What is with the jerks setting off fireworks?

It's being reported nationwide.

https://www.mcsweeneys.net/articles/im-the-guy-setting-off-fireworks-every-night-in-your-neighborhood-and-i-have-you-right-where-i-want-you

Kneel before me and embrace me as your all-powerful firework overlord! I
am the destroyer of movie climaxes! Traumatizer of pets! Disruptor of
sleep cycles! And all shall suffer my wrath.

drummerboy said:

WNYC is reporting that fireworks complaints are up 236% this year in NYC.

 My mistake. not 236%. 236 times as many.

It looks like some cities are starting to enforce "quiet hours"

https://www.nj.com/hudson/2020/06/enough-is-enough-hoboken-to-crack-down-on-fireworks-loud-music.html

The_Soulful_Mr_T said:

I was in Philadelphia Saturday night - same thing happening there. 

 Was in Crown Heights on Fathers day visiting with a friend. Started about 830 and he suggested I head home before too late as theres been a sort of 'blue flu' the last 2 weeks and gets pretty lawless at night. He also said there are nightly protests and officers might be deployed there. Either way no repercussions for rampant firework use. 

Have we discussed the various conspiracy theories about the fireworks? Most seem far-fetched to me, but I'd love to hear some assessments of those scenarios.

iwasmim said:

Have we discussed the various conspiracy theories about the fireworks? Most seem far-fetched to me, but I'd love to hear some assessments of those scenarios.

 I had heard it was every night in support of the police. Sort of a "blue lives matter" demonstration. That was debunked pretty quickly though. 

In the Twitterverse you'll find speculation that the fireworks are a spectacle manufactured by law enforcement to convince people they do actually need the police. Another theory is that they're an attempt at psychological warfare against protesters and the BLM movement in general. Observers claim that the works they are seeing are too large and elaborate to be available at retail, and believe them to be black market display fireworks, normally available only to license-holders, but perhaps illegally acquired by law enforcement. Plausible or paranoid?

I heard an interesting theory that since Chinese New Years in China was cancelled because of the coronavirus, China is dumping their unused fireworks in the U.S.

I think people just like things that sparkle and make loud booms. And they're bored.

(Occam's razor)

I'm sure I've sounded hyperbolic about the animals effected, coincidently a rescue friend in Newark saw this terrified female hiding under a truck surrounded by oil and debris hiding her 6 newborn kittens. She grabbed them and brought them to me, only a few days old. 

So far mom and kitties are settling in. Mom's a redhead and has 5 ranging from blonde to red with one chocolate tabby.

I've also been reading about the effect on birds. Just awful. 

Morganna said:

I'm sure I've sounded hyperbolic about the animals effected, coincidently a rescue friend in Newark saw this terrified female hiding under a truck surrounded by oil and debris hiding her 6 newborn kittens. She grabbed them and brought them to me, only a few days old. 

So far mom and kitties are settling in. Mom's a redhead and has 5 ranging from blonde to red with one chocolate tabby.

 Oh sorry, did one die?

Scully said:

 Oh sorry, did one die?

 No, @Scully, 6 kittens, 3 redheads, 2 blondes and a brown tabby. And of course Mom! Hard to tell in the picture. I'll post them under Pets and Animals Morgan Le Fay Cat Rescue.  So far Mom is eating and resting in between nursing and washing her kittens. The first couple of weeks are crucial so I'm hovering.

Mayor Frank mentioned the fireworks in his latest update message.  He said the Police are working on it and he also requested people to be considerate and stop using fireworks.  

Morgana, remember when I was looking for a red headed male?

Here is Harry the Cat — White with dark grey patches — and I am so grateful to have had him with me during the quarantine! It was love at first sight. We do not talk politics!

They sound like ordinary street fireworks to me - firecrackers and occasionally the next level up in power like M80s.  Hardly the stuff the firework show pros use.  I'm not shocked that there might be a "blue flu" message being sent in the lack of tough response but it doesn't follow that the use of the fireworks was planned for that purpose.

There are significant vendors of fireworks on the Pa. border, about 3 miles in.

Several years ago, cops watched N.J. license plates that stopped at these stores. Those cars were then stopped when they returned to N.j.  Maybe state police should resume this practice.

Formerlyjerseyjack said:

There are significant vendors of fireworks on the Pa. border, about 3 miles in.

Several years ago, cops watched N.J. license plates that stopped at these stores. Those cars were then stopped when they returned to N.j.  Maybe state police should resume this practice.

 That's easy to get around. One car goes to Phantom Fireworks while another goes and parks in downtown Easton. They meet up after the purchase and transfer the goods from one car to another. Now if the police pull over the first car when it returns to New Jersey, there is nothing in it. And then they have to justify why they pulled you over.

mrincredible said:

 That's easy to get around. One car goes to Phantom Fireworks while another goes and parks in downtown Easton. They meet up after the purchase and transfer the goods from one car to another. Now if the police pull over the first car when it returns to New Jersey, there is nothing in it. And then they have to justify why they pulled you over.

 Yeah, but that takes some brains and planning.

a stable genius could pull it off...

Today's email from Maplewood Township:

Aerial and Explosive Fireworks

A reminder as we approach the Fourth of July please remember be thoughtful of your neighbors and DO NOT SHOOT OFF FIREWORKS, especially late at night. Our town authorities are aware and are working to address this issue. Please keep in mind, explosive fireworks and aerial fireworks are illegal. Explosions can cause distress in those suffering from various underlying conditions, can cause pets to panic and run away. These explosions can cause damage property and potentially fires. They can also cause great bodily injury and death.

Read more

Whew! That should make them stop. 

And then there was this in El Paso two nights ago:

Significant chance of rain tonight may help "dampen" enthusiasm for fireworks usage and and fire damage from same.

bub said:

Significant chance of rain tonight may help "dampen" enthusiasm for fireworks usage and and fire damage from same.

 My home town is a massive fireworks city. The problem with rain on the Fourth of July/New Year's Eve is that everyone still has their fireworks. They're not going to throw them away. Instead, they set off just a few every couple of days for the next several months. It's better to get it over with.

Still massive amounts going on. I heard what sounded like police and FD sirens around 8 or so. Not sure what happened there.

Hopefully now everybody has gotten the compulsion to explode things out of their systems, and we all can have some peace.

mulemom said:

Hopefully now everybody has gotten the compulsion to explode things out of their systems, and we all can have some peace.

 Maybe time to rescind the legislation that allowed the sale of pyro in N.J. 

Formerlyjerseyjack said:

 Maybe time to rescind the legislation that allowed the sale of pyro in N.J. 

The stuff you can legally buy in NJ isn't the stuff you've been hearing every night. 

mrincredible said:

The stuff you can legally buy in NJ isn't the stuff you've been hearing every night. 

 Could be worse...

N.W.S., Topeka, Ks.

Stagnant air and light winds have caused thick smoke from Saturday night's fireworks to be trapped near the surface, causing unhealthy to very unhealthy air conditions across much of northeast Kansas.

Action recommended. Avoid the subject event...