It’s almost 2 am and I’m in bed and I still keep hearing pop pop boom outside. Is it that fun? Seriously. Also, what’s a better sub for this kind of post? Inb4 mastodon.

  • AFK BRB Chocolate
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    172 years ago

    A number of people said “They were when I was young, but not anymore,” and that was my reaction too. I absolutely loved playing with firecrackers or making little explosives when I was a teen, so the 4th was really fun for me.

    It’s hard to say why I don’t feel the same way now, but I think part of it is just that I’ve seen it and done it over enough years that it’s boring now. The other part is that, like most kids, I didn’t think about the broader impact of things as much as I do now. Having known people with PTSD from military service, and having pets that are absolutely terrified of the explosions, it’s hard to enjoy them now without thinking of the suffering. Also, I live in parched Southern California close to the hills, so the people lighting giant fireworks in their back yards around me is infuriating.

    • @[email protected]
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      12 years ago

      If don’t give a shit about PTSD for people who voluntarily signed up for military service. I’ts a bummer for the dogs though.

      • AFK BRB Chocolate
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        42 years ago

        That’s… a strange point of view. Do you also not give a shit about the problems of other people who get injured at work? Like firefighters who get burned?

  • @[email protected]
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    452 years ago

    Explosives were fascinating when I was, like, 10 years old. Now, as an adult, they’re just stupid, but we have an ever-growing population of people who derive their sense of self-worth from producing maximally loud, obnoxious, pathetic spectacles (think street-racers, coal-rollers, rap-blasters to name a few), so there you have it. When you’re a nobody and have no attributes that anyone would look up to, well, at least you can force people to pay attention to you and do it on the cheap (important because you’re poor). Boom boom pop pop.

    • @[email protected]
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      42 years ago

      Spot on, mate! I can’t stand them. Ultranationalism, harmful to the environment, poor air quality and noise pollution. Not good for the animals or anything really, a huge waste.

      And nowadays, more and more just another “let’s own the Libs” childish pedantic fucking bully-mindset.

    • @[email protected]OP
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      2 years ago

      I get this, but even as the op here, I do want to say I’m not saying any of these things you brought up are invalid ways to exist in a shared public space. People who “rap blast” as you say - what about rock or metal? What about country or electronic music? What if I am blasting the theme from Katanari Damacy at the gas station and genuinely enjoying myself?

      I question the amusement levels of these explosions. But I have to disagree with some of this other stuff, which is valid in a public space albeit could be considered annoying in a similar way.

          • MaggiWuerze
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            42 years ago

            It was just an example. Playing loud music in public is obnoxious and rude. No matter if you’re playing 50ct or Beethoven

            • @[email protected]
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              22 years ago

              It was just an example, one that came to mind b/c in my low-mid-class residential 'hood in a medium-sized city, I have nearby neighbors who seem to think nothing of blasting rap (it’s always rap for some reason) at a gazillion Db and drenching the entire block in pure noise. All, apparently, because of some sort of “I can do whatever the fuck I want, suck it up” attitude. Now, I personally loathe rap, don’t consider it music at all, but this behavior would be every bit as bad/wrong if they were blasting out symphonic music or trumpet concertos or Coltrane or classic rock or blues or, really, any kind of unnecessary sound that their neighb’s might just not be fans of, or in the mood for. And that includes fireworks noise, which actually is kind of a year-round thing here, just concentrated around calendar events when people can manufacture an excuse to set them off. Stupid riceburner street-racers with, evidently, straight-pipes, actively racing, are also a weekly scourge around here and the cops seem to just look the other way.

              What seems to have vanished, in the loud-noises in public sphere, is any kind of common courtesy. I don’t blast my loud “music” in random places where other people are going to be forced to listen to it because that’s just rude - they might have their own tunes on, hate my fave genres, or simply want some peace - I don’t automatically expect that they’re going to be totally down with my noisemaking just because I have the ability to make it. If I pull up to someone with their windows down at at red light and I’ve got some loud tunes on, I turn them down. Basic civility. But now the attitude seems to be “fuck you, I’ll do whatever I want and you’d better like it and if not, tough shit, try to stop me.”

    • @[email protected]
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      2 years ago

      I fully agree! Add those people yelling at their mobile phone set to speaker while in public.

      Profile pic of Abe (Grandpa) Simpson yelling "Get off my lawn!"

      • @[email protected]
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        32 years ago

        people yelling at their mobile phone set to speaker while in public

        After rejoining a gym recently (had been away ~5yrs) I was astonished to find people doing this right there in the weight room. Blabbing away, having personal conversations at high volume mere feet from all the other paying customers who are just trying to concentrate on their workouts. I’d seen the signs on the wall asking people NOT to do this and take their phone conversations elsewhere, but of course those rules are for OTHER people, not for precious entitled blabbermouths.

    • @[email protected]
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      12 years ago

      Welp, depends on where you live. When I was growing up in New England it was illegal to set off fireworks if you weren’t a licensed pro. Illegal to buy/own them too AFAIK. Here in WA you can buy them on NA reservations but AFAIK it’s still illegal to set them off. But of course, the yahoos do it anyway and it seems to get worse and worse every year - more, bigger, louder, and for days on end. And all this while the climate gets drier and drier and more fire-prone.

    • Terevos
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      122 years ago

      So do it at 10pm or something a little more reasonable.

      • @[email protected]
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        22 years ago

        I basically spent my entire day preparing to get my puppy through his first 4th of July and he’s legit sound asleep right now cos he dgaf.

  • @[email protected]
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    92 years ago

    I say yes. But, I work with them professionally not in the US. They are banned in my country for personal/private use. Working with commercial/professional quantities and the safety around them provides more enjoyment to me than weaker, consumer grade where the danger is still the same and the effect is much less. I watch these videos of backyard displays and they all explode at the same height and it’s just too messy. But thats me!

  • godless
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    282 years ago

    I don’t like them one bit. Pollute the environment, make unnecessary noise, and are dangerous.

            • MaggiWuerze
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              02 years ago

              Let me just blast your ears with deafening sound for mildly inconveniencing me. You do know dogs have way more sensitive hearing than us right? And you do understand that it’s the owners fault for either not training them properly or rather not caring enough for them?

    • PopcornChickn
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      42 years ago

      We’ve had an air quality alert all day and (admittedly I didn’t look one way or another) and I’ve just made my mind up that it’s because of fireworks and not Canada being on fire.

  • @[email protected]
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    42 years ago

    The thing that annoys me the most is when during bonfire night season (I’m UK), idiots fire off fireworks weeks before the actual day itself

    Also, what’s a better sub for this kind of post? Inb4 mastodon.

    I guess there’s [email protected]? Although I like how casual this community is compared to it’s… equivalent

  • @[email protected]
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    112 years ago

    I’m against them. I see little to no joy in them, while knowing that they are bad for the environment, for animals and wallets. However, I have accepted that the joy is a subjective matter and people see things that I don’t. Similar to loud bikes and cars or loud music, there are enthusiasts who see other values.

    I would like to see it restricted to state purchases and to have it limited to official firework shows only all over the world.

    • @[email protected]
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      -12 years ago

      I’d also like to add that there are only a few days each year when it’s allowed; loud vehicles are not a great example because they annoy people year-round.

      • NaN
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        2 years ago

        (In the US) Most jurisdictions don’t actually have laws limiting when it’s allowed, except the typical nuisance noise.

    • @[email protected]
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      32 years ago

      This is how I feel. They’re annoying and obnoxious when a neighbour is setting them off at 1am, but when they’re done at a scheduled event by a pro they look great and usually aren’t close enough to disturb people or animals!

  • @[email protected]
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    42 years ago

    Yes they are.

    Of course doing them at 2am is a dick move and I wouldn’t do it then. But anything until 10pm is alright in my books.

  • HSL
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    32 years ago

    I prefer having all of my fingers to making things explode.