Legality of Fireworks? Lack of Enforcement? (Scranton, Back Mountain: house, to buy, professionals)

[ScranBarre]

I don't want to be a party-pooper, but I'm sitting here watching WNEP's News at 10 on Fox56, and their top story is about how all fireworks other than sparklers and other smaller ones are illegal in Pennsylvania for residential use. Nevertheless, from our highly-elevated home you can see northward into Scranton at night and westward to the Back Mountain (the south and east are obscured by slightly higher-elevated flora), and each year from July 1-July 5, fireworks are going off incessantly.

Now, I'm not saying they don't look very pretty. Hell, I even stuck a lawn chair in the middle of our road last year and enjoyed the show looking northwards towards Avoca and Scranton, but if these ARE illegal, then where are our local cops? Shouldn't they be out enforcing these dozens, if not hundreds of offenders that I see launching these things off, including my neighbors who own a fireworks stand on Highway 315 and set them off regularly as well to attract business?

Why create such silly laws if you don't intend to punish those who breach them? We punish those who drive under the influence of alcohol, those who break youth curfews, those who smoked in Scranton's restaurants while the poorly-timed smoking ban was in effect, etc., so what makes the fireworks law any different? Either enforce it or repeal the thing, right? What do others think?

I'm not saying I agree with the law or not, as fireworks don't irk me and seem to bring a lot happiness to children, but if we're going to create a law and then employ small-town cops who willingly neglect to enfoce it, then where do we draw the line between which ones to enforce and which ones to "let slide?"

[tcwest]

I feel for the police, in this. If marijuana were perfectly legal to sell in stores, but still illegal to smoke...is it fair to ask local law enforcement to shoulder the responsibility of policing people, post-sale?
Really. I mean, geez...you can get the rocket packages anywhere, and people do buy them. Was there any secret that they intended to set them off somewhere?
I agree with part of your position. You either ban it entirely, or you allow both ends of the transaction to occur...perhaps through special permit?

[Suzer]

Hey SWB, were you in Oriental Buffet yesterday for lunch?

[nocturnal rooster]

Originally Posted by ScrantonWilkesBarre

I don't want to be a party-pooper, but I'm sitting here watching WNEP's News at 10 on Fox56, and their top story is about how all fireworks other than sparklers and other smaller ones are illegal in Pennsylvania for residential use. Nevertheless, from our highly-elevated home you can see northward into Scranton at night and westward to the Back Mountain (the south and east are obscured by slightly higher-elevated flora), and each year from July 1-July 5, fireworks are going off incessantly.

Now, I'm not saying they don't look very pretty. Hell, I even stuck a lawn chair in the middle of our road last year and enjoyed the show looking northwards towards Avoca and Scranton, but if these ARE illegal, then where are our local cops? Shouldn't they be out enforcing these dozens, if not hundreds of offenders that I see launching these things off, including my neighbors who own a fireworks stand on Highway 315 and set them off regularly as well to attract business?

Why create such silly laws if you don't intend to punish those who breach them? We punish those who drive under the influence of alcohol, those who break youth curfews, those who smoked in Scranton's restaurants while the poorly-timed smoking ban was in effect, etc., so what makes the fireworks law any different? Either enforce it or repeal the thing, right? What do others think?

I'm not saying I agree with the law or not, as fireworks don't irk me and seem to bring a lot happiness to children, but if we're going to create a law and then employ small-town cops who willingly neglect to enfoce it, then where do we draw the line between which ones to enforce and which ones to "let slide?"

What about blowing off fireworks under the influence like I'm gonna do?

[Ohiogirl81]

I drove to Kutztown on Sunday for the folk festival, and passed at least two dozen fireworks stands on an eight-mile stretch of U.S. 222. I don't get it, either. How can it be legal to buy something, but not use it? Stupid law ...

[cjseliga]

Growing up in the Abingtons, I saw people throw 4th of July backyard parties and bring in "professionals" for their firework displays. I think that they get permits from the township or borough to allow them to set off these displays. I realize this is probably a small percentage of the ones you see and everyone else is breaking the law, but it's probably not high on their list of offences for police to try and arrest and/or fine people for this. Like everything else, if there were dozens of people killed and injuried in NEPA each year from illegal fireworks, then the police might crack down on it.

[FightinPhils]

I like a good fireworks DISPLAY....we went to see the display at Nay Aug this past weekend and it was great. BUT the reason I dislike the 4th are the morons who light off M80s and other fireworks that do nothing but make noise...especially when they do so at 12:30 am. What is the point of M80s? Are people that stupid and inbred that they get a thrill over something going BOOM and annoying people? Fireworks that you can actually see in the sky are good (at normal hours), the crap that just makes noise is pathetic. How would you people who light off M80s like if I came to your house some night and banged on a drum set or blow an air horn at 1 am?

[CHS89]

Originally Posted by ScrantonWilkesBarre

Why create such silly laws if you don't intend to punish those who breach them? We punish ... those who smoked in Scranton's restaurants while the poorly-timed smoking ban was in effect, etc.

We did?

Anyway, you're in a tricky spot there. Setting off fireworks in your backyard that you brought back from South of the Border in Florida is pretty low on the list of priorities for law enforcement. If a cop happens upon that situation, I'll expect them to act on it. I would be a little upset if they went looking for them, though. Maybe I'd be happy if all the arsonists, robbers, drug dealers, rapists, speeders, cell phone using drivers, jaywalkers, underage drinkers, litterbugs, and no turn signal users were also safely behind bars. Imagine the uproar if the cops spent their time this week breaking up family barbecues because Uncle Joey brought some roman candles back from South Carolina to fire off and entertain the family for five minutes.

Many laws are on the books that go unenforced, unless there is another reason to enforce them. Seatbelts for example. No cop ever will pull you over just for not wearing a seatbelt. If they tag you for speeding, however, and you're not wearing a seatbelt, expect a second ticket to be added to it.

NEPA is not perfect. Never will be.

[CHS89]

Originally Posted by Ohiogirl81

I drove to Kutztown on Sunday for the folk festival, and passed at least two dozen fireworks stands on an eight-mile stretch of U.S. 222. I don't get it, either. How can it be legal to buy something, but not use it? Stupid law ...

Those fireworks are legal in PA. We can have more than just sparklers and poppers. Pennsylvania isn't that prudish.

Edit: PA, as well as most other states, allows "Class C" fireworks to be sold. "Class C" includes sparklers, spinners, fountains, smoke bombs, etc. The tents you're seeing sell varieties of these. You're not going to find bottle rockets, M-80s, etc. At least not on the display tables.

[Summering]

But........we're not allowed in.
Some fireworks places says NO PA people allowed.........
So we have to have our NJ friends, family.......go in the store/tent to buy.
They show their NJ licence.
OK now.........they can't take them home.
Because a cop along the way will take them away, Bye, Bye.......
Nope, can't bring them here........because some of these are illegal, in PA.
Ok so we have been laughing over this for quite sometime.
Because we can't buy them......
Other states can buy them.....
They can't take them home.......
We can't shoot off anything of substance that the NJ person might stop by with..........
We drive by the tents and wonder why the police let them sell.......
Nothing adds up........but..........it all looks like fun........
I myself........feel like a kid looking in a candystore window .........
not allowed to go in..........