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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsWho Is Handing Out High GRade Fireworks In NYC?
THe ones the other night at 1 am sounded like cannons.
Firework complaints across New York City rose by 236 times this month compared to the same time period last year, as New Yorkers question where the explosives some of them seemingly high-grade are coming from and who's behind the endless evenings of pyrotechnic displays
From June 1st to June 19th, there have been 6,385 total 311 complaints about fireworksup from just 27 during the same time period last year. The complaints have been rising throughout June, most notably in the past week. Juneteenth saw the highest number of complaintsa day of celebrations but also protests against police brutality, concluding with fireworks overnight
Observers have noticed it's not just more complaints this summer, but some incidents feature high-quality displays not typically operated by casual fireworks consumers
On social media, some speculated that the fireworks were an organized effort by the government or police themselves to destabilize the movement against police violence and defunding the police department, for which there has been a wave of protests nationwide after the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis.
https://gothamist.com/news/firework-complaints-increase-230x-june-officials-seek-supplier-crackdown
SledDriver
(2,059 posts)Just sayin
Me.
(35,454 posts)Renew Deal
(81,871 posts)Sure, people complain, but nothing is going to happen unless someone or something is badly injured.
There was a parade of cars in front of Gracie Mansion late last night blaring their horns and with signs saying if we can't sleep. you can't sleep. The Mayor held a presser today and has promised action. THe complaints are now over 13,000.
That's pretty good.
3Hotdogs
(12,406 posts)1/4 mile into Pa., are fireworks shops. You can buy whatever you can afford and drive it back to N.Y.C. where you can thrill your neighbors at 3 A.M.
But people are saying this is Macy's grade stuff
NameAlreadyTaken
(981 posts)In the fireworks stores you can only buy Consumer Fireworks (1.4G explosives class). They are highly regulated and there are strict limits on their size and construction specs. The professional grade (1.3G display fireworks) are much bigger and a federal permit is required to buy them and an ATFE licensed magazine is required to store them. Of course there may be an unscrupulous dealer who has some of that stuff and is willing to sell them "under the table" to buyers, but is also taking a huge risk of losing their business and spending years in federal prison if caught doing that.
Amishman
(5,559 posts)My bet would be gray market suppliers shipping direct from China. Happens plenty with prescription drugs, pesticides, and other controlled products. One guy buys a pallet of them and sells them to friends
NameAlreadyTaken
(981 posts)Since I run a legal fireworks stand myself, I get calls and questions all the time for the big stuff and illegal stuff. I've heard it's out there, but that's all an underground market, the prices are high and it's all very elusive. I've never actually seen it though.
Blue_true
(31,261 posts)Is the M80 the biggest? Stands sell them her in Florida, a noted football player blew off most of a hand with a big firework.
backscatter712
(26,355 posts)There's a federal cap on the amount of gunpowder that can go into consumer grade fireworks, and an M80 is waaaay over that. In my neighborhood, the usual thing to do was to go over the border to Wyoming to get the good fireworks, but those are still subject to the federal cap - the fireworks stands will sell "M60s" or "M100s", but those are under the federal cap, and are nothing when compared to M80s.
Here in Colorado, you can still get the fun fireworks, but if you're caught with them, the cops are getting super-strict - a thousand-dollar fine, an actual misdemeanor on your record, and possible jail time. They're real hardasses.
My brother-in-law used to get real M80s from the US Forest Service to scare off deer, though they don't do that anymore. And yes, they're a hell of a lot more powerful than the firecrackers that can legally be sold to consumers.
I always set M80s down to light them - never lit and threw. Because I didn't want a nickname like Stumpy or Lefty.
Blue_true
(31,261 posts)I avoided people that used fireworks. The only thing our parents would allow us near were sparklers placed on the ground, the little round things that popped when we threw that at a hard surface, and very small firecrackers. But once information got back to my parents that a kid tried to chew one of the little round things (they came in different colors like candy), that was the end of fireworks for us.
Lars39
(26,116 posts)of dynamite.
NameAlreadyTaken
(981 posts)a quarter stick of dynamite has approximately 60 times the power of an M-80. A true M-80, built to the original military spec, has 45 grains (just under 3 grams) of flash powder in it. Dynamite has a different chemical composition, which is more powerful, and a quarter stick contains about 30 times as much, by weight, as an M-80.
backscatter712
(26,355 posts)They're powerful enough to blow a hand into mincemeat - they're pretty dangerous.
NameAlreadyTaken
(981 posts)The Child Protection Act, passed by Congress and signed by President Johnson in 1966, made M-80s and "cherry bombs" illegal throughout the U.S. There is of course a black market for them, and that may be what is being sold in Florida. But the act of selling a single M-80 is considered a felony and carries a potential sentence of up to 10 years in federal prison.
Demovictory9
(32,475 posts)backscatter712
(26,355 posts)One can always go to a gun shop (if not in NYC, then in locales like Pennsylvania where the laws are looser), get big jugs of gunpowder, and make your own devices, if you're willing to risk felony charges and ending up with a nickname like Stumpy or Lefty.
Hell, you can still get Tannerite in a lot of places - farmers still have to blow up stumps somehow.
NameAlreadyTaken
(981 posts)SWBTATTReg
(22,166 posts)then usual, probably due to being out of school and stuck at home. It is a pain, especially when it's scaring the pets and startling one when trying to sleep.
Me.
(35,454 posts)and those are the ones who called. We didn't.
hunter
(38,326 posts)This weekend someone was setting off full size fireworks in a nearby schoolyard past midnight, the kind that rattle windows and set off car alarms.
Our dogs hate fireworks. Last night we had to take them outside to pee. They wouldn't go out on their own.
and I guess you have to be there to get it. Not so bad by me, though a couple of nights got us up looking to see if there was anything on the news. But I have a friend in Queens who says it's non stop. And usually firewaul complaint calls each year number from 200-300.
Polybius
(15,476 posts)The fireworks complaints are all over my local Facebook Groups.
Me.
(35,454 posts)Polybius
(15,476 posts)I really don't think I'm hearing more this year, but the complaint level is way up.
Me.
(35,454 posts)Usually from 200-300 but now up to over six thousand.
Polybius
(15,476 posts)Here we hear it every year from mid-June on.
edhopper
(33,615 posts)it's like being in Kabul at night.
WE haven't had it so bad where we are but several of our friends say it's been going on all night
NYC Liberal
(20,136 posts)They're all over and going off constantly. I've rarely heard them before a few weeks ago.
sir pball
(4,758 posts)Starts before dark, and sometimes goes till sunrise. Every night. Definitelyy has never been like this before.
Me.
(35,454 posts)SoCalNative
(4,613 posts)in my city in So Cal since mid-March. Every night. Getting much worse now the closer it gets to 4th of July. I hope they all blow themselves up or lose major appendages setting them off.
chowder66
(9,080 posts)PTWB
(4,131 posts)That doesnt make sense to me.
Its just fireworks.
Me.
(35,454 posts)It's the kind of makes you jump out of bed noise
And to be clear we have a lot of fireworks around here...all the holidays including New Year's Eve, the Philharmonic playing and many other events. This goes beyond.
PTWB
(4,131 posts)And even then, why it would have any effect whatsoever on the protests and demonstrations.
sarisataka
(18,770 posts)Will a couple thousand marchers stop to ooh and ahh at some big fireworks then go home because they forgot why they were marching?
Me.
(35,454 posts)THey're trying to sleep like the rest of us.
sarisataka
(18,770 posts)Fireworks locally so far this year. There have been a few louder bangs of large ones, but the smaller crackers are not heard so much.
With one or two exceptions however everything has stopped at a respectful time
sarisataka
(18,770 posts)To disrupt protests by causing a lack of sleep? Or does the government expect the fireworks to cause PTSD and protestors will stay home?
My money is on run of the mill assholes rather than some secret conspiracy.
Steelrolled
(2,022 posts)I think most people would agree. But keep in mind the claim came from "social media" which is like "I heard from some guy at a bar".
Of course that didn't stop the "gothamist" from "reporting" that hot tip.
KY_EnviroGuy
(14,494 posts)childish, macho-man thing floating around social media to show off their little candy arse in order to piss off liberals and perhaps as a way to signal their support of Trump in our area. They know we love peace and quiet.
Due to the coronavirus, our police are not enforcing disturbing the peace calls, so they have nothing to worry about in that regard.
In my low-to-medium income neighborhood, I believe there's a high percentage of red neck MAGATs. Lately, there's been a lot of fireworks being shot off at night and many are big boomers.
Sort of like a MAGAT status symbol, I'm thinking...... .........
sarisataka
(18,770 posts)I plan to get about 3x as many this year since the big show in out area is canceled.
We are prohibited from using rockets and other high shooting item. Such fireworks are available in Wisconsin, only 10 minutes away however I can do an entertaining show using ground items.
LisaM
(27,830 posts)For a number of years we lived in a rental house that didn't even have a hose. A couple of years when it was really dry, I was absolutely terrorized by neighbors who set them off in the street, worries about fire. My dogs hated the noise.
It's unfair to others to set off (mostly) illegal fireworks in neighborhoods. With so many Fourth celebrations being cancelled this year, I am really dreading the day.
PTWB
(4,131 posts)If I was that concerned I would certainly buy a hose.
I for one love fireworks but make sure they're done responsibly. I've lived in neighborhoods where a few dozen neighbors will gather in the middle of the cul-de-sac and launch fireworks together all night long. Right now I live in the city but there are still many people who go out into the street on holidays to shoot fireworks and it is an amazing sight to see.
LisaM
(27,830 posts)Later, we moved and they had to get things up to code, but it was a cheap rental that we could afford.
Don't you worry about the neighborhood pets at all?
PTWB
(4,131 posts)LisaM
(27,830 posts)Especially ones that go all night long
PTWB
(4,131 posts)They just bark when they hear them... but they bark at everything. They bark when the UPS truck pulls and when it pulls away. They bark at the mailman. They bark at walkers and joggers and bicyclists. I keep them indoors because I dont want to bother anyone. About the only time they dont bark is when Im walking them in the morning and in the evening.
sarisataka
(18,770 posts)That has a large open field partially surrounded by a hill where anyone who wants to watch can sit.
It also has a dirt/gravel area where there used to be a baseball field. It provides a safe spot to light the fireworks. We also bring a couple fire extinguishers and buckets of water just in case.
KY_EnviroGuy
(14,494 posts)the OP was regarding observed rapid increase in everyday citizens shooting off fireworks at night in neighborhoods when we're not very near a holiday.
Like loud motorcycles and car/truck exhausts, it reaches a point where it is indeed disturbing the peace.
KY
sarisataka
(18,770 posts)It seems there are fewer fireworks this year. That may change as the 4th approaches.
Usually people will stop by 10, except on the 4th itself.
Renew Deal
(81,871 posts)It's also easy to buy them out of state. It's probably just a matter of greater availability. Don't know where they're coming from.
Hermit-The-Prog
(33,414 posts)Naturally, they're not traitors so they just put on a show.
GulfCoast66
(11,949 posts)And hell, we can buy the mortar kind here in Florida. Ill admit I have set them off myself with the neighbors. But only on the 4th. And never too late.
They really dont bother, but I can see how in densely packed areas like NY they could be problematic.
Or in California with the fire danger.
Demovictory9
(32,475 posts)Raine
(30,540 posts)are continuous they start even before dark and continue all night. These are not small ones but like big professional ones. People all over LA are trying to figure where they're coming from and begging them to please stop, it's scaring everyone's pets so much.
electric_blue68
(14,933 posts)(besides me being up waaay too late...)
This the first time in several weeks - that it has diminished back down to the normal occasional pop, crackle, small "boom"s (like between a pop and a boom), etc. I thought at one point it was going turn hyper again - but it didn't!
Like a drop of 90%+ =O !! Especially since last night I think was the worst.
Didn't even start till just before 10pm. Again must strees - it's been Very Intermittent! (phew!)
I've lived in this neighborhood for almost 11 yrs and in NYC all my life.
The difference tonight is startling!
Me.
(35,454 posts)THe complaints are now over 13,000 and the mayor is finally responding. Maybe it has something to do with a parade of cars that went to Gracie late last night and blared their car horns. THey had sign that said if we can't sleep you can't sleep.
electric_blue68
(14,933 posts)when you mentioned the car honking demo by Gracie Mansion... (Mon?)
What I heard Tues news was he was ordering people to stop the people bringing them in, and the big illegal distributors. He was not going after the neighborhood people setting them off.
So when I mentioned it had suddenly quieted down by 90% on Mon it couldn't have been bc of the Mayor's.
Anyway it's Wed, and for which ever reason(s) - last night and tonight have remained at the reduced; that is, the normal amount for getting close to Fourth of July.
Yay!
Me.
(35,454 posts)I disagree with not going after the neighborhood people. He should go after everyone involved. But am glad it's quieting down.
George II
(67,782 posts)Me.
(35,454 posts)Especially with these. We're not talking sparklers here