Bonfire Night here isn't until Novenber 5th and yet morons are already letting off fireworks in my area right now. My poor dog is terrified of these things, as well as thunder, rumbling lorries going by and the sound of planes flying over. The first firework just went up a few houses over and when it went 'bang' my dog leapt two feet up in the air from where she was sleeping and literally shit herself. Now she's pacing around in a panic and trying to hide in gaps too small to fit her. When she's like this we have to make sure she doesn't hurt herself. She also suffers from seizures and when she gets stressed like this she sometimes goes into convulsions. The vet gave us calming tablets for her, but they take about an hour to kick in which doesn't help when the fireworks (or thunderstorms) start without warning. Not that the tablets even really make much difference to her. We've tried many things to cure the dog of her fears, like those CDs of fireworks or thunder which are supposed to get a dog used to the real thing, but it doesn't seem to be the actual noise that freaks out my dog as much as the vibrations of it travelling through the house and floor when the bangs go off, so they've not worked. And those vapor things you plug in which are supposed to release a calming agent into the air didn't have any effect at all. Bonfire Night is one night. Just one. Why shops have to start selling fireworks three weeks before is beyond me. And they're still selling them for at least a week after, which boggles the mind even more. Do we really need to sell to the general public what amounts to legal explosives? It's moronic. If we've got to still have fireworks, at least restrict them to properly controlled displays on the 5th November only instead of some prat haphazardly firing off rockets in his back garden throughout the month which usually shoot over my house and land on my car parked in the driveway, and delinquent kids running around throwing bangers at people and animals. It may not stop my dog from freaking, but at least it would be for only one night, and be put on in a big field away from the housing area. These days the fireworks season feels like being in the middle of a warzone, what with explosions going off in streets and gardens all around us with no warning for when they start and no idea when they'll end. And don't get me started on when New Year hits and people are letting them off long into the night...
you have a bonfire night? really? where are you that has something like that? I think fireworks are pretty, when they aren't being shot at me that is
Damn, I thought I was the only person that felt that way about fireworks. fucking pointless things that they are. I can't stress how much I hate them. I bet you get the same accusations of being "miserable" and "no fun" as me because of not liking them, when all it is is concern for your dog, right? One of my dogs gets upset by 'em too, although not to the same degree as yours by the sounds of things. You have my sympathy, mate. I'm surprised the chav scum over the road from me haven't started their seasonal mortar attack yet. They must have drunk all their benefits for this week.
Weaksauce. Next time I'm out walking and almost step in some dog shit I'm gonna let a few fireworks off. Haha, REVENGE!
Fireworks? Be happy it isn't GUNSHOTS. Somebody got shot about 5 blocks from my house last week, and last night I heard shots from that same general area.
Oh Metalhead, how I've missed our rants about fireworks... You'd like it over here, you're not allowed to set off fireworks unless its a certain day or you pay for a permit! That said, I've always enjoyed fireworks and I love setting them off to celebrate... But I have respect for other people and especially animals too. Never set them off in a residential area, we always go a little out the way.
So for one irresponsible dog owner, you'd take it out on the rest of us who do clean up after our pets? You're pathetic. Still too lenient
So for one irresponsible fireworks user, you'd take it out on the rest of us who use them responsibly? You're pathetic. Yep, you walked right into that one. Thanks for playing!
No offence Llamatron, you do have a fair point... But I used to live in the same area as Metalhead, and I can say without a word of a lie that the number of decent, responsible firework users was greatly outnumbered by the hordes of young chavs who'd throw roam around and throw fireworks into people front and back gardens. Our hatred for them isn't unfounded... Here's something, UK members... Is it me, or are they no longer making much of a deal of firework safety anymore? When I was younger the TV would assault us with warnings, but now... What gives?
Eh. I don't mind fireworks. I live in a historically black neighborhood that white suburbanites are slowly moving back into, and I love it 'cause all the white people I know here think every damn firecracker is a gunshot. They'll Twiiter "automatic weapons heard on Shadowridge!" at like three o'clock in the afternoon on a Tuesday. Shit kills me. Anyways, sucks for your dog, f'real. But I don't complain about hearing backfires even though they make me freak out and take cover, so I figure it's just something you oughta learn to live with. But maybe buy a white sound machine for your dog also.
Earlier this year I bought over 1000 bottle rockets for something like $10, we had to make sure we shot off each and every one of them. My neighbors hated my sons and I that week, even more than usual.
It's probably because the chavs wouldn't understand it. Too many words like "safety", "respect" and "illegal". And what with showing the after effects of fireworks accidents... it probably encourage them. :'(
Gunpowder, treason and plot. I see no reason why gunpowder, treason Should ever be forgot... I'm just going to pick up on one point. Christmas is one day, yet the shops are getting their stock in and on display already. Why? Because it's called forward planning and enables people to buy in advance of things. Saves a rush on the day (mind you there are still some people that think they can walk into a store like Tesco's, Wal-Mart and such over here on Christmas day and buy their groceries. But that's a different story) They sell them the week after for a couple of reasons. One is mainly due to get rid of excess stock they have left and the other is people might want some for New Years celebrations. I could comment on how places are selling legal drugs such as alcohol and cigarettes, but then those point have been done to death. Besides the sale of fireworks have many laws put in place governing their use and sale: Firework law Such displays cost time and money that some local authorities budgets just don't allow for. And besides, their displays might be much larger and go on for longer that having people fire off some in back gardens. As for the prats that fire off in the street, well its unfortunate and that is why the laws are in place. And for the record, when I was sharing a flat in Edinburgh the owner had a dog and we had to go through the same at the end of the Military Tattoo through August, Guy Fawkes night in November and on New Years. It's unfortunate that animals suffer due to this, but like you said: so you might as well go and shout at the sky next time it thunders or at the passing drivers when a rumbling lorries goes past.
Also a lot of people like to celebrate GFD on the Saturday before or after these days - me and a few friends are having a get-together on the 8th, the plan is to buy fireworks as close to then as possible. New Years' up in Edinburgh is awesome. My brother used to live over in Uphall, and they got a great view of the fireworks in the city centre, even though it was about 5 miles away!
It is awesome, but some of the enjoyment washes away when you live there. And even more when you are standing on a packed Princess Street, barely able to move in the freezing cold. How I hated New year '96...
