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"Illegal Fireworks"... wtf?

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bjork

Member
There was a thing on the news about these guys who were selling illegal fireworks out of a barbershop near here... they seized like 1800 pounds of fireworks or something. They're illegal because of the dry plantlife out here, and the frequent fires during summer.

But the thing that got my attention was that the news reporter mentioned that they wouldn't have been in trouble if they only sold legal fireworks.

What is the difference? I always thought fireworks were fireworks.
 

Slo

Member
In Minnesota, the only thing that's legal are things like sparklers and black cats. Nothing that explodes. The "good stuff" is legal in South Dakota and Wisconsin, so you always see police checkpoints on the borders searching for people trying to smuggle stuff in. :lol
 

bjork

Member
I remember people who would drive to another county to get stuff, since it was legal to have fireworks there, but not where I lived. They'd come back with a shoebox full of those ones that shoot straight up... we'd put them in PVC pipes and pretend to have bazookas and whatnot.

Luckily, it was all dirt where we lived. We probably would've set someone's house on fire, looking back on it.
 

Drensch

Member
In Minnesota, the only thing that's legal are things like sparklers and black cats

Same thing goes for Ohio. But we have a bunch of store that sell what basically amounts to munitions, but you have to sign a waiver stating that you will only detonate them out of state, and of course everyone goes their and lies their asses off.
 

RevenantKioku

PEINS PEINS PEINS PEINS PEINS PEINS PEINS PEINS PEINS PEINS PEINS PEINS oh god i am drowning in them
Sticking M80's in tomatoes is up there on my list of Fun Times Sticking Things into Other Things.
 

Loki

Count of Concision
All fireworks are illegal here in NY, thanks to former mayor Rudolph Guiliani. The ban's been on for about 9-10 years now. The guys on my block used to drop about $15-20K each year to put on a display for the neighborhood; it used to be a fun event. Now, we have nothing.


I believe they also put an end to beach-based displays this year for the first time (i.e., city sanctioned) because some people complained. So now there won't even be firework shows done by trained professionals at the local beaches (NY, Long Island etc.). Unbelievable. I'd like to know exactly who complained about the beach shows.
 

xsarien

daedsiluap
Loki said:
I believe they also put an end to beach-based displays this year for the first time (i.e., city sanctioned) because some people complained. So now there won't even be firework shows done by trained professionals at the local beaches (NY, Long Island etc.). Unbelievable. I'd like to know exactly who complained about the beach shows.

Link? It seems unlikely that the rule exists as you described it. And even if it does, a city ordinance like that would have no bearing on Jones Beach, as that's well outside the city limits.
 

slayn

needs to show more effort.
Loki said:
All fireworks are illegal here in NY, thanks to former mayor Rudolph Guiliani. The ban's been on for about 9-10 years now. The guys on my block used to drop about $15-20K each year to put on a display for the neighborhood; it used to be a fun event. Now, we have nothing.


I believe they also put an end to beach-based displays this year for the first time (i.e., city sanctioned) because some people complained. So now there won't even be firework shows done by trained professionals at the local beaches (NY, Long Island etc.). Unbelievable. I'd like to know exactly who complained about the beach shows.

prolly someone like me that was bothered by the noise and so complains in hopes of getting it stopped and full well knowing I'm being a jackass about it but don't care =P


*note, i don't actually live in NY, and would probably be too lazy to actually complain
 

ManaByte

Member
Actually it depends on the city. In San Diego you can't buy ANY fireworks, while if you go up to Orange County you can find stands around.

Typically, if the thing explodes or flies in the air it's an illegal firework.
 

Loki

Count of Concision
xsarien said:
Link? It seems unlikely that the rule exists as you described it. And even if it does, a city ordinance like that would have no bearing on Jones Beach, as that's well outside the city limits.

I read it in the Daily News a couple of days ago. I'll see if I still have it. Good point about Jones Beach; the article I read said (iirc) that there are no beach firework displays this year because some people complained. It then went on to say that there would still be festivities at places like Jones Beach (but no fireworks). I'll look for it in a little while. :)


slayn said:
prolly someone like me that was bothered by the noise and so complains in hopes of getting it stopped and full well knowing I'm being a jackass about it but don't care =P

Figures. I always took you for a troublemaker. ;) :p
 

xsarien

daedsiluap
Loki said:
I read it in the Daily News a couple of days ago. I'll see if I still have it. Good point about Jones Beach; the article I read said (iirc) that there are no beach firework displays this year because some people complained. It then went on to say that there would still be festivities at places like Jones Beach (but no fireworks). I'll look for it in a little while.

Well...

http://cbsnewyork.com/topstories/local_story_182120910.html
http://www.jonesbeach.com/

I think you're mistaken. :)
 

Cubsfan23

Banned
Kentucky has a ban on fireworks that go off in the air (ironic considering we have the largest fireworks show in the world every April) so, we just go over the bridge to Indiana and buy them.
 

Loki

Count of Concision
xsarien said:

That's odd...


Guess I was wrong, then. Though it seems that it could still be true for NYC beaches (since, as you noted, Jones Beach is not subject to city regulations), since the only NYC firework display mentioned is the "official" Macy's display. Still, I could've swore that it said that Jones Beach would only have a concert this year, not a display.

I'm still gonna look for that newspaper later. You haven't heard the last from me, xsarien! <shakes fist> ;) :p
 

Bluecondor

Member
Drensch said:
Same thing goes for Ohio. But we have a bunch of store that sell what basically amounts to munitions, but you have to sign a waiver stating that you will only detonate them out of state, and of course everyone goes their and lies their asses off.

I live in PA, and Ohio is the wild west when it comes to fireworks.

The stores along the Ohio/PA border are like munitions dumps. There was a fire in one of them 10-15 years ago, and they had to evacuate 4 local towns....
 
RevenantKioku said:
Sticking M80's in tomatoes is up there on my list of Fun Times Sticking Things into Other Things.

one of my friends as a kid once claimed to have stuck a firecracker up a cat's ass. He probably grew up to be a serial killer.
 

Ferrio

Banned
Ninja Scooter said:
one of my friends as a kid once claimed to have stuck a firecracker up a cat's ass. He probably grew up to be a serial killer.


You ever see a vet try to take a cat's temperature? It goes batshit insane, i'd be surprised if a kid could stick a firecracker(quite bigger) up a cat's ass.
 

LakeEarth

Member
Yeah, I doubt that story is close to true.

My friend once bought a handful of what were claimed to be illegal fireworks from some shady guy, and half of them were duds, and the other half were lame. So just because someone says they're "illegal" doesn't mean they're "cool".
 

Brannon

Member
In Georgia the sparkler-variety of fireworks is legal now. The lame ones that don't really explode, but flare out and shit.

Thankfully there's always Alabama for our innate explosive needs.
 
DJ Brannon said:
In Georgia the sparkler-variety of fireworks is legal now. The lame ones that don't really explode, but flare out and shit.

Thankfully there's always Alabama for our innate explosive needs.

And South Carolina. I need to give my friend's stand some business, too.
 

pj

Banned
Has consumer fireworks technology changed much recently? I live in NY, and my parents generally obey the law, so we never had any, but my neighbors always have fireworks. Years ago, they just had the kind that blew up on the ground and made noise, but now they've got huge ones that shoot like 50 feet into the air and have multi-staged explosions.

I'd ask them myself, but they are insane, so I try to avoid them.
 

MIMIC

Banned
I live in Ohio and I plan on heading out to Phantom Fireworks to get some stuff.

Can someone recommend me a place that sells actual M-80s or M-1000s?
 

Joe

Member
i live like 15 minutes from phantom. i dont think you could find m80's anywhere legally. well at least around this area.
 

Brian Fellows

Pete Carroll Owns Me
Slo said:
he "good stuff" is legal in South Dakota and Wisconsin, so you always see police checkpoints on the borders searching for people trying to smuggle stuff in. :lol


Crazy I've never seen or heard of that that between Illinois and Missouri(where the good stuff is legal).
 

atomsk

Party Pooper
triste said:
But the thing that got my attention was that the news reporter mentioned that they wouldn't have been in trouble if they only sold legal fireworks.

What is the difference? I always thought fireworks were fireworks.

cob.jpg


i tried to find the south park image of when they made the world's largest snake firework... but to no avail
 

Slo

Member
Brian Fellows said:
Crazy I've never seen or heard of that that between Illinois and Missouri(where the good stuff is legal).

Trust me. I've had relatives show up on the evening news for this. :D

**strums banjo**
 
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