View Full Version : Beiruit? Baghdad? Kabul? No.... Islington!
Moriarty
20-10-04, 01:10 PM
Right. I have to get something off my chest. While nearing the end of my daily commute (it's a 10 minute commute, but a commute nonetheless), I rode past the local council estate whereupon I was shot at.
Yes, read that again, shot at!
Nothing quite as serious as a gun, though - kids with fireworks. I turned the corner to see a group of kids mucking about and a lot of smoke. Aha I says. These kids have learned just as I did that bangers are fun. Then something fizzed past my head and on into the main road.
Now I'm not happy about this development but continue slowly in case there may be people running out in front of me or other obstacles (looking back, land mines spring to mind). A second object fizzes in the same direction and I conclude that their firework must have tipped over and was shooting things along the same path. The third one misses my head by about a foot and by now I am starting to suspect that the kid holding his arm up is doing more than trying to direct them into the air. The fourth skids across the road in front of my wheel by which time I realise that I am a target and get the hell out of there.
Not a nice thing being shot at and I have no desire to be that vulnerable again. Anyway, got home, called the police and after 15 minutes they pick up the phone. I report the incident and they tell me that a car will take a look. Oh well says I, find another route home during the firework season.
Just wanted to get this one off my chest and perhaps warn others about the dangers of heavy artillery in built up areas.
This is a big problem in Holland where the concept of Firework safety appears to have gotten lost somewhere. Kids walking down the street throwing fireworks under the petrol tanks of cars isn't uncomon (and we are not talking run down area's here, we're talking all of them) and the worst of it is supposedly intelligent parents with responsible jobs (who complain at my bike being too dangerous) hold onto Roman candles and the like laughing with their children. :shock:
Scary.
The chances of being shot at at high. It's not fun.
And if you mention this to one of the adults you get either of the following:
It has never harmed me so it can't be dangerous
or
If you don't like the country get back to your little island
Nice. :evil:
Stu
Shinsei Jutsu
20-10-04, 01:20 PM
Had someone fire a rocket on to a train as the doors closed yesterday at Blackfriars. Not nice, but that's kids for you.
Fireworks sold to the general public are a bad bad idea. Not much you can do though.
btw, accident or not I wouldn't of stayed around with rockets going off!!
Feck..... Glad I live in a quiet area
I've been the target of fireworks in the past and having someone directing an explosive device in your general direction ain't nice. ( Over to you Jabba for the mis-quote :wink: ) Fortunatley I've always been in the car, but if I was on the bike I'd be making use of it's superior acceleration qualities and getting the France out of there!!!
I tend to take the view that fireworks should be restricted to controlled public displays because I'm fed up of reading about this sort of stupidity and of kids getting harmed in accidents at this time of year.
That's SO annoying... Little gits... :evil:
The thing about banning fireworks is you're taking them away (punishing even) from the people who buy them and use them responsibly. That's totally unfair. It's like penalising all bikers because some bikers ride like ****s.
Stricter penalties for shops who sell to kids would be more appropriate I think.
Amanda M
20-10-04, 02:15 PM
That happened to me on the way home from work a couple of years ago. I've had big branches off trees thrown into the road in front of me too. Little b45tards :twisted: :twisted: :twisted: :twisted:
:rant:
the government have just passed some half-baked legislation regarding sale/use of fireworks. Basically it just puts more onus onto the police to keep the peace, rather than the spineless politicians grasping the nettle and banning sale of fireworks to the public.
There simply isn't an argument (including civil liberties and all that) for the general public to be able to buy these things which is more compelling than the grief and harassment caused by irresponsible oiks letting them off in public places. They can cause serious injury, end of story.
Organised licensed civic displays, no problem.
I'm just hacked off with having to put up with fireworks going off at all hours during a period from mid October through to January. But because the politicians have just had one stab at legislation, they'll refuse to have another go for years to come. :roll:
Flamin_Squirrel
20-10-04, 02:35 PM
I agree with ping. Bans seldom solve the problem they were set out to fix (gun ban - yeah, that worked :roll:) they are simply a token guesture by the authorities as they lack the competance to deal with the problem properly.
its a shame the rockets cant bounce back to them and stick em in the f'in eye,
now that would make me laugh. :lol: :lol:
Right. I have to get something off my chest. While nearing the end of my daily commute (it's a 10 minute commute, but a commute nonetheless), I rode past the local council estate whereupon I was shot at.
Yes, read that again, shot at!
Nothing quite as serious as a gun, though - kids with fireworks. I turned the corner to see a group of kids mucking about and a lot of smoke. Aha I says. These kids have learned just as I did that bangers are fun. Then something fizzed past my head and on into the main road.
Now I'm not happy about this development but continue slowly in case there may be people running out in front of me or other obstacles (looking back, land mines spring to mind). A second object fizzes in the same direction and I conclude that their firework must have tipped over and was shooting things along the same path. The third one misses my head by about a foot and by now I am starting to suspect that the kid holding his arm up is doing more than trying to direct them into the air. The fourth skids across the road in front of my wheel by which time I realise that I am a target and get the hell out of there.
Not a nice thing being shot at and I have no desire to be that vulnerable again. Anyway, got home, called the police and after 15 minutes they pick up the phone. I report the incident and they tell me that a car will take a look. Oh well says I, find another route home during the firework season.
Just wanted to get this one off my chest and perhaps warn others about the dangers of heavy artillery in built up areas.#
I'll have to go down there and have a word.......
They should by now be able to at least hit somwthing with a rocket. I could by the age of 6! Kids these days huh ;)
cant agree with squirrel about the gun ban working cos it didn't, all it did was to take legally held hand guns off the street. 99.999999% of gun crime was commited with illegally held guns & still is as shown in cities around the country every week.
but thats another story
Flamin_Squirrel
20-10-04, 03:33 PM
cant agree with squirrel about the gun ban working cos it didn't, all it did was to take legally held hand guns off the street. 99.999999% of gun crime was commited with illegally held guns & still is as shown in cities around the country every week.
but thats another story
Hits 22 with the irony stick #-o
Nick762
20-10-04, 03:35 PM
cant agree with squirrel about the gun ban working cos it didn't, all it did was to take legally held hand guns off the street. 99.999999% of gun crime was commited with illegally held guns & still is as shown in cities around the country every week.
but thats another story
I think Squirrel's comment was heavily laced with sarcasm :wink:
Dicky Ticker
20-10-04, 03:38 PM
Oh the madness of politicians Lets introduce a gun ban??? Gun crime is up many fold since the introduction of said act and todays fireworks are so lethal [my opinion] they should not be sold to the general public
My other hobby is sailing and the have withdrawn some types of saftey flares but when you see kids putting fireworks in metal pipes and aiming at people,or animals it makes me sick but what can you do,the police don,t have the rescources and politicians don,t have the bottle
Ducks for cover
Sorry about your experance matey...
But they should not ban fireworks.
Am I the only one who enjoys buying copious ammounts of explosives legally and letting them off one night a year?
I buy the biggest things that im allowed, from proper firework suppliers. Not these dodgy corner shops. I mark out the area in which the fireworks are to be let off and a saftey areas as recommended by the instruction and company who sells them.
Yes, kids getting hold of fireworks is an issue. Perhaps restricting the sale of fireworks so these "discount" firework shops cant open for one month a year and sell fireworks to everyone. Or so the local corner shop cant sell them either.
There are a few good firework suppliers in the UK, i tend to use the chinese firework company in sheffield. There is also a company called Sandling fireworks. Both these companies have been arround a number of years and are not a quick buck, fly by night shop. They will advise you whats safe and whats not.
Sigh.
Its a mad bad world where ever you are ride safe.
Moriarty
20-10-04, 04:45 PM
...
But they should not ban fireworks...
Believe me, I'm a big fan of not banning fireworks either. I do think that they should be given proper controls with proper penalties and enforcement when it comes to the vending of such items, but I wouldn't want them to be out-of-reach for the ordinary family.
Besides, I'm thinking of buying a few myself and taping them to the front faring panels. Bike mounted twin rocket launchers. That'd be cool...
Dicky Ticker
20-10-04, 04:56 PM
I accept that the responsible would be made to suffer by a total ban but shop keepers can,t even sell fags properly[little profit] so fireworks[big profit]are sold to every Tom,**** and Hooligan Various denominations use firewoks to celebrate i.e. Festival of Light etc. so putting them on sale at limited times can,t work Sorry if it infriges on anyone,s "rights" but till you can give a 100% saftey answer I stick to my guns regarding total ban and only allow public displaysWHICH HAVE TO BE INSURED
only my point of view
i personally think that if you ban fireworks, its not gonna solve the problem
ive enjoyed fireworks nite many o times,
but ive had all sorts of things thrown at me on the bike.
there is always gonnna be something to throw - hell ive even had a brick thrown at me P(but missed) .
fireworks aint the problem, its the feckers that throw em or act stupid with them
to solve the problem, sort out the yobbos and kids (chavs)
northwind
20-10-04, 10:10 PM
Ah, good old Guy Fawkes Month. Fondly we remember the time my dad chased a gang of kids around the estate for about 3 hours with a hammer after they put a firework through our letterbox...
Cloggsy
21-10-04, 03:04 AM
Feck..... Glad I live in a quiet area
ditto
If you ban fireworks then people are just going to do what the Dutch do. Go to belgium and buy professional fireworks. Then try to sneek them back into the country. New years is interesting (and the only time when you are legally allowed to set them off). Firecrakers 4 meters long. They go off for about 3 mins, drench the street in smoke and red paper. Then it rains and you have to bike over it...
The biggest I saw was a guy with a rocket. he brought the launcher out. about 6 inches across and 5 foot long. The rocket that went in it was huge, went very high, made a big bang, and left a wonderful pattern in the sky arhhh...
launched from a narrow street in between appartment blocks. Interesting if it hadn't been aimed quite right... :)
Stu
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