Cracker night should be banned

[torana68 (Roger)]

bring fireworks back, remove idiots from society

[bmitchell82 (Brendan)]

Well as a Darwin Ex pat i would have to say its great fun and i used to live close to casurina shopping centre. and let me tell you now it was like thick fog over the town for the night and half into the next day.

For one night a year dumb 455's try and annihilate themselves which is good for humanity less stupid people in the world the better i says! The smart people always have fun and never endanger anybody

get out there and let some bangers off Justin! Celebrate the fact that Northern Territory became self governed! w00t

Oh as for helping with your old man syndrome, put some loud doof doof music on for 8 hrs that should break you. if not. I prescribe doing it every day for the next week. if not go and see your doctor if symptoms persist!

[DavidTrap (David)]

Having seen the damage a pipe bomb can do to someone's legs, I'd say no to cracker night. Looked after a fellow in ICU who had both feet amputated after helping his kids build a pipe bomb...

99% of people get away with it, 1% don't.

I enjoy fireworks, but leave it to the pros - although even they get it wrong occasionally.

DT

[Peter Ward]

Originally Posted by erick

Catherine wheels

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

Waaay cool. Where can I buy some !!??

Doh!

I forgot, despite having survived childhood with all limbs/eyes/ears intact, and being able to purchase a whole aresnal of fireworks that a shilling or two would buy me from the local newsagent, when I was six.....as an adult in 2010, well this sort of thing is now deemed far too dangerous.

Lobby your local MP I say! Bring back cracker night !

[AdrianF (Adrian)]

I agree all fireworks, except for contractors, should be banned for members of the public.

Adrian

[Peter Ward]

Originally Posted by DavidTrap

Having seen the damage a pipe bomb can do to someone's legs, I'd say no to cracker night. Looked after a fellow in ICU who had both feet amputated after helping his kids build a pipe bomb...

.....

I think the is a world of difference between a Penny Banger...and a pipe bomb, that frankly only an idiot would try building with his kids. What was he going to do for an encore? Help the kids make Semtex?

I'd suggest no matter how much legislation we are burdened with, Darwin Award candidates will only get more creative.

[JD2439975 (Justin)]

So it looks like some of you will be holidaying in the territory next July 1st then.

I'm off to listen to some trance music now...therapy so I'm told.

[astroron (Ron)]

I say leave it to the City/state governments who spend four to Five million every new year to pollute the night sky with all these pirotechnics? every chance they get.
The people who like this antiquated festival should get with the rest of the country and ban this dangerous waste of money, and threat to wildlife as well as domesticated animals.

[DavidTrap (David)]

Originally Posted by Peter Ward

I think the is a world of difference between a Penny Banger...and a pipe bomb, that frankly only an idiot would try building with his kids. What was he going to do for an encore? Help the kids make Semtex?

I'd suggest no matter how much legislation we are burdened with, Darwin Award candidates will only get more creative.

Yes,

But give kids access to explosives and the desire to make a bigger will quickly lead to disaster...

DT

[TrevorW]

Even withdrawing the sale of fireworks doesn't stop a creative mind making a bomb.

Gunpowder in comparison to other explosives is fairly mild.

Intelligent law abiding people do not instruct their children in the art of making pipe bombs except unless they are in training for some future terrorist mission.

I like a lot of other creative teenages in the 60' and 70's were making bombs, experimenting in chemistry and rockets when chemicals where readily available to do so.

Did I blow myself up, no because I new the dangers. I did get seriously burnt once by a stupid act of sticking a match to a pile of flash powder. Did I learn from that, sure did I knew shortly afterwards why it was called flash powder.

In the right hands with the right conditions and proper supervision there IMO is no harm is some skyrockets and crackers being let off, on one night a year.

[Peter Ward]

Originally Posted by TrevorW

..IMO is not harm is some skyrockets and crackers being let off, on one night a year.

Amen to that.

[DavidTrap (David)]

Originally Posted by TrevorW

Did I blow myself up, no because I new the dangers. I did get seriously burnt once by a stupid act of sticking a match to a pile of flash powder. Did I learn from that, sure did I knew shortly afterwards why it was called flash powder.

In the right hands with the right conditions and proper supervision there IMO is no harm is some skyrockets and crackers being let off, on one night a year.

I challenge that you DIDN'T know the dangers - if you knew the dangers, why did you put a match in the pile of flash powder?

Several posters in this thread have admitted they suffered injury (fortunately without longterm consequences) from backyard explosions. I suppose there may be some others out there who damaged their eyesight, so they aren't into astronomy, and therefore won't post on this site about their experiences

You can't ensure the right conditions and proper supervision all (or even the majority) of the time. I'd be willing to make a significant wager that if you conducted a "risk evaluation" (like QF did for green lasers) the answer would be an unacceptably high risk for backyard fireworks. The government pays for health care in this country - they have a responsibility to ban something with an unacceptably high risk of injury.

DT

[hotspur (Chris)]

Thanks Erick for the Catherine wheel u tube video,that was great.

It is a shame some people do things that end up injuring themselves,like making

pipe bombs.and doing very silly things with large fireworks.

I have seen some small displays of smaller fireworks many years ago when they used to be legal in Victoria,and I have very fond memories of them.

Like many other things in life,responsible moderation is called for.but due to the acts of a few the vast majority of responsible people miss out on a treat that held very infrequently should be something to look forward to.

I am very suprised to hear they are still avaliable in N.T.

Chris

[GrahamL]

I recall a friend when young who missed half a years school through accidently blowing a whole in his arse with a thunder bunger.

As I'm unsure the basic human condition has changed much over the decades in regard to rampart stupidity on occasion ..I can't see any good coming from mixing people and explosives.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=53WrWGeb7Vs

[Peter Ward]

Originally Posted by DavidTrap

....
You can't ensure the right conditions and proper supervision all (or even the majority) of the time. ......

DT

No you can't. But there has to be a point where people take responsibility for their own actions. Blanket bans are just lazy legislation, that more often than not, penalize the majority for the half-brained minority.

BTW I would hardly describe a penny banger going off as a "backyard explosion" . Real explosives detonate and cause serious damage to all and sundry....an effect very hard to replicate with sulfur and nitrates.

Used incorrectly power-tools, room heaters, cooking appliances & hair dryers can maim or kill. Do we ban these? We know smoking has serious health consequences, yet cigarettes are still not banned?

But because of, what I can only describe as the "idiot factor" , we have a whole generation who have never experienced the delight of "bonfire night". A shame IMHO.

[Peter Ward]

Originally Posted by nightstalker

..I can't see any good coming from mixing people and explosives.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=53WrWGeb7Vs

"People" with even half a brain wouldn't do that.

However...protecting the idiots I'd suggest does society no favors
(but I suspect he will never try that trick again )

[Jen]

Oops Jen hides her firecrackers and accessories away from grumpy old men
Yep used to love putting them in letter boxes and running flat out to the end of the street and hide behind a tree and giggle my head off for half an hour
And i still love pulling lighters apart and taking the flint out and wrapping it around the spring, light it up till its red hot and throw it at peoples feet hehehe yep very funny
And yeah i guess im still a big kid

[marki]

Originally Posted by nightstalker

I recall a friend when young who missed half a years school through accidently blowing a whole in his arse with a thunder bunger.

As I'm unsure the basic human condition has changed much over the decades in regard to rampart stupidity on occasion ..I can't see any good coming from mixing people and explosives.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=53WrWGeb7Vs

:rofl ::rof l:

I am in tears over this one

Mark

[torana68 (Roger)]

[QUOTE=nightstalker;610232]I recall a friend when young who missed half a years school through accidently blowing a whole in his arse with a thunder bunger.

he's the sort of guy who would electrocute himself when wiring up 240v to his 'scope mount, there is no helping some people and its a shame the majority have to be burdened with decisions made to "protect" like minded peeps. They will always find a way to do stupid things

[leon]

If we get rid of the Morons that ruin our society life would be plesent.

I mean the teens that are at the lower end of the gene pool, who control the streets.

Gee, I wish i could still walk the streets at night and do some window shopping, with my wife and not be in fear of being bashsed or robbed, by a group of Morons

Leon