Fourth of July, hell on earth for USA aspies?

[oregano]

So it's the Fourth of July again, and everybody in my neighborhood is setting off illegal fireworks again. (I live in a rather isolated area of acre lots, and the cops don't patrol here that often, so people do as they wish mostly.) About an hour from now, when the sun has fully set, is when the main event begins, complete with stuff like cherry bombs and M-80s. The next door neighbors are from a foreign country that's the type of place where the govt is totalitarian-unless you pay off the local kommissar to look the other way. So, they set off tons of illegal fireworks in their driveway, and if you complain to them they simply whip out a $100 bill and tell you to go away. The actual cops are so overwhelmed tonight that they simply don't respond to calls of illegal fireworks. One year I simply took several potent sedative pills out of desperation, not to kill myself but to sleep through the madness, and it worked, but I decided not to risk it after that. How do American aspies handle the Fourth of July? For non-US people, this is our independence day, and for some reason fireworks are an integral part of it, why I really don't know but it may have something to do with the national anthem.

 

[jamesaldrin]

I was just thinking this as all the fireworks irritated me today. You made the thread first though!

 

[Jet Weiss]

I have experienced the same thing. I am not originally from the US and I don't understand it either.
I too live in an isolated area and my neighbours set off fireworks, not only on July 4th but quite often during the summer. Fireworks are legal in my state and people will come from other parts of the region to purchase fireworks.
Not only are the fireworks annoying to me and others but they terrify our dogs as well.
My family is not from the US and we do not celebrate July 4th.

 

[Judge]

Just realized it's now nightfall. Haven't a heard a single firecracker. Maybe the community is finally gripped with sanity. Naaaaaaaaaah. More like fear considering the fire that came so close in the last two days.

I guess some folks finally put "two and two" together. Works for me. Guess it helps that law enforcement and media is advertising the $1000 fine and six month jail time such an infraction covers.

 

[Tyrantus1212]

Some people have been setting off fireworks right down my street, like an hour ago. I tried to stay away from the windows just in case...they're idiots, just plain idiots. Seems to have quieted down by now. If anything fatal ever happens to anyone as a result, these same idiots would get charged with manslaughter plain and simple if they're caught, because this is a classic example of reckless behavior.

 

[Alaska]

The fireworks do not bother me that much unless I suspect that that they r gunshots. We have drunken idiots that take any opportunity to fire off weapons, especially holidays. Once in a while a bullet will hit someone or start a fire.

I guess being exposed to gang warfare right behind my back yard when I lived in California innoculated me to mere fireworks.

 

[oregano]

The neighbors had some sort of weird cherry bomb this year, it made a big boom and then had those "sizzling sparkle" things. It died down for a while, but now it seems to be back, but not as bad.

 

[SusanLR]

I couldn't stand the sound until around 30 yrs. old.
Would never go near where they were setting them off.
Somehow, it seems I have developed the ability to tune down the sounds that are too loud. Don't know how I did it. Can't explain it. I am still jumpy at thunder and I wouldn't want to be near a gun firing. But, the fireworks I can now tolerate...and they are pretty. (from a distance.)

 

[kay]

I survived!! Earplugs and never even had to add the muffs this time. No one terribly close set anything off, and I only yelled at two people this week about fireworks. I even was able to work tonight on a series of paintings I started last week. I could here some bad stuff around me but nothing so close the plugs didn't work.

Most years I go for earplugs and ear muffs because there is always some kids who just have to set some crap off in the street. This year was better. Guess the kids either moved out or matured.

I know a lot of NTs that hate, hate, the fireworks. So it's hell for a whole lot of the population.

 

[JamesBon92007]

So it's the Fourth of July again, and everybody in my neighborhood is setting off illegal fireworks again. .

I don't understand it and I'm just waiting for it to be over with.

My white noise with my noise cancellation headphones help a lot.

 

[Adora]

I live in Australia but while I do like looking at fireworks from a distance I will get jumpy if I'm too close to them, I am also jumpy with loud thunderstorms but once my husband decided to have a fireworks party and I definitely didn't get any sleep to say the least.

 

[watersprite]

Most years I have put in earplugs and then, in addition, run white noise.

This time I'm visiting Australia and have therefore missed fourth of July entirely.

 

[rainfall]

I live in a state where it's illegal to set them off but ever since I can remember starting July 1st they go off all night long every night until the fourth. Sometimes it's after and they always start up again around the time of the WEBN fireworks.

My family set off some of our own and my son, who is diagnosed with autism, was extremely excited to see them but he obviously can't handle the loud crack or boom of them so I put some headphones on him and he was fine and got to enjoy them.

For me, safety is of UTMOST importance because you're dealing with gunpowder. My dad always stressed that when we were kids too and the only person that's anywhere near close is the one lighting them. Next year, my brother plans to get the long, fast light wicks so even the person lighting the fireworks can be at a safer distance.

As long as people are being safe and no one is shooting guns it doesn't bother me too much. Maybe it's because I grew up with it like this every year of my life and got used to it. The cops rarely arrest anyone unless they're being dangerous, in which case they should. All in all, a minor inconvenience. My son even went to sleep last night with a ton of them being let off, including a couple that sounded like thunder. I think that helped him, probably assuming it was thunder. =)

 

[Questella]

We took our kid to a festival yesterday. Not being able to drink at all or do anything to calm my nerves it was completely overwhelming. I don't want to leave my room for a week now.

Somebody actually spit on me yesterday too. I was sitting in the grass watching the kids play and someone behind me did it, I have no idea who either as there were thousands of people around. This is why I can't be alone for even a few minutes there will always be somebody that wants to **** with me. :< I hate people.

At least it's over until Labor Day... -.-

The end of the show last night was the worst, they weren't even the pretty colorful fireworks for the last several they were just straight noise maker crap with no lights, they were 10x louder than the colorful prettier fireworks, I don't get that, what is the point.