.

[Tom King]

They're legal here, but still a pain.   We're surrounded by high end lake houses.   Not only do people shoot their own fireworks, but many are trying to outdo their neighbors by having bigger, and bigger launching tubes in their yards.   We not only get the little kinds of fireworks that you can buy in stores, but bombs bursting in air.....at all hours, for hours.  Our place is a big point, and we are literally surrounded, in the middle of a fireworks show, several Holidays a year.

We literally have the most bomb-proof horses anywhere.  They don't even lift their heads from grazing at any kind of fireworks any more.  Sadly, it's not the same with all the dogs.  We have a couple that come asking to have their ThunderShirt put on, and then they manage, but aren't happy, and we aren't either because of lost sleep.

We haven't cared a thing about seeing fireworks for years.   We've seen more than our share.

[mat60]

Pissed me off when two years ago when they made it legal here. Most of the trouble around here is with the out of state but wipes come up to visit.  I would not be happy if someone was setting off fireworks off near my house. I here you guys talking about rednecks but not shore what all it takes to be one or where they live.

[Eric.]

4 minutes ago, mat60 said:

Pissed me off when two years ago when they made it legal here. Most of the trouble around here is with the out of state but wipes come up to visit.  I would not be happy if someone was setting off fireworks off near my house. I here you guys talking about rednecks but not shore what all it takes to be one or where they live.

What does it take to be one?  If you're an obnoxious jackass who makes lots of noise in the middle of the night and leaves trash all over the neighborhood...you're a redneck.  Jeff Foxworthy surely covered it at some point.

Where do they live?  Everywhere.

[gee-dub]

2 hours ago, Eric. said:

Even if it goes until midnight on the 4th I could live with that.  One night.  Not before, not after, and not in my backyard.  It's illegal here.  Don't burn down my house and let me sleep...that's all I ask.

+1

I'm all for celebration but, when you live in suburbia, neighbors are close.  America is a melting pot and all of us who came here combined our celebrations with those of the people who were already here.  That makes for a lot of celebrations.

Southern California has a large Mexican population and those folks have a full-blown celebration for a lot of events.  I go out for dinner for my birthday . . . they have a block party . . . and don't even hope for a street parking spot if someone's daughter is having her Quinceañera.

Its all good but, if its on Tuesday night, knock it off by 10pm or so will ya?

[rodger.]

Our village always puts on an excellent display of fireworks on Canada day @ dusk. It's wonderful for the kids, and they also have a bouncy castle, petting zoo, etc.

But when it's done, it's done. Nobody fires fireworks afterwards in our area, with an occasional exception, of course. 

[Marmotjr]

7 hours ago, Eric. said:

 

 We take the kids every year and sit in the back of the truck away from the masses ( @Marmotjr ) and get eaten by mosquitoes.

This I can do.  Back when I was medic, I hated working the 4th (and Christmas Eve) because of the traffic. But if we were (*gasp*) slow in the evening (which was surprisingly often, it was earlier during the picnics and after the fireworks we usually got busy again), we'd take the squad to one of the highest points in Cuyahoga County, which also happened to be an abandoned construction site, which gave a line of site to almost the entire county, and about half of the counties to the East.  You couldn't see the individual cities, but when you crawled up onto the top of the truck, you could see 30-40 professional fireworks shows at once, with the rest of the visible horizon filled with the smaller private shows.   It was quite the treat.  

[BonPacific]

I'm right there with you Eric. We're planning on watching a local professional show on the 3rd and trying to keep the dogs from having heart attacks the fourth. All fireworks are illegal in my city, and 2/3 of the neighboring burbs, but it doesn't stop the buggers lighting them off anyways. We haven't had much issue yet this year, it's football season that is the real ptoblem.

[Woodenskye]

My family growing up was the fireworks show, we would have a block party and everyone would watch the fireworks we set off.  We always just did the 4th and didn't go all night.  Now I'm sort of with Eric, last night some neighbors were setting them off until about 10.  My dogs don't mind the occasional blast, but on the 4th when the town does there show, they don't enjoy it.  I guess some of it is just an age thing.  As a kid it was cool, single in your twenties a good excuse to drink heavily, in thirties with a kid and real responsibilities not as cool anymore.

[Guest]

Around here it depends on the town.  My suburb and the ones around me seem to enforce the state law prohibiting all fireworks.  I will hear a few random explosions... maybe a couple an hour and nothing in my neighborhood (our HOA would have a stroke if people blew off anything).  

On the south side of the chicago (where I grew up and where my mom and sisters live) it non stop for days.  I agree, dumb. 

[Tom King]

War zone just started here.   Evidently, there a many more, and larger launchers this year.   Some of these things sound like Civil War cannon fire, and that's just the charge to send the stuff airborne.

[Isaac]

4 hours ago, Mike. said:

Around here it depends on the town.  My suburb and the ones around me seem to enforce the state law prohibiting all fireworks.  I will hear a few random explosions... maybe a couple an hour and nothing in my neighborhood (our HOA would have a stroke if people blew off anything).  

On the south side of the chicago (where I grew up and where my mom and sisters live) it non stop for days.  I agree, dumb. 

I live pretty close to Mike and also used to live on the Southside of Chicago, though I'm not originally from Illinois.

I guess I am the odd man out here, but personally, I think there is a sweet spot somewhere between obnoxious/dangerous idiots who set them off at all hours for days and oppressive fascism that favors outlawing everything greater than a sparkler. I've got too many trees around me to set off airborne stuff, but I can hypothetically imagine having some fun setting off a few ground based fountains, some of which might make a little noise. I do know my son loves them, and so do I.