Fireworks?

[MossRoad]

I was taught to treat every gun like it was loaded.
Also not to point it at anything which I didn't want to shoot.

The same link posted also told of when Brandon Lee was killed with a prop gun while shooting a movie scene...

I have a very cynical viewpoint of how the movie industry uses firearms and portrays their use.

Yep. I was taught at a very young age as well. However, most people are not taught anything about firearm safety EVER in their lives.

 

[QRTRHRS]

Fireworks were re-legalized in Maine in 2011 after being banned for 63 years. The rationale was it would increase business. It has increased the medical, fire department and law enforcement business plus a lot of noise pollution complaints in towns. It's easy to cite fireworks sales, not so easy to add up the negative costs.

As you say, where does the money go and come from? If being spent on fireworks it is not being spent somewhere else. For US out-of-state tourists travelling by auto, they can't get to Maine without passing through New Hampshire where there is no sales tax on fireworks.

I have heard stories about the neighborhood bookie's. Supposedly, if a husband died or was in an accident, the bookie's would help out. The money was kept local. Now-a-days, the various states have the lotteries. No bookie's, just big brother to take the money out of the neighborhood. Certainly, not one to help out the bereaved.

 

[MossRoad]

In Indiana, they used to average about 250 fireworks related injuries per year.... until they legalized consumer fireworks (bottle rockets, roman candles, fire crackers, etc...) in 2006. Since then, they average around 135 fireworks related injuries per year. So, legalization reduced injuries by about 45%. Who'da thunk it? More fireworks = less injuries. Not what was expected back in 2006, as all consumer fireworks up to that point had to be purchased out of state and were illegal to posses or use in Indiana. You could purchase them in Indiana, but had to sign papers that you would take them out of state within 10 days. Anyhow, it was surprising to see the decrease in injuries with the increase in fireworks usage here.

 

[dave1949]

In Indiana, they used to average about 250 fireworks related injuries per year.... until they legalized consumer fireworks (bottle rockets, roman candles, fire crackers, etc...) in 2006. Since then, they average around 135 fireworks related injuries per year. So, legalization reduced injuries by about 45%. Who'da thunk it? More fireworks = less injuries. Not what was expected back in 2006, as all consumer fireworks up to that point had to be purchased out of state and were illegal to posses or use in Indiana. You could purchase them in Indiana, but had to sign papers that you would take them out of state within 10 days. Anyhow, it was surprising to see the decrease in injuries with the increase in fireworks usage here.

I wonder what's behind those stats. I certainly don't think more fireworks = less injuries unless it was coupled with a very successful public safety information program. The legal consumer fireworks tend to be on the anemic side from what I've seen but I haven't bought or looked at fireworks in decades. When the Feds outlawed M80's and Silver Salutes it took all the fun out of fire crackers.

About a month ago the family up the road was celebrating a birthday or something. They, along with young kids, were sitting on one edge of the road (two lane state road most cars do 50 mph) watching their roman candles burning on the other side of the road. The candles were set up in the 1' wide berm. WTH? They have plenty of yard to use. I think they may be renters. Maybe keeping their fireworks on the public right-of-way and not on the property has something to do with the landlord's rules? On the 4th another injury in Maine happened when a "cake" of bottle rocket type things fell over, then one of the rockets fired into the eye of a woman.

 

[MossRoad]

Ahhh.... good ol' M-80's... the stuff of legend...
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M-80_(explosive)

and death!
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benton_fireworks_disaster

 

[k0ua]

Ahhh.... good ol' M-80's... the stuff of legend...
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M-80_(explosive)

and death!
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benton_fireworks_disaster

Well, we did shoot them when I was a kid.. Were they dangerous? Um... yeah they were. I was always very careful with them as I knew they were very dangerous. I saw others not being so careful. I saw a couple of guys light and throw one under a steel 5 gallon bucket and they both jumped on the top of the bucket with one foot each and held on to each other. It lifted them about a foot up when it exploded under the bucket. Kinda stupid but they survived unhurt, maybe hearing damaged. The rumor was at the time that they were 1/8 or 1/4 stick of dynamite. They were no where near that, but still more than a kid ought to really be playing with.

 

[MossRoad]

Well, we did shoot them when I was a kid.. Were they dangerous? Um... yeah they were. I was always very careful with them as I knew they were very dangerous. I saw others not being so careful. I saw a couple of guys light and throw one under a steel 5 gallon bucket and they both jumped on the top of the bucket with one foot each and held on to each other. It lifted them about a foot up when it exploded under the bucket. Kinda stupid but they survived unhurt, maybe hearing damaged. The rumor was at the time that they were 1/8 or 1/4 stick of dynamite. They were no where near that, but still more than a kid ought to really be playing with.

The dynamite legend is just that. M80s contain flash powder, not nitroglycerin.
Here's a fun video of an M80 in a puddle of water VS a 1/4 stick of dynamite in a dead tree. I think there's just a slight difference. :laughing:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IJVDVQdzNUk

 

[Brad_Blazer]

Ahhh.... good ol' M-80's... the stuff of legend...
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M-80_(explosive)

and death!
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benton_fireworks_disaster

I had never heard the Benton story. I remember back around 1982 I was leaving the county fair and I saw a guy selling M-80's out of the trunk of his car where he had a big box of them, probably about 1000. The wicks were falling out and I doubted their quality but I bought a few anyhow. Wow they were loud! I wonder if they came from Benton?

 

[k0ua]

The dynamite legend is just that. M80s contain flash powder, not nitroglycerin.
Here's a fun video of an M80 in a puddle of water VS a 1/4 stick of dynamite in a dead tree. I think there's just a slight difference. :laughing:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IJVDVQdzNUk

Yes, the M80 was a long way from a 1/4 stick of dynamite. I saw quite of few 1/4 and 1/2 stick of dynamite set off, back when I was a kid. Dad used to go to the coast to coast store and buy it all the time. Back in the 60's any adult could buy dynamite at the hardware store. I still have some very vivid memories of those explosions. Imagine going to the hardware store and asking for dynamite now.

 

[MossRoad]

Yes, the M80 was a long way from a 1/4 stick of dynamite. I saw quite of few 1/4 and 1/2 stick of dynamite set off, back when I was a kid. Dad used to go to the coast to coast store and buy it all the time. Back in the 60's any adult could buy dynamite at the hardware store. I still have some very vivid memories of those explosions. Imagine going to the hardware store and asking for dynamite now.

One of the things my father did during WWII was being a demolitions officer. Needless to say, 4th of July around our place could get impressive!