Time to get your fireworks

Oh come on, Thumper … “no one actually suggested they be banned” … just take a look at Katy Gallagher’s statement in the other fireworks thread.

This government has been keen to find a reason to ban fireworks for years.

Yep, for one weekend you can lock your pets inside all day and night. But you can’t do it all year.

LG, praying for a total fire ban.

Agreed, I don’t want them banned, I just don’t want idiots blowing up letter boxes and exploding stuff outside of the long weekend.

Samuel

How come this whole “innocent” animals get scared routine only started recently?

When I was younger you rarely heard this argument getting trotted out. And even those people who said their dog/cat/goldfish felt a bit peeved at the pyrotechnics didn’t then go on to demand that everyone else should be forced to give up their preferred recreation for that one weekend a year.

My dog doesn’t like hot-air balloons – he barks at them and may well be scared (although I know he’s not “innocent”). Perhaps they should be banned too?

I don’t care if kids blow their fingers off. I don’t care if they blow their heads off. I care about the innocent animals.

When I was a boy heaps of us kids would take throwdowns to school around this time of year. Nobody was that hung-up about it.

Eventually they ended up banning throwdowns, and then not long after that all fireworks were banned. And this came about because a small number of stupid kids blew their fingers off.

We’re becoming a nation of whingers and wowsers.

Ah yes, the “instant gratification no one matters but me” way of thinking that is more appropriate in a 3 year old.

There is no point arguing with you bonfire, because obviously you don’t give a fuck about anyone else, as long as you get what you want.

i love a good explosion, and the tens of thousands that turned out like me to watch the old hospital get blown up concur. its that element of danger that makes it fun.

with the banning of almost all ways we can harm ourselves, we seek out ever more interesting and legal ways to do it. when we could buy crackers at the milk bar no one went bungy jumping. sure a few kids lost fingers, but we all knew it was possible.

there is an excellent book called ‘the gift of fear’ i suggest people who want to cotton wool society read it.

as for peoples pets – i dont regard this as a valid argument. owners should house them responsibly. if a pet ‘manages’ to get away, you the owner did not have adequate housing. chain the defecating things up.

“At least 1300 people present to Victorian emergency departments each year as the result of a dog bite.”

http://www.heraldsun.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5478,15535389%255E2862,00.html

There were never that many people blowing fingers off. Perhaps we should just ban pets ? There is a demonstrable public health benefit to doing so, isnt there…

Just learn to love the smell of gunpowder in the morning.

Me not misanthrope. Me nasty bastard.

Since the majority of the population seems to see explosions as fun (why else would they pay for New Year’s Eve fireworks displays?) it seems gingermick is a misanthrope.

I like them, too, so I must be a dickhead, and proud of it.

I’ll just curb my frustrations at those stupid idiots who use their mobile phones at petrol stations – now that’s fireworks…

I personally think that as a society we’re far too immature as a group to have the throwy/hidey/put into letterbox kind of fireworks, no problems though with the kind you send up into the air however.

But then my wife says I like things that sparkle, have flashing lights or has the word ‘toy’ somewhere on the packaging…

That said we’ll probably buy a ‘funbag’ and check to see just how many will work, then think to ourselves – man that was a ripoff..

Jazz, the subsequent comments re trauma to pets covers my main aversion. I also become violently enraged at dickheads who see explosions as fun. I shall be on patrol.

I agree, sensible fireworks usage isn’t an issue, but idiots who feel a need to blow up letterboxes and continue to let off fireworks long before and after the long weekend deserve the treatment Thumper suggested.

Samuel

can’t say my pup responds much to fireworks at all (or thunder for that matter) she kind of raises an eyebrow as if exclaiming “what’s all this racket then”.

that said, my brothers dog hates them & while i have no problem with the concept of people blowing things up they should at least do it with some consideration for other people and their pets.

There is a limit to what you can do. My dog is inside, so he should be ok. Some people can’t have their dogs inside. And bonfire, you are just being a wanker now, and your post does not even deserve a response.

Everybody knows there are going to be fireworks this weekend. Pet owners have a responsibility to keep their animals restrained.

The gist of this is that all those people who like fireworks are cruel, heartless dog murderers, eh?

Well, my dog just loves fireworks.

My Aunt’s dog knocked down his fence and ran out and got hit by a car one summer :\ he lived, but he ended up getting a ride to the vet ina real, people-ambulance because all the pet ones were looking after the rest of the dogs who’d done the same thing…

and I got my clothes set on fire when I was a kiddie when my neighbour;s had fireworks… good old flammable nightgowns. And I got hit by one last time I was near a home-display. the thing tipped over, shot in into a fence and it bounced onto me. Not happy..

bloody pet owners. what about the other 364 days of the year when your little darlings shit wherever they feel like, or rip some toddlers face off ?

my now deceased heeler used to be afraid of thunder, i didnt petition god to call that off.

I had a silky terrier who used to visibly shake during fireworks ( and thunderstorms ).

A lot of dogs come in to the RSPCA during firework time. Often badly cut up, they will run straight through fences because they panic so much.

and many of them DO die of fright. Have you seen fright? It bleeds, and there are open wounds, and missing eyes. I think anyone who had held a dog who was in this state after fireworks would also be against them. But you just call us anti-fun. Everyone knows a dying bleeding crying terrier is fun!

Yeah, most of the drive team are pretty good.

CUH: Really? It’s the first time I’ve managed to get through to drive for a while…first time I’ve had a conversation with Mike Frame too, he is quite nice.

sk8erboi, Ralph, any other owners of petrified pets: I know how you feel.

Samuel

My dog flips out as well. It hasn’t died of fright.

Ralph, would you like to come over and mind my dog this weekend? She is petrified of fireworks, last year she climbed into the kitchen cupboard to get away from the noise. She barks all night from mid-may until the local kids run out of their stash of crackers for the year, usually in september or october.

gingermick – what is your problem with crackers?

Hey Samuel …. I heard you talking to Mike Frame on the radio this afternoon.

I was going to make this point on Kane Bond’s saturday morning show over the weekend, but he didn’t like my other point and cut me off…

I don’t mind the mass public displays of fireworks, they are (mostly) safe and are scheduled, however the queens birthday long weekend (and the weeks before and after) really annoy me because, as a pet owner, I have to constantly try to keep my lovely doggie calm when idiots walk past letting off fireworks left, right and centre…it quite simply drives me nuts! At least the scheduled public displays occur at an advertised time which makes it easier to deal with.

Samuel

I have a very nice cardy and if any of you retarded bastards let your filthy fireworks off in Queanbeyan, pray that the coppers get to you before I do. I would take great pleasure in inserting a large bunger right up ya!

I hope your DIY modifications dont hurt anyone standing near you Ralph
re pyrotechnic display Ari, set fire to your own house the amazing array of different coloured flames as well as various appliance expolding should make up for any lack in the store bought ones. You can get a beer sit across the road and watch. Lots of people will help you celebrate plus you get the flashing blue and red light show. When it is all over you may even have a bed for the night.
Looked for a cardigan could not find one.
In my area this has been the quietest lead up to the long weekend, normally by now regular small arms fire interspered with occassional explosions.

Ahhh, some simple DIY modifications can turn your wimpy firework into a cracking beast!

Jeez, we’re reduced to such wimpy fireworks nowdays, it’s a real struggle to get a decent pyrotechnic display happening.

Since there’s been no let-up in the busybodies whinging in recent years, it’s becoming clear their agenda is simply anti-fun.

Interestingly Ive not heard one firewqorks related explosion this year. I assume the banning of ‘crackers’ 3 years ago has seen stashes dwindle.

I am against fireworks and I insist that you know that I do not own a single cardigan.