Every night for at least three weeks now –
Fireworks.
Loud bangs and explosions, beginning at 8 p.m. or 9 p.m. and going until midnight or later. It’s been everywhere in Philadelphia, and worse than normal. These explosions are bigger and louder and they’re taking place weeks before the Fourth of July, which is different from years past.
Even outside of Philly, you’ve probably heard them. Craig and Coggin can hear it in New Jersey. There have been complaints in Boston, New York, Hartford, and Baltimore. The entire east coast is currently experiencing some sort of firework phenomenon where these things are being set off nightly.
Some people shrug it off and say it’s no big deal, that kids are just having fun or people are bored during the pandemic, that we’re crusty old narcs filing NIMBY complaints. Fireworks have been a thing in the city for years now, but what we’re hearing in 2020 isn’t anything close to past experiences. This is more than just a minor and temporary discomfort for the following reasons:
- fireworks freak out dogs, who start shaking physically
- babies have trouble falling asleep
- they are disruptive for kids with autism
- any veteran with post-traumatic stress disorder can be triggered by loud bangs
Seriously, if you’re a parent of a special needs child or know someone who served in Vietnam or Iraq or Afghanistan, loud bangs are some of the worst things you can experience. It throws kids off balance and it makes vets think they’re back in Baghdad or Kabul or reliving the battle of Khe Sanh.
Fireworks are fine for a couple of nights around Independence Day, but this is prolonged and different. It seemed to begin during the rioting and looting that took place about three weeks ago, when idiots were trying to blow up ATMs and police were out and about trying to calm things down on Aramingo Avenue and over in West Philadelphia. The fallout from George Floyd’s death turned into demonstrations here, which eventually died down but segued into fireworks, for some reason.
For what it’s worth, fireworks were made legal in Pennsylvania in 2017, and Philadelphia did not go along with that decision until Mayor Kenney amended the fire code last July in order to allow for civilian use, with some restrictions. The key point is that you can’t set off fireworks within 150 feet of an occupied structure, which includes houses and commercial buildings, so it goes without saying that the backyard mortars you hear are being set off illegally.
An article in the New York Times starts with this fact:
The city received 1,737 fireworks complaints in the first half of June, 80 times as many as it got in the same period last year.
People seem to think all of this is a conspiracy, and maybe they’re right. Maybe it’s more than just a fad, or bored kids setting off bottle rockets because they don’t have anything better to do. Some threads on Twitter suggest authorities are doing it on purpose as some kind of retaliation, and here’s a crazy Twitter thread that people are sharing if you wanna dive down a rabbit hole:
Reporting from Brooklyn, there was yet another night of extremely loud fireworks starting at 8 pm. and ending at about 2 a.m. This is the second week straight of this; every night during the same time period, like clockwork.
— Son of Baldwin (Robert Jones, Jr.) (@SonofBaldwin) June 20, 2020
Retweets are not endorsements at Crossing Broad, but whatever the reason for the extending fireworks display this year, please, God, just make it stop. Go inside and play Rocket League or smoke a joint or make a TikTok video or whatever kids are doing these days. The constant explosions are bad for dogs, babies, veterans, and anybody else who has to listen to this shit every single night.
33 Responses
Why the hell would you start the list with dogs over people? It’s an animal.
Easy. Dogs are better than people. Your existence is proof.
That is a great reply, My dog agrees too. Have had to put up with non stop fireworks since end of May, it seems like nothing can be done.
Just an animal? It’s people like you that I hate!
boy- i would respect any dog/canine over low-class riff-raff like you! filthy ignoramous. Canines are beautiful beings- in my book –far worth more than scum trash like you!
Dogs are family members. My main gripe about fireworks is that my dog will not go outside to use the potty with the nonstop poppiong of fireworks. I live in Jacksonville, FL and every July 4th and Dec 31st they go on for at least 2 weeks. I hate them. They are affecting others and should be banned.
……….all democrat leadership
Not necessarily. I’m in Florida and the situation is the same here. Very out of control and animals and their owners are suffering because of it.
You could move to the suburbs. Why anyone with a family would want to live in the city is beyond me…
You could move out of your parents house and gain some life experience. Telling people to “move to the suburbs” is something a child would say. Grow up.
Philadelphia is a cesspool! I got my family out of there as soon as I could and have never looked back. How is living is a crap city like that, life experience?
Today is a repeater day. Twenty different names but the same thing over and over. I have the mental faculties of a 12 year old. Koo koo.
I can hear them every night in Woodbury, NJ.
Where are the elected officials? They are afraid to do their job for fear of political suicide in this mess and they are catering to a bunch of spoiled little brats whose parents never said no to them. It is time for them to report home to their parent’s basements.
It’s been crazy in California the last couple weeks too! Surprised to see it’s happening over there, too.
Add wildlife to thetop of the list of firework concerns for CA.
Same going on in DC
You have to get out of the city if you have young kids . Life is so much easier & peaceful . More parking too
I have a 3 month old . No issue falling asleep. But thank you for that statistic
So these morons keep lighting up these damn fireworks. What the hell is this crap. They wake up my fucking dog for christ sake. Something gotta be done.
There is nothing more satisfying in life than launching fireworks. The are big, loud and make pretty lights. My guy friends and I will take our pick up trucks (with Rebel Flags flying proudly of course) and head to the outlets and load up on the 3 for 1 sales, pick up some cheap beer and find a place to fire them off. BANG! BOOM! It’s a hella awesome time. Some of the girls will come and they think we’re pretty cool lighting the fuses, then running away laughing and giggling the whole time. Its super fun.
Well knock it off, fuck-stick. People work.
you sound super -wanna -be-hip- lame. read how pts -other creatures as well as people- and the noise -yuk!- pollution it creates. should be outlawed.
Every night in Dayton, OH since Memorial Day. I can deal with it but my old dog hates this shit.
The idiots here in Topeka KS start them around June 26th or so. You hear them every day and night from then until around July 6th. I wonder what is the thrill of shooting them off on a weekday, a week before July 4th, in the MIDDLE of the day ? I think the average male here has the mentality of the average 7th grader.
They NEED loud ass vehicles without mufflers, getting them up to 60 between the stop light or sign and the next stop light or sign 400 feet away, beer and then maybe more beer, sum Hoteez with big a$$ ti*s, and plenty of guns to blow the s&it outa stuff and then maybe 2 weeks worth of fireworks. “And don’t forget the gun show coming up next weekend and I already got 47 but Jesus I have been wanting this Remington so and so model and Jesus my girl is gonna kill my ass for gettin it, but I am gonna say F7K it and get it anyway…”
…and this is what really gets me. Not only are they going off on a weekday at high noon a week before the 4th, some of them keep on setting them off until 1:30 or 2:00 in the morning…
Jesus Xmas, the moronic mentality of this place never ceases to amaze me
My husband is ill. The fireworks on my street, and I called the police many times, keep him from sleeping and are very annoying for the rest of my family.
My poor dogs is so afraid of them that she won’t make outside.
A policeman went to his house told him to stop and he never didHe also told him his fire pit is illegal he still has that too.
We have flat top roofs and they are aimed right at our houses.
Please do something to stop this insanity.
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