Editor’s note: this is a post about American Independence Day celebrations
existentialmemes
Alright, I’m going to launch explosives around your house. For several hours. Yes it is dangerous and terrible for wildlife and the environment. And yes your pets will get sick from eating the debris and you will feel terrorized inside your own home.
No you can’t opt out of it. Everyone is doing it and frankly it’s weird that you don’t want to.
No you can’t be the one launching the explosives you need a license for that. You can however launch these marginally smaller ones though. Yeah just whenever you want. 2am sounds great.
So anyway, fireworks were a mistake and it’s never too early to start reminding you of that.
I love how often they’re being replaced by drone shows! If they fail, all the do is drop to the ground, not explode peoples hands off. I was at a fireworks show where the tube stand holding some fireworks fell flat and launched fireworks at the crowd, luckily they were on water, on a barge far enough away and it dropped downwards enough to just go into the water. I was in the trajectory with two small kids. I don’t think I’ve been to another show since then.
As a professional, that’s wild.
We are seeing a lot of drone shows. But nothing truly replaces the experience of fireworks.
When we set up, we anticipate an issue where a shell detonates in the mortar. The more experienced among us know how to lay out the hundreds of mortars so if the support fails the tubes fall and point to the side and not toward the audience.
But where I am, I carry a license to run these shows. Some states don’t have license requirements. I have a lot of permitting and meetings with AHJs to ensure we’re safe and prepared.