# How do you feel about fireworks? would you consider calling calling in a report? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [July 5, 2015, 9:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-feel-about-fireworks-would-you-consider-calling-calling-in-a-report/724348 "2015-07-05T21:15:10Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Roderick\_Femm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/roderick_femm/32/14875_2.png) [@Roderick\_Femm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Roderick_Femm)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2015, 3:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-feel-about-fireworks-would-you-consider-calling-calling-in-a-report/724348/21 "2015-07-06T03:39:41Z")
I wouldn’t call in about fireworks that are going off any time before 11 pm. After that, it’s just dickish, selfish and childish\* to still be setting off fireworks in an urban area. I think the last ones near me went off after 2am last night. My problem is I can’t tell where they are coming from, they might be on the next street behind me or further away, so I don’t think attempting to report them would be effective. \*Look at me, I can make loud noises and keep you from sleeping, ha ha ha. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2015, 3:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-feel-about-fireworks-would-you-consider-calling-calling-in-a-report/724348/22 "2015-07-06T03:45:41Z")
The kiddies must have shot their wads last night. 😉 Been pretty quite tonight (July 5). fingers crossed it continues through midnight. ---
**Author:** ![CatastrophicFailure](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8c91f0/32.png) [@CatastrophicFailure](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CatastrophicFailure)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2015, 3:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-feel-about-fireworks-would-you-consider-calling-calling-in-a-report/724348/23 "2015-07-06T03:52:44Z")
We had the bushes in front of our house set on fire by illegal fireworks one year, and this year we are in the middle of a drought and there is a fire ban. So yes, I would call in if I heard any near me, but I didn’t. However, there was a fire near here from illegal fireworks set off last night. ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2015, 4:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-feel-about-fireworks-would-you-consider-calling-calling-in-a-report/724348/24 "2015-07-06T04:13:24Z")
Some how after years of being sent on fireworks calls I have yet to catch anyone. ---
**Author:** ![Urbanredneck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ea5d25/32.png) [@Urbanredneck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Urbanredneck)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2015, 5:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-feel-about-fireworks-would-you-consider-calling-calling-in-a-report/724348/25 "2015-07-06T05:08:15Z")
I get more frustrated when they dont clean up their mess and leave all their junk in the streets. ---
**Author:** ![Eureka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/74df32/32.png) [@Eureka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eureka)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2015, 7:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-feel-about-fireworks-would-you-consider-calling-calling-in-a-report/724348/26 "2015-07-06T07:03:24Z")
I’ll admit to enjoying _watching_ fireworks. I dislike _listening_ to fireworks. Also, in my area, it is my understanding that the little, inexpensive kind that _don’t go up in the air_ are legal, but the kind that go up in the air are illegal. Which doesn’t stop many people. People who shoot the kind that go up over houses bother me. It annoys me because it’s illegal, it annoys me because I feel like there’s an awful lot of money going up in smoke for a few seconds of pretty colors, and I worry that if something goes wrong, we’re about to have a house fire. I’m not sure what it would take to make me call in a report-- it is not my conviction that the police around here actually try very hard to discourage people from shooting the illegal kind of fireworks. ---
**Author:** ![Jeff\_Lichtman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jeff_lichtman/32/1531_2.png) [@Jeff\_Lichtman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jeff_Lichtman)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2015, 7:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-feel-about-fireworks-would-you-consider-calling-calling-in-a-report/724348/27 "2015-07-06T07:44:19Z")
Last year someone set off some sort of very loud fireworks at 1:30 AM a half a block from my house. The things shot burning projectiles as high as the tops of the telephone poles. We were in the third year of the drought, and the spot they chose wasn’t far from a nature area that’s always full of dry grass this time of year, not to mention highly flammable eucalyptus trees. I called the police. Of course, the people who set off the fireworks were long gone by the time the cops got there. ---
**Author:** ![SciFiSam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/47e85d/32.png) [@SciFiSam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SciFiSam)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2015, 10:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-feel-about-fireworks-would-you-consider-calling-calling-in-a-report/724348/28 "2015-07-06T10:33:37Z")
I had a firework shot towards me while on a bike ten or so years ago and told a nearby copper about it when I went past (he may have been there because of it, for all I know). I haven’t seen anything like that since though, possibly because regulations have got stricter. So yeah, fireworks going towards my house, whether intentional or not, would probably merit a call to the police. You wouldn’t necessarily know where the fireworks came from even if you did feel comfortable going and asking the users to change their aim. Fireworks in the garden, no. I suppose if it went on really really late and was unusually noisy then maybe I’d call noise complaints but that would be because of the noise rather the the fireworks per se. Fireworks are mostly used at night here, on November 5th especially, and I just expect them to happen. My pets have always been fine with them here. I live in the centre of a city and TBH fireworks tend to blend into the quite considerable background noise most of the time. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2015, 12:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-feel-about-fireworks-would-you-consider-calling-calling-in-a-report/724348/29 "2015-07-06T12:16:52Z")
> [@Loach](#): > > Some how after years of being sent on fireworks calls I have yet to catch anyone. I’ve often been the party attendee who stepped up to speak with the police when they showed up. “We’ve had calls complaining about illegal fireworks in this area, are you aware of any?” “No sir, and we were just about ready to call it a night.” And as the tail lights receded in the distance, BOOM!! ---
**Author:** ![WOOKINPANUB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wookinpanub/32/132_2.png) [@WOOKINPANUB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WOOKINPANUB)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2015, 1:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-feel-about-fireworks-would-you-consider-calling-calling-in-a-report/724348/30 "2015-07-06T13:46:05Z")
I generally don’t mind do it yourself fireworks shows, though I do get a bit concerned when said shows are put on by drunken nitwits. Neighbors standing around the driveway watching cones shooting up pretty sparks? Count me in. What I do not see the point of is fire_crackers._ What’s fun about a loud, obnoxious pop? I had a neighbor who, among his many other deplorable behaviors, would start shooting off firecrackers July 3rd and wouldn’t stop until some time around the 6th. He’d just stand out there with his degenerate buddies and light firecracker after firecracker. One time I yelled at him “What the fuck are you twelve?” I’m sure he said many nasty things about me behind my back but he did stop (for awhile). ---
**Author:** ![GrumpyBunny](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/bc8723/32.png) [@GrumpyBunny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GrumpyBunny)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2015, 1:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-feel-about-fireworks-would-you-consider-calling-calling-in-a-report/724348/31 "2015-07-06T13:48:30Z")
I said yes because I’ll call if you’re shooting off fireworks at 1 am on July 5th, when most of us go back to work the next day. My cats don’t seem to care much about the noise, and one even watched them with me. ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2015, 1:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-feel-about-fireworks-would-you-consider-calling-calling-in-a-report/724348/32 "2015-07-06T13:48:45Z")
I voted “only if they’re aiming them directly at my house”, but that’s with some caveats. One, if we’re in extreme drought conditions like we were for 2011-2014, I’d probably rat them out in a heartbeat. No sense in setting fire to everything nearby just so some knuckleheads can fire their bottle rockets or whatever. Two, if they were doing really loud fireworks at some ungodly late/early hour repeatedly, I’d probably rat them out. I have a one year old and an almost-4 year old, so having them awakened violently in the middle of the night is not appreciated at all. But if it was say… 10:30 on the 4th of July, or midnight on NYE, and the ground’s not tinder-dry, then I’m not going to be unduly perturbed. ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2015, 3:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-feel-about-fireworks-would-you-consider-calling-calling-in-a-report/724348/33 "2015-07-06T15:06:44Z")
Why would I care if you blow your own fingers off with your stupid idiocy? I only would call for very specific reasons, like if you were aiming them at my house, or if you were up really late any other day but 4th of July. Even if I have to work the next day, I am accommodating that one night. But don’t be blowing up fireworks every night until 3 am days before that! ---
**Author:** ![Hampshire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hampshire/32/4887_2.png) [@Hampshire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hampshire)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2015, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-feel-about-fireworks-would-you-consider-calling-calling-in-a-report/724348/34 "2015-07-06T15:17:16Z")
Like most people I give them a pass for the one night a year. Fourth of July from dusk till midnight. The cops seem to turn a blind eye for those hours also. The jerks are like the one who must have been drunk, stayed up all night, and started shooting off his leftovers at 4 a.m. Or the people who had extras and decided to do their own Sunday night show also for all the people who had to go to work the next day. ---
**Author:** ![CheshireKat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cheshirekat/32/1207_2.png) [@CheshireKat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CheshireKat)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2015, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-feel-about-fireworks-would-you-consider-calling-calling-in-a-report/724348/35 "2015-07-06T15:45:17Z")
First, it’s legal in my town. Second, I LOVE fireworks. Third, I am lucky to live on a lake where a lot of the neighbors try to outdo each other and spend thousands on the big, spectacular boomers. Four of them (three directly across the long, narrow lake) compete for the best finale - there were four “finales” this year and they were glorious! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![GrandWino](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grandwino/32/67_2.png) [@GrandWino](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GrandWino)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2015, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-feel-about-fireworks-would-you-consider-calling-calling-in-a-report/724348/36 "2015-07-06T15:54:26Z")
> [@LH75](#): > > One of the neighborhood kids thought shooting bottle rockets at the houses was a fun idea this year. i did not call it in, but I did use my pellet gun to take out their outside flood lights. The bottle rockets stopped. Sure you did. ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2015, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-feel-about-fireworks-would-you-consider-calling-calling-in-a-report/724348/37 "2015-07-06T17:58:36Z")
I’ve seen plenty of rockets land on the ground or on people’s roofs while still burning. If all I heard was sound, I wouldn’t call. But if I see rockets shooting around in a crowded neighborhood, I wouldn’t hesitate. ---
**Author:** ![racepug](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f1d935/32.png) [@racepug](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/racepug)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2015, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-feel-about-fireworks-would-you-consider-calling-calling-in-a-report/724348/38 "2015-07-06T18:11:07Z")
I HATE fireworks. Actually, that’s not true. I’m totally okay with watching the display put on by, say, a city. But fireworks set off by people in my neighborhood drive me nuts. Having typed that, I’m cognizant of the fact that people like to shoot fireworks off on (and around) Independence Day. Where I live the rule (I think) is that it’s okay to shoot fireworks off from something like 9 a.m. until 11:59 p.m. **on July 4th itself**. When people shoot fireworks off _outside_ of that time frame is when I’d consider calling the police. I don’t usually do that because I don’t want to gain a reputation in that way but I _have_ done that once - when somebody in the cul-de-sac behind me was shooting fireworks off sometime in winter. THAT I deemed to be unacceptable. ---
**Author:** ![Roderick\_Femm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/roderick_femm/32/14875_2.png) [@Roderick\_Femm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Roderick_Femm)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2015, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-feel-about-fireworks-would-you-consider-calling-calling-in-a-report/724348/39 "2015-07-06T19:07:35Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > I’ve often been the party attendee who stepped up to speak with the police when they showed up. > > “We’ve had calls complaining about illegal fireworks in this area, are you aware of any?” > > “No sir, and we were just about ready to call it a night.” > > And as the tail lights receded in the distance, BOOM!! What a great neighbor. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2015, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-feel-about-fireworks-would-you-consider-calling-calling-in-a-report/724348/40 "2015-07-06T19:12:59Z")
There are very few things that would lead to my calling the police. An accident with injuries, sure. Fireworks? No way. The news is filled lately with the police making the worst out of a situation. I do not wanna be the person whose phone call leads to a little kid being killed for scaring the police. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-feel-about-fireworks-would-you-consider-calling-calling-in-a-report/724348.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-feel-about-fireworks-would-you-consider-calling-calling-in-a-report/724348.md?page=3)