Cracker night should be banned

JD2439975 (Justin) · #1 02-07-2010, 01:16 AM

It's Territory day & that means fireworks, all 100 tonnes of them.

Yep you heard right, the main distributor was on the idiot box saying he was expecting to sell 100 tonnes of fireworks today.

I heard the largest boomer he sells goes for $1,500, this guy leans his "buy fireworks here" sign against a Ferrari...no I'm not kidding.

Maybe I'm just getting old & don't see the fun side any more but if I wanted lots of shock & awe loud bangs & flashes I'd join the bloody Army.

Trying to watch that Miracles program on the ABC earlier it was like being in the middle of a war zone, multi-poppers like automatic gun fire, big boomers like artillery fire & the little wizzers standing in for shrapnel.
And we live rural, blocks are 5, 10, 20 acres so it's not the high density part of town.

Total cloud cover so they didn't interrupt my astro but it was good for reflecting the flashes, went out with the dog & it was like that footage from the original Gulf war, the sky was lighting up every couple of seconds with a nice big flash.

Loud noises don't upset our dog he loves 'em, just watch him chase off Thor god of thunder in the wet season, but a lot of animals are terrified by them & the bush fires they start are a big problem too.
Now if some moron wants to get third degree burns or blow thier fingers/hand off then I say "go for it mate!" just do it where we don't have to hear it.

Oops...this has turned into one hell of a rant, sorry folks had to get it off my chest.

Just that everyone up here seems to love the damn things.

JD

Jaybee (John) · #2 02-07-2010, 01:28 AM

I thought Fireworks (For the public anyway) where banned throughout Oz.
They have been is SA for as long as I can remember.. although we do hear the occasional one go off ever now and then, normally over the noise of a loud party..

JD2439975 (Justin) · #3 02-07-2010, 01:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jaybee

I thought Fireworks (For the public anyway) where banned throughout Oz.
They have been is SA for as long as I can remember.. although we do hear the occasional one go off ever now and then, normally over the noise of a loud party..

If only...being a territory & not a state we make our own rules, just like the A.C.T.

MrB (Simon) · #4 02-07-2010, 02:18 AM

I'd be doing it too if I could.
Used to make my own pyro until the crack down on chemical sales after sep11

JD2439975 (Justin) · #5 02-07-2010, 03:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MrB

I'd be doing it too if I could.
Used to make my own pyro until the crack down on chemical sales after sep11

You evil man...get out of my thread!

I guess to each thier own.

OneOfOne (Trevor) · #6 02-07-2010, 07:27 AM

Even though they are banned in Victoria, probably for more than 30 years?, we had a neighbour about 5 years ago was firing sky rockets into the air and setting off crackers just up the road. Everyone's dogs and cats were terrified, so I wandered up the street to see where they were coming from. We found a guy in his late 20's with his 4 year old daughter standing next to him, and about 1 metre from the rockets and crackers, and three of his mates nearby. By then there were about half a dozen neighbours arguing with him.

Of course the sky rockets had a higher IQ than he did and they said they were "just having fun" etc, it was a "naming day" celebration (Greek I believe). I really wished one of the rockets blew up in their faces just to teach them a lesson. One of the neighbours apparently rang the police....he hasn't fired a single thing since!

pgc hunter · #7 02-07-2010, 10:33 AM

I agree. These morons who let off these fireworks obviously have no consideration for their fellow residents or their beloved pets. Bunch of cold hearted twats. If I had lost my dog or cat because of these inconsiderate selfish tossers, I would tear them a brand spanking new A-hole.

leon · #8 02-07-2010, 10:59 AM

You are getting old, as I am as well, however when we had cracker night, we as kids had a ball.

We were allowed a few shillings of fireworks each, and we had already spent most of the year building our Bonfire.

We looked forward to the 5th of November, we had a great night, and were first up in the morning to gather the Fizzers.

Leon

GrampianStars (Rob) · #9 02-07-2010, 11:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by leon

You are getting old, as I am as well, however when we had cracker night, we as kids had a ball.

We were allowed a few shillings of fireworks each, and we had already spent most of the year building our Bonfire.

We looked forward to the 5th of November, we had a great night, and were first up in the morning to gather the Fizzers.
Leon

Ahhhh! those were the days before telescopes
penny bangers, strings of squibs

our Bonfire nite is the winter solstice now, more of a traditional event.
also living in the bush makes more sense this time of year

TrevorW · #10 02-07-2010, 11:33 AM

Best night spent as a kid sending up sky rockets and blowing up neighbours tin letter boxes

I'm old but I miss it !!!

Peter Ward · #11 02-07-2010, 12:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GrampianStars

Ahhhh! those were the days before telescopes
penny bangers, strings of squibs

Indeed. Lighten up JD

.

I have many fond memories of Tom Thumbs, Roman Candles, Penny Bangers etc. Their banning was typical of the bubble wrapping we are swamped by these days... Sure there are always going to be idiots, but the discovery that there can be consequences to foolhardy behaviour, I'd suggest is a lesson in life that should be learned, not legislated for.

norm · #12 02-07-2010, 12:06 PM

Bring back cracker night I'd say. All fun.

Norm

JimmyH155 · #13 02-07-2010, 12:27 PM

Remember, remember the 5th of November, with gunpowder, treason and plot.....
AAHHHHH What magic childhood. Little nippers, Boy Scout rousers those big Cannons, coloured clouds, golden rain, catherine wheels
!. My father knew Mr Brock of Brocks fireworks. Every year we received a 5 quid box of fireworks. Big party, toffee apples, parkin, treakle toffee YUM YUM AHH Them were the days.

Yes I agree, now we are all bubble wrapped and sanitised, cleansed, and my brother maintains that we will soon have to stay indoors in our homes of a morning until the Government blows the "All Clear"

Jimmy

JD2439975 (Justin) · #14 02-07-2010, 02:16 PM

A mixed bag of responses & I can see the joy that children get from these events but if you could have seen the look of fear in the eyes of a Labrador that visited us a few years back, begging to be let inside & last night I heard a cat meowing at the door, obviously the fear of our Dobermann was less than its fear of crackers.

Always been more fond of animals than children so bugger the kids (not literally), little Johnny can go play Xbox.
If they want to donate some money to put on a big show down at Mindal beach that's fine, just don't do it in my backyard.

I too am not keen on the over legislated, bubble wrapped society we seem to be creating for ourselves, the anarchist within once screamed at such things...now he just wants a cup of tea & a good lie down.

marc4darkskies (Marcus) · #15 02-07-2010, 03:26 PM

Aaaah sorry Justin. I have nothing but fond memories of cracker nights in Sydney; penny bungers, tuppenny bungers, sky rockets & roman candles. Sneaking out to buy just a few more for the arsenal despite being told no more. Seeing how high the ice cream container would go with a tuppenny underneath. Numb fingers and a ringing in the ears after waiting too long to through the penny bunger into the canal (i lived in a waterfront home in the 60's - Sylvania Waters) ... those penny fuses were really hard to predict

But the dull thud and flash of the underwater explosion when you timed it just right was worth it

!

Cheers, Marcus

strongmanmike (Michael) · #16 02-07-2010, 03:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JD2439975

Always been more fond of animals than children so bugger the kids (not literally), little Johnny can go play Xbox.

Oi, you were a kid once to ya know

, animals are just that..animals, you just get another one when they die, and then another aaand another, not so with kids - they are very precious and many rungs above the dog. You need to love kids mate, after all, they are our future tax payers

erick (Eric) · #17 02-07-2010, 03:53 PM

Catherine wheels

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=foKoPmQMIkE

Outbackmanyep · #18 02-07-2010, 04:01 PM

Geez i miss cracker night!
I used to love the one which spun on a nail on the fence, and those ones you used to hang with a string.....

Who remembers "throw-downs" ?

AndrewJ · #19 02-07-2010, 04:03 PM

Quote:

Bring back cracker night I'd say.

Fully agree,
some of us remember the fun side of things as kids,
ie blowing up the grumpy "old peoples" letterboxes.

Sure some kids got hurt, but if you want to apply that logic to life,
you will have to ban
alcohol, drugs, knives, cars, skateboards, bicycles, horses, breathing, food additives, life, fun
Now why are the ones that make the govt lots of tax dollars never going to be banned, irrespective of the damage done

Andrew

JD2439975 (Justin) · #20 02-07-2010, 04:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AndrewJ

Now why are the ones that make the govt lots of tax dollars never going to be banned, irrespective of the damage done

Andrew

Yes...good question.

Well I was starting to suspect I was turning into a grumpy old man, guess this just confirms it.

Victor Meldrew from "one foot in the grave", that's me.