Whether legal or not, I think setting off fireworks in a neighborhood is an incredibly thoughtless and selfish act, because of reasons previously stated (traumatized animals, folks with PTSD, potential catastrophic property damage).
mmm
Inconsiderate, but not transgressive.
In answer to the question posed in the title of this thread, yes. Yes, I do consider my neighbors launching fireworks a transgressive act. That’s because I live in an unincorporated area of my county, and all fireworks are prohibited during fire season. Which starts, much to the annoyance of some of my more fireworks-enamored neighbors, on July 1st each year.
Here in the woods, fireworks have caused a number of life and property-threatening fires. I no longer keep livestock, but in years past before the ordinance was enacted in 2024, keeping horses, llamas, cattle, goats, dogs, cats and pigs calm through the mayhem was a difficult job. (The chickens never seemed to care, so… yayy?)
I have one neighbor who lives close to 2 miles away and who has an unhealthy preoccupation with Things That Make Loud Booms. I suspect some of his armory is not legal, but I’ve never seen it so can’t say for certain. Based on the amount of noise they make, I’d say not. If I hear or see any evidence of that shit, I will report it. To their credit, I heard nothing last year. May it long continue.
Transgressive, no, I do not. There are laws that set those standards, not me. And the world is better place for that. I did have a job where i got to chase transgressors around in the woods, but we all agreed that i wouldn’t catch, only watch, and collect evidence in case it was needed. Or i was needed…
They are unwise and impolite at times. Ok, my neighbors, colleagues, friends, and that nice man walking down the street will testify that i cross those lines too. We all try not to, but there are times that crosses happen by design or by chance.
Checked the state laws yesterday. Sparklers and fountains can be legally used by people 16 or older. Anything that goes up into the air and/or explodes – firecrackers, bottle rockets, &c – can only be used by licensed professionals.
Up until last year there were lots of firecrackers in use in the neighbourhood, and the cats did a lot of under-couch hiding. Last year was quiet, though, and I hope this year will be, too. My sole personal experience with such things was waving sparklers around, back when I was somewhere in the 8-10 age range (and halfway across the country from here; no idea what the laws were at that time).
My personal feeling about the matter: Your right to make loud noises, whether with firecrackers or your stereo, ends where my right to peace and quiet ends. Meaning keep your noise away from me.
Agreed. If it’s legal, you’re not under any fire hazard restriction, and you don’t do it except on the holiday itself, I say go for it, if you want to.
Before judging someone negatively for setting off fireworks, I’d remind myself that some of it is local culture - if people in your neck of the woods have been doing it (legally or not) more or less safely for years, it doesn’t necessarily make you a bad person if you don’t take warnings/pleas not to do it very seriously.
Home-operated fireworks were extremely popular in Hawai’i for a long time but they’re definitely in decline since this happened (New Years 2025 explosion that killed six and severely burned more). Were the folks who were fireworks-happy prior to that event, who’ve since become more careful, bad people? Maybe, maybe not. Some of them just didn’t know enough to realize the dangers.
Education is the best way to get people to behave responsibly, but change doesn’t happen overnight.
That’s pretty much the same as the Illinois laws. Small things that make tiny “bangs” – party poppers and cap guns – are also legal, but firecrackers, rockets, etc. are all illegal. And that, of course, is what the local dorks are setting off for hours on end.
The village where I live also has a sound ordinance which goes into effect at midnight, but there’s also a general “disturbing the peace” ordinance. Part of my personal challenge, if I were of a mind to go ask the neighbors to tone it down, is finding them. I live in a fairly dense “inner ring” suburb, with tons of trees; loud fireworks may be being set off two or three blocks away, and it’d be effectively impossible for me to figure out where/who set them off.
Pit-worthy, but not moddable – at least, where I live.
For his first ~12 years, Sam THE Dog was Freaked Le Fuque Out by fireworks. He’d shake so intensely that he created something like a 75Hz tone.
In his last 1-1/2 years (two 4ths (is that a half?) of July), his hearing seemed intact, but he no longer cared.
I only cared because it was tough on him … and other dogs … and PTSD folk, and the like.
It was only ever my thing when I saw the big orchestrated municipal displays in Southern California. They were generally quite a sight to see.
And I may occasionally have been stoned. Not sure.
The first fireworks in my suburban neighborhood (where fireworks are illegal) were shot off on June 28. I expect the last ones will drag out until at least Monday evening. The police say they’ll use drones this year to try and catch perpetrators, but we live between two schools, where people sneak onto the playgrounds and athletic fields, shoot off round after round before the police can get out of their cars, and then disappear. On July 5, I’ll walk out into one of those areas and find burned out skyrockets, defective Roman candles, and areas of scorched grass.
I happen to have a deaf dog, which is a blessing this time of year, but I’ll hear dogs up and down the block all evening.
If a mom and dad want to have their kids wave some sparklers, toss some poppers and maybe shoot off a bottle rocket at dusk, I’m cool with that, but we have a very nice municipal display at the park, not to mention the big celebration downtown, and I wish people would just attend those.
Yes indeedy doo I do. I live in NYC. The World Cup games have triggered an early start to Explosives Season, and won’t stop until the last game is played.
When I lived up in what was then rural Orange County ( teeming with NYC cops, Staties and FDNY members ), people would gather up all manner of seriously large items. Usually they had the good sense to set them off over water but not always. What ya gonna do? Call the cops ??
Here in the city, the NYPD is too busy to do squat. Unless a fire starts, no enforcement of any kind is present. --shrug-- It is the way it is.
Sitting on the FDR watching the display overhead? Wicked fun back in the day. Taking the subway over to Astoria/ LIC and watching from a park on that side? Similarly wicked fun. The pros were handling it.
I tend to avoid them now. The loud sounds have always upset me. ( I always use earplugs. )
It’s not transgressive - transgressive things are cool. This is just being a dick.
I mean this with all sympathy, sadness, and compassion – no snark intended …
I’m guessing that one of the last things that you and yours want to do on your free time is watch shit blow up in the sky, rain down fire, and make incredibly loud noises 
The year my next door neighbors moved in, they had a huge (about 100 people) cookout, along with the spontaneous fireworks, they had a huge blow-up at about 9 pm. The party went on until past midnight and so did the fireworks. Rather than confronting them in the midst of it (which I know very well I would not have handled well), I went over and spoke to them the next day and explained that I’m a Gulf War veteran and they had given me a very difficult night. I simply asked that in the future they keep it more low key and put the kibosh on the fireworks after 10 pm. They agreed my request was reasonable, and they have complied ever since then.
So to answer your question, since they know how much it bothers me and agreed to keep it under control, yes it would be transgressive. It’s also not very likely because we have already had a reasonable discussion about limits.
On the flip side of that, there is a particular neighbor a few blocks from me who deliberately tries to push my buttons. There is no reasoning with him. We had a problem a few years ago which escalated until the police were involved. He hasn’t been a problem since.
Missed the Edit window !!
Here’s The kind of fireworks in Astoria, New York accompanying a World Cup win.
Oh, yeah. I’ve got bias up the wazoo.
I’m of two minds on this. When I was a kid I loved fireworks-- more accurately, I loved blowin’ up stuff. But back then in Michigan, all pyrotechnics more powerful than sparklers or those dumb ‘snake’ things were illegal. Of course, somehow, we’d get our hands on paper firecrackers, a Roman Candle or two, and very occasionally even the legendary ‘M-80’, which was rumored to be 1/4 as powerful as a stick of dynamite.
Then the big fireworks became legal for personal use in Michigan-- the ones you shoot out of a standing mortar tube. When my kids were young, I bought some of those and set them off in our backyard for the 4th. Fun. Until one year, a house just a couple miles from us burned to the ground from fireworks landing on the roof. The danger became non-theoretical. I never bought a firework after that.
Now, I quietly curse all the morons in my neighborhood who are constantly setting off fireworks for days or even weeks before and after the 4th. The other day someone across the street was setting off something very loud, startling us and freaking out our cats. I briefly considered calling the cops. Then I thought “who have I become??”
We’re going over to my sister’s on the 4th for a pool party and fireworks watching, as we have for the last couple years now. It’s not an official fireworks display, it’s watching all her neighbors set off fireworks, and it’s as spectacular as any officially sponsored display. Then we’ll drive home and hope we don’t find our house on fire from our neighbors’ fireworks…
round everyone up, make sure there are enough sober drivers to drive however many cars you need to get the crew somewhere. Drive somewhere, find parking, which may cost $$$ due to the special event pricing, walk blocks to get there, lugging chairs, blankets, drinks & snacks. Don’t forget the bug spray because it’s not right inside the house. Trudge back in the mob scene afterwards & struggle to leave with the tons of cars & the crowds walking in the street because the sidewalks are jammed (if you parked nearby).
Nope, no thanks. I don’t waste my money lighting it on fire (I don’t do my own displays) but I can see why others like to do it.
It always amazes me that people give sparklers to little kids. Those little fireballs coming off of them are hot & with them waving them around they can cause quite painful little burns.
You’ll notice I said fireworks are illegal where I live. If some family wants to thrill their little kids with a few firecrackers, I’m not going to call the cops on them. But blowing off M-80s at midnight on the last Sunday in June is not what the Founding Fathers had in mind when they envisioned celebrating independence.
Here in Fire Country, it most certainly is.
I put up with it for the Fourth of July as long as it’s not too late in the evening. But I get tired of all the other occasions people use fireworks. Here in FLA, New Years Eve and Cinco De Mayo always have too much firework activity.