Snitch or No Snitch - THAT is the question.

[TropicalTroubador]

Blowing off explosives and drinking goes right in hand with cooking on the grill for 4th of July. It is your RIGHT and DUTY as an American. End of story.

So you're voting "Hold my beer - watch this." Right?

We have people in our neighborhood who know how to set them off responsibly. I don't worry about them.

We also have a couple of idjits who obviously don't.

I'm okay with people blowing off whatever to have fun, up until the moment it threatens to burn down my or my neighbors' houses. At that point, I'm ready for "No Mercy."

This year, I'm partying elsewhere tonight. So I won't be faced with the moral dilemma, or its accompanying stress. I *do* plan to water the yard thoroughly before I leave.

[flipflopgirl]

If it's that dry yes i would call...hate to see a disaster happen for a little fun!

[sonofabeach]

I'd be out there watching. The two cops in my neighborhood don't seem to give a shizz and I have insurance anyway.

[Bicycle Bill]

I'm glad you guys aren't my neighbors tonight. We've got close to $1000 worth of fireworks to illegally shoot off tonight. Many of my neighbors will sit on their decks and porches and enjoy the free show. In 20 years we've only had the cops called on us once and all they did was tell us it's about time to quit and be careful.

I should have clarified that I was referring to irresponsible shooters. I live in a city, with houses and garages. Once you put those things into the air you have absolutely no control over where they come down. Hot embers or misfires landing in the backyard, on the roof, or on my car concerns me.

If you're sitting out in the middle of nowhere, with a safe shooting zone — such as shooting out over a lake — that's something else again; in fact, our city's 4th of July displays are fired (by volunteer experts) from an island in the Mississippi River out over the river, with the county and DNR maintaining a safe "no-boat" area in front of the display area. Our New Year's display is shot off of a 650-foot high bluff overlooking the city; even then, the area directly beneath the bluff is a golf course, not a residential area.

You know better which category you fit into. Either way, have a safe 4th, and may none of your fireworks be duds.

-"BB"-

[blackjack]

SO? Did you snitch?

[Bicycle Bill]

Nope; I didn't fink on nobody.

I'm still in a motel in northern MN just about to log off and check out. I was at a concert/show ("A Prairie Home Companion" 35th Anniversary in Albany, MN) yesterday evening; stayed up here overnight, and have been glued to the tube/computer for the past couple hours watching the Tour de France before I head south. Didn't even watch their local fireworks last night.

-"BB"-

[sonofabeach]

on a whim we went over to my brother's house and my cousin brought over a bunch of big mortars.
They were the biggest ones I've ever seen and all the neighbors were out watching so no I did not snitch, I participated

[ph4ever]

I didn't snitch but I did worry some. We hosed down the yard and roof too.

[MammaBear]

Did not snitch on neighbors but did smack hubby in the head when he went for the "secret stash" of fireworks....

[Moonie]

nevah...always lived in the country....looooooved to set off that 1/4 stick of dynamite every year.

d*m n I missed the deadline on the poll.

[blackjack]

[PartofthePhlock]

That is a tough call....depends on where you live I would say. My neighborhood was crazy loud with the sky filled with colors all weekend. There was a neighbor on every side of our property and more firing off the illegals. Wasn't to bad for the first hour but by the end of the second hour I was ready to call but didn't. Law inforcement say it is to hard to tell where the fireworks are being shot from to enforce the law.

[PartofthePhlock]

nevah...always lived in the country....looooooved to set off that 1/4 stick of dynamite every year.

d*m n I missed the deadline on the poll.

I just voted Moonie, I think that maybe 11:45 Pacific time. LOL.

[citcat]

I'm glad you guys aren't my neighbors tonight. We've got close to $1000 worth of fireworks to illegally shoot off tonight. Many of my neighbors will sit on their decks and porches and enjoy the free show. In 20 years we've only had the cops called on us once and all they did was tell us it's about time to quit and be careful.

Ain't it great to be in Tennessee on July 4th ? Actually, the fireworks start two weeks before and last a few days after the 4th here. We used to buy many many fireworks when the kids were little, but now I just let all the neighbors entertain me, for FREE (and take the risks)!!
And we always were very careful with fireworks. Well, except when we pointed Roman candles at each other, chasing and shooting.
Then there's the 'surprise' Black cat firecrackers set off under somebody's lawn chair.
One year, the hubby almost got gelded when one of those things that goes up two feet in the air, then shoots off in a horizontal line went off. Good thing he jumped up really high. It was ten years ago and it still gets talked about.

[pair8head]

Party has come and gone. This year wasn't as bad as years past except for one
very important detail. June was the driest it has ever been around here and our
house is nearly surrounded by trees. (very dry trees) Had even one thing landed on my
property you're damn right I would have called the authorities. If you think this makes me a bad guy
that's too bad. I am gonna protect whats mine and that's it.

[RinglingRingling]

Living in Colorado, a state that almost always has fireworks bans because we're so dry this time of year, I'd definitely call. Sh*t like that can burn down neighborhoods.

This is the first year in a long time we have been able to purchase fireworks (nothing that leaves the ground is legal in CO). That's why God invented Wyoming.

WY only leaves the ground when Yellowstone goes fully volcanic...

[Moonie]

shucks, haven't found any dynomite here in Ga. last I heard the guy we got ours from in OK has a, what I wouldn't call slight accident, but you know those crazy Shriners...always gotta try to out do the other guy.

I'm not sure they rebuilt his garage yet.......

[Salukulady]

I noticed all of us So Calies would call in an instant. We've seen too many fires. And I have called. The problem in my town, the authorities are so busy on the forth (biggest 4th of july parade west of the mississippi, huge fireworks show on the beach, they even close Pacific Coast Hwy for 12 hours) when you call, you get a recording. You're on your own with your garden hose. I live a stones throw from the beach. Unless we go out of town, I do my shopping days before and hunker down....can't even drive out of my neighborhood on that day it's so crazy.

[luvinlife]

Please Grab a match hold a hose and join the fun.

[big john]

I'm not going to stop Americans from shooting off fireworks when we can't stop
Koreans from shooting off missiles.