$2,500 and or 12 months of jail time?! for SPARKLERS?!?

[soupy11]

Last night was Canada Day. We went up on our 9 story buildings roof and watched the city. There were fireworks going off everywhere. It was quite amazing actually, but definitely makes you think if it is really a good idea?

 

[luvsJack]

I don't live within city limits but we don't have any regulations concerning fireworks, unless its the really big ones that are beyond what anyone needs to celebrate the 4th anyway. (I think our law enforcment folks have to spend more time worrying about some total idiot stealing stuff from the local National Guard base and setting those off )

BUT, I don't know of anyone that does their own fireworks around here that are really irresponsible with it. Maybe because we are all on our own land and it would be our own property that burnt??

For instance we do bottle rockets and roman candles. They are set off over a pond and drop into the pond. We keep water hoses at the ready and we have a bucket of water for all sparklers and such to go in.

The laws, I guess, are necessary for the idiots that will not do things responisbily. The sad thing is, they probably are not going to abide by the law anyway!

 

[luvmy3]

I don't live within city limits but we don't have any regulations concerning fireworks, unless its the really big ones that are beyond what anyone needs to celebrate the 4th anyway. (I think our law enforcment folks have to spend more time worrying about some total idiot stealing stuff from the local National Guard base and setting those off )

BUT, I don't know of anyone that does their own fireworks around here that are really irresponsible with it. Maybe because we are all on our own land and it would be our own property that burnt??

For instance we do bottle rockets and roman candles. They are set off over a pond and drop into the pond. We keep water hoses at the ready and we have a bucket of water for all sparklers and such to go in.

The laws, I guess, are necessary for the idiots that will not do things responisbily. The sad thing is, they probably are not going to abide by the law anyway!

So true!
We have a house in our subdivision that have a show every year, fireworks are illegal here. The sad thing is we have a few police officers who also live in our neighborhood and nothing ever stops these people. I find bottle rocket sticks in my yard through out the first week in July. Its a pretty congested subdivision and always worry about what would happen if those things landed on a house. I'm going away this weekend and I'm secretly hoping it will be rainy so they can't do their show

 

[ndelaware]

Welcome to Alexandria, VA, folks. A great historical city where if you have any sort of firework including sparklers(!!!!) they will arrest you and fine you 2,500.....

Way to celebrate the great freedoms of America by putting such extreme laws in place!!!
What are the laws in your town in re: to fireworks??? Are they allowed??

Should the fact that it is the 4th of July encourage us all to break the laws of our choice?

Would that be the freedom you seek?

 

[Free4Life11]

I think that is overkill. The sparklers are a lot of fun! 12 months of jail time?? That is insane!

 

[sunnyday123]

1. Guys, the cow kicking over the candle was merely speculation. My son did a lengthy report on that fire including a model. lol!

2. If you don't like the laws in your city, start a referendum to get them taken off the books. OR-run for office. While I agree that the sparkler being included in the fireworks ban is overkill, it would also have been hard to outline specifics on what was and wasn't included. Perhaps the police will be enforcing at their discretion. The ban where we vacation is on anything that separates or shoots into the air - bottle rocket type things all the way up to the big stuff. That legislation began because a house was hit and burned to the ground before the fire fighters could get to it in 4th of July traffic.

Fireworks are illegal here. Sparklers burn at like 1800 degrees-why someone would let the kids play with something like that is beyond me. Would you let them dance around with a burning stick? Fireworks of any kind should be left to the professionals.

 

[ckay87]

Should the fact that it is the 4th of July encourage us all to break the laws of our choice?

Would that be the freedom you seek?

She wasn't at all talking about breaking laws; she was specifically complaining about the "extreme laws that are in place" without indicating any intention whatsoever of breaking them. Where'd you get that?

 

[jodifla]

We'll be getting out our sparklers and having a grand time -- just like every other year.

Like anything else, if you are careful, sparklers aren't a problem.

 

[tw1nsmom]

Maybe if you had said this in your first post it would have been understood what you meant. If you ask anyone what a sparkler is they are going to assume its that hand held thing that shoots off sparks. In fact in NY they are actually one of the only *fireworks* that are legal.

Just an FYI....They aren't legal in NY either.


New York State’s Fireworks Law

Section 270 of the state Penal Law governs the possession, sale and use of illegal fireworks.

“Fireworks” include “any blank cartridge; blank cartridge pistol or toy cannon in which explosives are used, firecrackers, sparklers, or other combustible or explosive of like construction.”

“Dangerous Fireworks” include “any fireworks capable of causing serious physical injury and which are: firecrackers containing more than 50 milligrams of any explosive substance, torpedoes, skyrockets and rockets such as Roman candles, bombs, sparklers more than ten inches in length or one-fourth of an inch in diameter, or chasers including all devices which dart or travel about the surface of the ground during discharge.”

Under the law, fireworks do NOT include railroad or marine flares, or toy devices that use paper caps containing .25 grains or less of explosive compound. Such devices must be designed so that the hand cannot come in contact with the cap when in place for use.

*

A person who possesses, uses, or explodes any fireworks or dangerous fireworks is guilty of a violation.
*

A person who offers, exposes for sale, sells or furnishes fireworks or dangerous fireworks to another person is guilty of a Class B misdemeanor; when the value of the fireworks is more than $500, the provider is guilty of a Class A misdemeanor.
*

A person who offers, exposes for sale, sells or furnishes fireworks or dangerous fireworks to a person under age 18 is guilty of a Class A misdemeanor.
*

A person who has been convicted of a fireworks violation during the previous five years and who offers, sells or furnishes fireworks to a person under age 18 is guilty of a Class E felony.

Possession of fireworks or dangerous fireworks valued at $50.00 or more shall be a presumption that such fireworks were intended to be offered or exposed for sale.

 

[Jennasis]

My sister was burned badly by a sparkler many years ago.

 

[bicker]

Well, Alexandria would no longer be a great historical city if it burned down.

Really: There is nothing admirable about ignoring the law -- no matter how people try to rationalize it.

 

[bumbershoot]

No fireworks, not even sparklers, are allowed in my city. And I am more than happy with it. Fires, burns, and worse happen from those things.




"The laws, I guess, are necessary for the idiots that will not do things responisbily. The sad thing is, they probably are not going to abide by the law anyway!"

Yep, and those people, if caught, will be helping the city's coffers! Yay!

 

[luvsJack]

No fireworks, not even sparklers, are allowed in my city. And I am more than happy with it. Fires, burns, and worse happen from those things.




"The laws, I guess, are necessary for the idiots that will not do things responisbily. The sad thing is, they probably are not going to abide by the law anyway!"

Yep, and those people, if caught, will be helping the city's coffers! Yay![/QUOTE]

"if caught" being the main thought here. Fireworks aren't illegal here but from my experience with other things of this nature the ones who don't abide by the laws never get caught or they just get ignored.

I guess I just don't share everyone's hatred of fireworks. We have always had them and have always enjoyed them. The kids have always loved having a bonfire and bottlerockets and such. We make them be careful and make sure everyone is safe and not setting any fires. But, then if a law was passed we would certainly abide by it.

 

[barkley]

I don't live within city limits but we don't have any regulations concerning fireworks, unless its the really big ones that are beyond what anyone needs to celebrate the 4th anyway. (I think our law enforcment folks have to spend more time worrying about some total idiot stealing stuff from the local National Guard base and setting those off )

BUT, I don't know of anyone that does their own fireworks around here that are really irresponsible with it. Maybe because we are all on our own land and it would be our own property that burnt??

For instance we do bottle rockets and roman candles. They are set off over a pond and drop into the pond. We keep water hoses at the ready and we have a bucket of water for all sparklers and such to go in.

The laws, I guess, are necessary for the idiots that will not do things responisbily. The sad thing is, they probably are not going to abide by the law anyway!

it ups the ante here if someone were to shoot over our or any of the neighboring ponds. then in addition to the local violations you'de be contending with the department of natural resources. they don't fool around-first time offense can be $10,000.

 

[HelenePA]

Okay this might sound stupid but do your cities publish the laws someplace that sparklers and such are illegal? I honestly dont know if we have these types of laws.. I assume we dont. My kids LOOOOVEEE Sparklers! They can't wait til we go to my brothers on the 4th to see his fireworks!

 

[SplashMtnCrew]

We can have any type/kind of fireworks in our state, unless there is a city ordinance, most cities here don't have any though
We don't live within city limits so it doesn't apply to us
People actually drive across the border to buy fireworks at one of the zillion fireworks stores/stands that are open year round, then go back to their own state to set them off. We don't even bother with sparklers. A pp mentioned NY's law about fireworks, all the ones that NY can't have, we can. We actually recieve coupons from fireworks manufacturers at New Year's and July 4. But if and when the time comes, we'll obviously obey any laws that are made concerning fireworks.

 

[MomNeedsVacay]

Should the fact that it is the 4th of July encourage us all to break the laws of our choice?

Would that be the freedom you seek?

Yes, actually it would.... me choosing to use sparklers ....SPARKLERSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS...... should be MY CHOICE....

 

[MomNeedsVacay]

She wasn't at all talking about breaking laws; she was specifically complaining about the "extreme laws that are in place" without indicating any intention whatsoever of breaking them. Where'd you get that?

THANK YOU... I said I was irritated by the law and I think its RIDICULOUS.... am I going to break the law??? what do you think???

 

[luvsJack]

it ups the ante here if someone were to shoot over our or any of the neighboring ponds. then in addition to the local violations you'de be contending with the department of natural resources. they don't fool around-first time offense can be $10,000.

Ours is a man-made pond on our property for our own enjoyment and as a watering hole for our horses. Even though its not really a problem here, we wouldn't do fireworks where they were going off our own property.

 

[MomNeedsVacay]

Ours is a man-made pond on our property for our own enjoyment and as a watering hole for our horses. Even though its not really a problem here, we wouldn't do fireworks where they were going off our own property.

our dog FREAKS OUT about the fireworks....how do the horses react?