Live data from Hacker News

Delta flight hit by firework while landing at Midway Airport on Fourth of July

nbcchicago.com

351–360 of 420 posts

Re: Delta flight hit by firework while landing at Midway Airport on Fourth of July

#351
post #220

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's funny because I read the parent comment and thought that was actually kinda cool. Lots of things we do are really stupid from a purely productivity, health or safety perspective. American's were probably wrong to oppose alcohol prohibition. They probably should ban motorbikes. Fireworks should be largely banned to members of the public. Pizza should be illegal. Etc.. Part of what makes a country a place you'd wa…

Rules come from lawsuits. When you can get sued, safety fences get put up, quite quickly. America has very aggressive lawyers. We live in a country, where being stupid, can be financially rewarding.

The threat of getting sued only motivates people with something to lose. If we let lawsuits largely drive what the rules are, how do you govern people who are so poor they are "judgement-proof."

Re: Delta flight hit by firework while landing at Midway Airport on Fourth of July

#352

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Doesn't help in California because people buy them in Nevada and resell them. Apparently that's easier to do nowadays due to the Internet? https://oaklandside.org/2026/07/01/illegal-fireworks-police-... > Despite strict fireworks bans in many cities, including Oakland, they’ve become a year-round nuisance in the Bay Area. And one of the primary ways they’re spread is through the enterprising but illegal work of small…

When I was in North Carolina on a trip the chap I was visiting said I'd know if I was crossing over to South Carolina when I saw all the fireworks shops as it was illegal to sell them in NC but not SC. Funny to see. (No idea what the actual rules are, just repeating what he told me)

The Kentucky/Indiana border has always been that way in my lifetime. Kentucky restricts fireworks sales to just "sparklers" and Indiana has much more latitude in what they can sell. The thing about Indiana fireworks stores that has long confused me has been how many of them are gas stations. That always seemed like a problematic pairing to me.

Re: Delta flight hit by firework while landing at Midway Airport on Fourth of July

#353

Earlier quoted context omitted.

40-50 years ago, fireworks were largely unregulated across the US and were a major part of the 4th of July cultural experience. Dangerous, slightly reckless, and incredibly fun. I have fond memories of this as a child. It is a big part of American culture, like turkey on Thanksgiving. Every country has rules that exist but which are culturally unenforceable. Today, fireworks are outlawed in much of the US because saf…

Back around 1982, fireworks were a big no in my neighborhood. My friend across the street had some bottle rockets and he decided to shoot one off in the middle of the street. We didn't have a bottle to put it in to light it, so we wedged it between two bricks. He lit it and a split second before it went off, it tilted to point directly down the street. It fired off blazing down the middle of the road. At the same tim…

Yea, I think OP is wearing rose-colored glasses. I'm 50 and I don't remember any time in my life when anything bigger than sparklers or tiny firecrackers were legal. To my young eyes, they've always been illegal. The differences now are 1. a more belligerent and careless population and 2. plummeting police enforcement. You can read a lot of comments here from places (mostly CA) where people care to do the right thing and enforcement is actually happening, and lo and behold it's at least helping. Fireworks bans are not any more "culturally unenforceable" than masking during COVID was.

It helps when your local culture is respectful, cooperative, and intelligent enough to understand why we don't light fires when every tree and blade of grass within 200 miles is dry as a bone. It hurts when your local culture is "Fuck everyone else, I'm going to do what I want!"

Re: Delta flight hit by firework while landing at Midway Airport on Fourth of July

#354

Earlier quoted context omitted.

40-50 years ago, fireworks were largely unregulated across the US and were a major part of the 4th of July cultural experience. Dangerous, slightly reckless, and incredibly fun. I have fond memories of this as a child. It is a big part of American culture, like turkey on Thanksgiving. Every country has rules that exist but which are culturally unenforceable. Today, fireworks are outlawed in much of the US because saf…

I realize as a Californian we may not count as "American" in this particular zeitgeist stereotype. But FWIW we have a firework ban in Nevada County that is widely respected. There are very few violations and the law is actively enforced. The difference is we are in a no-joke dangerous fire situation and everyone recognizes it. Most people know better than to set off incendiary explosives in a forest. Anyone who shot…

There was a similar cultural shift in the Portland OR area after fireworks caused the massive Eagle Creek fire 9 years ago. This is the first year that it seems like firework activity returned to the pre-fire levels.

250 baby! (/s)

Re: Delta flight hit by firework while landing at Midway Airport on Fourth of July

#355

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Given American policing culture, I really don't buy that the police can't show up and start arresting you for public endangerment. They may not want to, but that is different

I was talking to someone that hosts commercial-grade fireworks, every year, in his backyard. He said the trick is to invite a couple of cops.

I remember this from the 80s. There were city-sponsored shows, or you had a cop "supervising" your neighborhood show.

Re: Delta flight hit by firework while landing at Midway Airport on Fourth of July

#356

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I've never heard that, like fireworks homeopathy or something? Where did you hear that?

Here is the first non-Reddit link from Google: https://www.royalkennelclub.com/health-and-dog-care/health-d... > Getting your dog used to loud and sudden noises can make them more relaxed and less reactive when the fireworks outside get going. There’s a good range of CDs and playlists of fireworks, storms, and loud noises available, and playing these can really help your dog desensitise to the noise. > Start by playi…

interesting!

Re: Delta flight hit by firework while landing at Midway Airport on Fourth of July

#357
Here in Salt Lake City, a prolonged drought has made it a tinderbox. Home fireworks are prohibited, and there's signage up all over the place warning of the danger. And yet, the firework stands popped up in grocery store parking lots like they do every year, and people lined up. Bananas.

Luckily no new fires started around here, but we also have the local "Pioneer Day" on July 24 that starts up a fresh round of pyrotechnics.

Re: Delta flight hit by firework while landing at Midway Airport on Fourth of July

#358

Earlier quoted context omitted.

How did that work out for Alex Pretti, the protesting nurse that was murdered by the Feds recently?

[flagged]

Don't you guys foam at the mouth about the 2nd Amendment? Which one is it, does he have a right to bear arms or does he not?

Re: Delta flight hit by firework while landing at Midway Airport on Fourth of July

#359
post #230
post #189

Earlier quoted context omitted.

But this is none of your business. I live in Germany, where everything is regulated by well meaning people. Going so far to regulate what you ought to say or to watch. It is hellish. I don't recognize the country any more in which I was born and raised.

> But this is none of your business. I live in Germany, where everything is regulated by well meaning people. Assuming you haven't lived in the US I think you're severely underestimating some of the stupidity going on. So let's say your house has a thatched roof in California where it's bone dry and hot. At that point, the person lighting the fireworks will still say it's none of your business. Even if it's illegal a…

> So let's say your house has a thatched roof in California

You mean like a temporary shelter in woods or maybe it’s a translation issue?

> Assuming you haven't lived in the US I think you're severely underestimating some of the stupidity going on

Speaking of, having a thatched roof in a dry fire prone area would sort of fall in the same category.

Re: Delta flight hit by firework while landing at Midway Airport on Fourth of July

#360
post #74
post #69

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> one of them had a seizure It's insane to me how much dogs are supposedly loved by such a large chunk of the pop, and yet people proceed to go apeshit with fireworks fully knowing how badly this affects them.

My guess because we just read of the seizure stories online but 95% of dogs are ok with it. Mine is. There's a limit to dealing with edge cases that most people have. Not saying this is how I feel or act though.

from OP:

>setting off commercial grade fireworks bursting hundreds of feet in the air. The house was shaking,

I'm in Bellevue, WA, and experienced house-shaking fireworks for the first time this year. I was inside with my cats - theyve always been more or less fine with fireworks, just hiding under the bed - but this year's house shakers were on another level. When the first one went off, I thought an accident had happened and a cache of fireworks had exploded. Scared the hell outta me. Then there were about 5 more like that spread across the next 5 hours. 0% of pets would be ok with these ones, I guarantee it. Idk if theyre new this year or what but Ill be doing the same as OP next year.

Post reply on HN