Beiruit? Baghdad? Kabul? No.... Islington!

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.

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.

Stu

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 ) 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...

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.

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

[embee]

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.

I agree with ping. Bans seldom solve the problem they were set out to fix (gun ban - yeah, that worked ) 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.