Who Went To The Fireworks or Watched At HOME?

**Zacha341** · June-27-11, 09:21 PM

I just decided to watch it from home on TV with surround sound... not bad if you've got the sound set nicely. Have gone years back all the way downtown. Now lately from home of somewhere close with binoculars.

Who was in the thick of it downtown? How it go! Did you get a good spot!?

**mtburb** · June-27-11, 09:38 PM

Caught some of it on WJBK from my Downriver home.

And on that station, I heard of a bizzare story of people who parked on Jefferson Avenue had their cars towed. Those people should've taken SMART buses downtown to watch the fireworks!

Update, there were two shootings near the fireworks on Beaubien Street!

**BrushStart** · June-27-11, 09:39 PM

I watched the fireworks at home FROM MY WINDOW!

But, it definitely looks crazy down there!

**Zacha341** · June-27-11, 09:48 PM

Yikes! Between the towing and booting no car is safe! I always do lots when going downtown now other wise you in for surprise of at least a ticket when the quarters don't go far enough... sounds like these folks were illegally parked!

Originally Posted by mtburb

Caught some of it on WJBK from my Downriver home.

And on that station, I heard of a bizzare story of people who parked on Jefferson Avenue had their cars towed. Those people should've taken SMART buses downtown to watch the fireworks!

**Zacha341** · June-27-11, 09:49 PM

The grand finale was impressive even on the tube. Great colors and staging and no mad rush with the traffic!

Originally Posted by BrushStart

I watched the fireworks at home FROM MY WINDOW!

But, it definitely looks crazy down there!

**Flintoid** · June-27-11, 09:53 PM

Watched in on Channel 4 up here in Flint!

Vox · June-27-11, 10:21 PM

I watched the Lincoln documentary on PBS, as well as Master chef. Better than the fireworks, and the hokey WDIV presentation. Maybe when they build the trolley out to the hinterlands beyond 8 mile, I may mosey down again for the fireworks.

Dr. Emil · June-27-11, 10:22 PM

It probably wasn't so spectacular for those two kids that were shot.

**R8RBOB** · June-27-11, 10:35 PM

I forgot the fireworks was for tonight. Missed it. Oh well.

Actually, I haven't been downtown for the fireworks since 1993. Must be getting old.

**Cincinnati_Kid** · June-27-11, 10:35 PM

First it was a class reunion, now the fireworks, when is this madness going to end? It's a damn shame you can't go anywhere and enjoy yourself anymore with all this lawlessness.

**BrushStart** · June-27-11, 10:51 PM

Originally Posted by Cincinnati_Kid

First it was a class reunion, now the fireworks, when is this madness going to end? It's a damn shame you can't go anywhere and enjoy yourself anymore with all this lawlessness.

The thing is, the incident tonight involved KIDS, once again. Virtually every shooting in the past several months has been at the hands of teenage boys. Tonight, there were cops everywhere. You couldn't move without bumping into a police officer. No amount of policing can prevent this stuff. It is more systemic than that and it needs to change at home and in the community. It is intolerable. These shootings are happening in high profile locations in crowds of hundreds, even thousands of people. These kids have no fear of being apprehended and prosecuted. There are dozens of witnesses and nowhere to run. They are shooting other kids for reasons that hardened criminals wouldn't even pull the trigger for, like talking smack or to impress girls. What the hell is going through their heads? How did they get a gun? Where are their parents? Thank god nobody was killed tonight, otherwise this shit would overshadow the great time that was had by many.

**rajdet** · June-27-11, 10:58 PM

I was talked into going to Hart Plaza with some photographers and was pleasantly surprised by how orderly and just plain old nice it was.
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fb...type=1&theater

**Neilr** · June-27-11, 11:05 PM

We walked to the Riverwalk, just west of the Rivard Plaza. The weather was perfect. The crowd seemed much sparser than in years past. To me the fireworks display this year was the most spectacular that I can recall.
One odd thing, every year, as the crowd is leaving, there have been several officers directing traffic at the corner of Rivard and Lafayette, just east of the entrance to the Chrysler. Tonight I didn't see any.

**DocTerry** · June-27-11, 11:10 PM

We were next to where the barge had been all week. Not as crowded there as last year. Long walk from home with chairs and cooler and strolled, but worth it. The kids down there were ok, but most were with someone's parent. I had a couple of extras, too. Security at the barge was test til after it was over, then downright friendly. Stressful for them, too, I suppose. DPD also cordial along our return hike. Nice evening in that area, but it always is there.

**CLAUDE G** · June-27-11, 11:20 PM

Fireworks are Fireworks, I see absolutly no joy in watching them on TV.

Im either going to go see them live, or not see them at all.

lilpup · June-27-11, 11:28 PM

Was the Riverwalk open all the way this year or were sections still closed for private parties? If it was open that would thin out the crowd a lot as people spread down it.

Just to clarify - one of the kids shot apparently accidentally shot himself - wasn't attacked, confronted, or any of that

**stinkytofu** · June-27-11, 11:32 PM

Originally Posted by lilpup

Was the Riverwalk open all the way this year or were sections still closed for private parties? If it was open that would thin out the crowd a lot as people spread down it.

Just to clarify - one of the kids shot apparently accidentally shot himself - wasn't attacked, confronted, or any of that

Nice - straight out of the Plaxico Burress playbook.

**Bagley** · June-27-11, 11:40 PM

I watched from home--on the sidewalk--after biking the Eastern RiverWalk. When I saw a young man with a bottle of tequila poorly concealed in a brown paper bag walk by an officer, I alerted the officer while the young man was still within grasp and the officer pretended not to hear me and then pretended not to know whom I was talking about. I just wish officers would stop pretending they aren't too afraid to enforce the laws. I don't mean to generalize--I meet some officers who seem very corageous, I just never meet them when there is a crime in progress.

I'd start cracking down on public inebriation as many of these dolts are high, drunk or both and the rest act like it to be "cool." "He was walking down the street with his pants around his knees, I was certain he was drunk..."

**English** · June-28-11, 12:14 AM

Just wrapped up a fireworks BBQ of < 20 at my home near the East Riverfront. I don't have a direct river view, so we camped out in front of the UAW/GM building. Very nice, family oriented crowd.

Used to do Hart Plaza/intersection of Jefferson/Woodward many years ago, but haven't since the shootings in '04. Where were the shootings today?

**begingri** · June-28-11, 12:57 AM

A family member of mine works for GM in the Renaissance Center, so I got to visit his office view the fireworks from 200 feet in the air. It was spectacular!

**Django** · June-28-11, 01:03 AM

We listened to the fireworks, too busy to watch them

it sounded like a thunderstorm from where we were.
Very romantic.

**Zacha341** · June-28-11, 05:40 AM

I hear you... made even worse with my 'lowly' tubed 27 inch tv and cheapy low-watt surround sound but I made do...LOL! I look forward to seeing the Royal Oak and Dearborn ones in person. Less crowds though not as nice as the big Detroit ones!

Originally Posted by CLAUDE G

Fireworks are Fireworks, I see absolutly no joy in watching them on TV.

Im either going to go see them live, or not see them at all.

**Zacha341** · June-28-11, 05:41 AM

Yeah the sound can be heard at a distance. Plus some neighbors got off a few mini fireworks!

**Meddle** · June-28-11, 06:27 AM

For those that were there, how would you estimate the crowds? The Freep is saying a million. Considering the census news, I find that a little hard to believe. Could it be true?

I remember going in the 80s when there were a million most years. It was almost standing room only on both sides of the river. Boats were anchored so thick you could almost walk across the river stepping boat to boat. You had to book rooms at the Ponch or the Windsor Holiday Inn more than a year in advance.

bartock · June-28-11, 07:23 AM

Originally Posted by BrushStart

The thing is, the incident tonight involved KIDS, once again. Virtually every shooting in the past several months has been at the hands of teenage boys. Tonight, there were cops everywhere. You couldn't move without bumping into a police officer. No amount of policing can prevent this stuff. It is more systemic than that and it needs to change at home and in the community. It is intolerable. These shootings are happening in high profile locations in crowds of hundreds, even thousands of people. These kids have no fear of being apprehended and prosecuted. There are dozens of witnesses and nowhere to run. They are shooting other kids for reasons that hardened criminals wouldn't even pull the trigger for, like talking smack or to impress girls. What the hell is going through their heads? How did they get a gun? Where are their parents? Thank god nobody was killed tonight, otherwise this shit would overshadow the great time that was had by many.

and, to be more specific, a 14 YEAR OLD KID!