Neighborhood Fourth of July Fireworks: HOW LOUD?

**Dan Wesson** · July-05-14, 01:07 PM

Originally Posted by poobert

It's a curious thing. Being to broke to clean up your property - never really understood being too broke to do something that doesn't cost anything.

Amen to that brother... I'm right there with you on that one!

**poobert** · July-05-14, 01:31 PM

Originally Posted by 313WX

A lot of people got their "1st of the month" checks and food stamps on the 3rd, so that explains how some of them were able to afford those fireworks.

They can't actually afford them. They simply were able to purchase them without being able to afford them.

Originally Posted by 313WX

So while those people may be afraid to put their name on a water bill [[as the government can track that), they have plenty of money to afford their 22" rims and heavy duty fireworks [[which they can pay cash for).

Your name doesn't go on the water bill in Detroit. It's simply sent to "resident." I think it is simply a matter of purchasing what one likes, thinking that the water will never be cut off, or that one can go crying to "activists" to make it free. Illegal electricity hookups are rampant. Meanwhile, blaze away.

**Pam** · July-05-14, 02:25 PM

Originally Posted by rex

you sound fun pam!!!

Yeah, sorry dude, explosions and burning things aren't my idea of fun.

**cla1945** · July-05-14, 02:42 PM

Don't know about how bad it was in Detroit as far as fireworks are concerned, but from reading the above comments regarding "priorities", I would bet that many of the residents who were marching around the water board building proclaiming how shutting the water off is "inhumane" were some of the guilty parties who had enough money to purchase some very expensive fireworks. It's all about priorities, what you consider important...shoes in the feet of my kids, food on the table, pay in my bills. Blowing huge amounts of cash on fireworks is just plain stupid, especially if you don't have enough to pay your bills. I saw it last night in my neighborhood and it made me sick...pathetic human beings.

**Honky Tonk** · July-05-14, 02:57 PM

Originally Posted by poobert

They can't actually afford them. They simply were able to purchase them without being able to afford them.

Your name doesn't go on the water bill in Detroit. It's simply sent to "resident." I think it is simply a matter of purchasing what one likes, thinking that the water will never be cut off, or that one can go crying to "activists" to make it free. Illegal electricity hookups are rampant. Meanwhile, blaze away.

I'm pretty sure in order to have water turned on in your structure, you have to show some ID and method of payment. I know for a fact you have to with electricity. Otherwise the problem would be worse than it is. Unless you're talking about anonymity after the fact.

**rb336** · July-05-14, 03:30 PM

Originally Posted by Pam

Yeah, sorry dude, explosions and burning things aren't my idea of fun.

I got over that in my twenties. some of them were so loud they rattled my windows and I KNOW nothing legal is THAT loud. I used to set off pro-grade fireworks for a beach association on Lake Michigan, and some of the ones we heard last night were as loud as the salutes we used to shoot off 15 minutes before showtime.

A guy down the street from me has PTSD and has to leave town during the 4th. For me, it's annoying, but its utterly obnoxious at 2 a.m.

**Cliffy** · July-05-14, 04:38 PM

Originally Posted by Honky Tonk

I'm pretty sure in order to have water turned on in your structure, you have to show some ID and method of payment. I know for a fact you have to with electricity. Otherwise the problem would be worse than it is. Unless you're talking about anonymity after the fact.

He's right. The water is sent to "resident". I live in oakland county and the name does not appear on my water bill.

**Pam** · July-05-14, 05:31 PM

Originally Posted by rb336

I got over that in my twenties. some of them were so loud they rattled my windows and I KNOW nothing legal is THAT loud. I used to set off pro-grade fireworks for a beach association on Lake Michigan, and some of the ones we heard last night were as loud as the salutes we used to shoot off 15 minutes before showtime.

A guy down the street from me has PTSD and has to leave town during the 4th. For me, it's annoying, but its utterly obnoxious at 2 a.m.

Where does he go? Another state? Reading the comments on that petition, it sounds like you can't escape it anywhere in the state.

**lpg** · July-05-14, 05:55 PM

Our elected officials always know how to make us more miserable. Fort and Emmons in LP was blue from the smoke. Sounded like a war for quite a while.

**Honky Tonk** · July-05-14, 06:10 PM

Originally Posted by Cliffy

He's right. The water is sent to "resident". I live in oakland county and the name does not appear on my water bill.

Ok. So you decide you need 22" rims and fireworks, and so you let your water bill slide. Eventually it gets turned off. I end up buying the house. How does the water board know I'm not the one who stiffed them? I mean yeah there's a deed, but what if you sell me the house for a dollar, so the water get's turned back on? What if I tell them I'm leasing the house from you? I'm thinking of all kinds of scenarios to get around paying the water bill. In Detroit where some houses aren't worth much, I can see why the DWSD is in trouble.

**rb336** · July-05-14, 06:23 PM

Originally Posted by Pam

Where does he go? Another state? Reading the comments on that petition, it sounds like you can't escape it anywhere in the state.

He has a very remote place in Canada

**Downriviera** · July-05-14, 06:51 PM

Loudest I ever heard, but no worse than a good thunderstorm so no big deal. Took my dog for a long run in the woods/field during the day so she was pretty out of it by the time the booms started, so no problem there. Didn't partake myself. Trying to save cash to start a business so don't need to see my money go up in flames and smoke right now.

**ABetterDetroit** · July-05-14, 07:28 PM

How exactly did a country who's biggest contribution to the world being personal freedom suddenly become full of people that feel that they can tell everyone else how they should live, spend their money on, indulge in a centuries old tradition, ect...? Anyway, loud as hell here in OC sounded like a war raging all around me for miles, pretty cool when I was thinking about it being nothing but paper and sparkly colors. It all could be lead and shrapnel like it is in a bunch of countries right now that have no freedom. Careful for what you wish for.

**Honky Tonk** · July-05-14, 07:44 PM

Originally Posted by ABetterDetroit

How exactly did a country who's biggest contribution to the world being personal freedom suddenly become full of people that feel that they can tell everyone else how they should live, spend their money on, indulge in a centuries old tradition, ect...? Anyway, loud as hell here in OC sounded like a war raging all around me for miles, pretty cool when I was thinking about it being nothing but paper and sparkly colors. It all could be lead and shrapnel like it is in a bunch of countries right now that have no freedom. Careful for what you wish for.

Exactly! How can some government tell me how I should spend MY money subsidising water for people who's priorities are pissing away their funds on fireworks?

**Smirnoff** · July-05-14, 08:46 PM

Ka-blooey, boom, pow.....sounds like a war-zone

**Cliffy** · July-05-14, 09:07 PM

It was pretty loud last year but the thing I noticed this year is that the fireworks started mostly on Thursday night where last year this shit was going on for 2 weeks before the 4th and another week after.

**Honky Tonk** · July-05-14, 09:32 PM

Originally Posted by Cliffy

It was pretty loud last year but the thing I noticed this year is that the fireworks started mostly on Thursday night where last year this shit was going on for 2 weeks before the 4th and another week after.

Proof the economy is on the downturn. Same here. A few years back it seemed like it started before Memorial Day and went on to a few weeks after July 4th. This year it started only a few days before the 4th. I'm lucky. I have a lot of space around me. After last nights ride home, I can see where living in an older, tight, neighborhood, things can not only get annoying, but downright scary.

**313WX** · July-05-14, 10:39 PM

Originally Posted by Honky Tonk

Proof the economy is on the downturn. Same here. A few years back it seemed like it started before Memorial Day and went on to a few weeks after July 4th. This year it started only a few days before the 4th. I'm lucky. I have a lot of space around me. After last nights ride home, I can see where living in an older, tight, neighborhood, things can not only get annoying, but downright scary.

On the downturn?

Did I miss the economic recovery?

**ABetterDetroit** · July-06-14, 12:24 AM

Originally Posted by Honky Tonk

Exactly! How can some government tell me how I should spend MY money subsidising water for people who's priorities are pissing away their funds on fireworks?

Really? You know that the exact same people lighting off fireworks didn't pay their water bills? WTF dude let it go.

**sumas** · July-06-14, 04:37 AM

Originally Posted by ABetterDetroit

Really? You know that the exact same people lighting off fireworks didn't pay their water bills? WTF dude let it go.

I have to agree with you. As a community we know who is in bad shape and help as best we can. I didn't see any of them wasting money on fireworks. I am sorry some thought to "borrow" water without permission from us but we have empathy. Compassion should the order of the day, not mean spirited snarking.

**Honky Tonk** · July-06-14, 05:14 AM

Originally Posted by ABetterDetroit

Really? You know that the exact same people lighting off fireworks didn't pay their water bills? WTF dude let it go.

Hey DUDE, Coming from someone in OC, that has no dog in the fight, DUDE, or refuses to even buy a dog, DUDE, I expect that response, DUDE.

**Pickford-Bentler** · July-06-14, 07:02 AM

Originally Posted by Honky Tonk

Ok. So you decide you need 22" rims and fireworks, and so you let your water bill slide. Eventually it gets turned off. I end up buying the house. How does the water board know I'm not the one who stiffed them? I mean yeah there's a deed, but what if you sell me the house for a dollar, so the water get's turned back on? What if I tell them I'm leasing the house from you? I'm thinking of all kinds of scenarios to get around paying the water bill. In Detroit where some houses aren't worth much, I can see why the DWSD is in trouble.

An outstanding water bill is a lien against the title to a property and should show up in a credit report pertaining to a sale. Given the low quality of City of Detroit record keeping, I could see that it is possible for one to buy a property with liens attached that were not discovered. However, a thorough title search is part of a sale. My last two home purchases cleared thousands of dollars in unpaid HOA fees as part of the deal.

And it is part of the problem.

On my old street in Detroit, there are homes with a market value of $1,000.

If that property has liens for unpaid water and taxes of $3,000, then the true price is now negative $2,000.

The same scenario in a functional area wherein the value of a home is $100,000 would be resolved by dropping the proceeds to the seller to $97,000 and clearing the liens at closing.

**sumas** · July-06-14, 07:36 AM

Plenty of noise last night too. Mostly at a distance, Stopped around eleven. Fine with me. I am not cool with fireworks in the hands of amateurs but I don,t control the world. Que sera. Sparklers are about my speed but haven,t those in many years either.

**Honky Tonk** · July-06-14, 07:50 AM

Originally Posted by Pickford-Bentler

An outstanding water bill is a lien against the title to a property and should show up in a credit report pertaining to a sale. Given the low quality of City of Detroit record keeping, I could see that it is possible for one to buy a property with liens attached that were not discovered. However, a thorough title search is part of a sale. My last two home purchases cleared thousands of dollars in unpaid HOA fees as part of the deal.

And it is part of the problem.

On my old street in Detroit, there are homes with a market value of $1,000.

If that property has liens for unpaid water and taxes of $3,000, then the true price is now negative $2,000.

The same scenario in a functional area wherein the value of a home is $100,000 would be resolved by dropping the proceeds to the seller to $97,000 and clearing the liens at closing.

Thanx for the explanation. Looking a home in an "iffy" area worth a -$2K means either the DWSD is going to lose $3K, the likely scenario, and pass the cost onto those that will continue to pay their water bills, or the perspective buyer will have no incentive to spend any money on restoration and/or maintenance, probably a combination of both. The house becomes disposable when no longer useful, and the process repeats itself in the future.