Time to say bye bye to back yard Guy Fawkes?

[beerwithduncan 724]

I hope I don't sound like a kill joy. I have four children and we've had some brilliant and very happy family times over the years on Guy Fawkes. 

 

As the years tick by we do more and more weighing up over the price others especially animals have to pay for our back yard fun on November 5th.

 

If people knew,understood and cared about the effect their bit of fun was having on animals I wouldn't even be raising this subject.

 

I've seen horses so frightened by all the noises and flashes etc they run through fences and get badly hurt and worse. Most rural and semi rural people are thoughtful about this but not all.

 

I've seen cats and dogs who are a loved part of peoples families so frightened they run off and are never seen again. Others run into the paths of cars etc. It's bloody awful.

 

So on November 5th before it gets dark we bring our cats and dogs inside and put them in a quiet room with curtains etc closed. This obviously reduces considerably the chances of your loved pet becoming a victim of Guy Fawkes. Problem solved? Absolutely not.

 

The main problem as I see it is the people who start and end Guy Fawkes whatever day suits them. It's common for people to be letting off all sorts of fireworks several days before and after Nov 5th. It's exactly like they couldn't give a flying toss about what happens to peoples pets etc. It's just impossible to keep your pets locked in a room night after night in case you have an incredibly selfish neighbour.

 

To me it's come down to responsible unselfish people who enjoy Guy Fawkes on Nov 5th and the selfish people with no consideration or empathy for animals who couldn't care less. The later need to be taken out of play. I can only see two possible ways of doing that.

 

1) Ban the sale of fireworks and keep it to organized displays only.

 

2) Introduce meaningful fines of 10k that are enforced for anyone who lets off fireworks on any other day that Nov 5th.

 

 

 

 

[Chestnut 3,152]

I agree that control outside of 5 November does seem to be the problem and a bit lax.    In the Waikato people have sky rockets going off after Chief's games, on birthdays supposedly (as there are a lot of random days), Christmas, New Years .. and you hear crackers going off at all hours.   Over the summer months because it stays lighter longer they are letting them off later - often around midnight.   It's not like they are doing it in private.. in some cases it's like they've let a flare off  pretty easy to locate.

 

If we have this going on around the Waikato then it's no doubt happening other places.  Whilst I'm sure that a number of the folk are sensible and safety conscious with regards to how they use them and where, it does leave the door open for the idiots and of course as you say BWD, it's also not fair on the animals and animal owners.

 

Perhaps if people want to buy them around November 5th for using at different times of the year, they could apply for and pay for a licence for each event, stating the particular date, reason for it and location and as part of that they have to advise neighbours.

[globederby12 1,495]

Watch them come out on New Years eve. Happens all the time here . People stock pile them for other celebrations ,Birthdays,Partys, etc..

I have friends that do this. Im not a killjoy and in my younger days did all sorts of crazy things with what would now be called small explosives,but enough is enough for this somewhat dubious celebration.

Dad here Duncan,

[DC9 203]

There's an annoying twatt near my place that lets off skyrockets until 11pm every Saturday and Sunday for at least a month after Guy Fawkes. And he always has some left over for New Year. Yes, I'm not a fan of excessive nanny state rules but wouldn't care if they banned private fireworks. Too much harm, damage and disruption for something that is ostensibly a bit of fun.

[Uriah Heap 481]

This thread basically reads "We all had plenty of fun enjoying Guy Fawkes and Christmas when we were young. But now we are old and grumpy, so it's time to ban them. In fact let's ban anything that's fun. I didn't get where I am today by having fun"

[beerwithduncan 724]

Yes DC9 it's not just Guy Fawkes night. It's the many days before and after. There are all sorts of rules etc in place that are there for the benefit of us all and the environment. Not acceptable / legal to have excess car exhaust emissions. Not acceptable / legal to have excess exhaust noise. Not acceptable / legal to have your music being played past a certain volume. They can remove my stereo yet that was never going to cause the death of your much loved dog / cat. Not acceptable / legal to burn rubbish in certain areas. Only dry untreated wood to be used and must not be a nuisance to your neighbours. If you want to install a log type fireplace in your home you are forced to pay a small fortune to ensure it does not impact on others etc etc etc.

 

Yet Joe Blow up the road who couldn't give a shit about you or your pets can legally do whatever he likes with fireworks whenever he feels like it even if that costs your cat / dog it's life. Something completely inconsistent and flawed about that situation.

 

If I stood outside his house setting off flares that frightened his dog or cat so much it ran into the path of a car and was killed I would expect to be charged and punished for my reckless and selfish actions. 

 

If they are not ready to ban backyard fireworks then so be it but they urgently need to bring in stiff penalties for the selfish gits out there that think it's fine to have Guy Fawkes before and after Nov 5th regardless of the impact that causes to others.

[beerwithduncan 724]

This thread basically reads "We all had plenty of fun enjoying Guy Fawkes and Christmas when we were young. But now we are old and grumpy, so it's time to ban them. In fact let's ban anything that's fun. I didn't get where I am today by having fun"

 

Totally wrong mate. Nobody here against having fun. Only an Neanderthal with his head up his bum would draw that conclusion.

 

I don't especially like hearing effectively shot gun blasts at midnight on a Monday night a week before or after Guy Fawkes but would never support a ban just for that reason. It's the distress and death caused to so many much loved dogs and cats by selfish Wayne Kerrs who couldn't care less. Extremely loud screaming fireworks frighten the crap out of most animals. One designated night a year most pet lovers can work with. Making up new dates for Guy Fawkes as you go along just for the benefit of the selfish person's "fun" is impossible to work with. Is that selfish person's "fun" more important than the lives of all the pets that live in the same area?

 

Should we also dispense with noise control and allow people to blast their stereo till 4am four nights a week just because those people are having fun? Just forget and ignore the impact on everyone else?

[puha 2,177]

Bit of a late response.Our experience this year has made my mind up in wanting them bannedBrought all our horses home fro the racecourse with is on the edge of town and out to our place of safety.Would you believe it at 9 30 pm neighbours behind us on an elevated site proceeded to let of there fireworks with many rocketing onto our property and sending horses into a wild panic.I think I used every swear word I knew within the space of 2 mins scurrying up the hill.A holes did nt even care.

[hedley 1,900]

 

http://youtu.be/9rh7rOHVEC4