We'll see if things are different this New Year's Eve in Hawaii. I suppose things will be the same as usual - big public display, very little consequences, county lawmakers suggest stricter penalties, time goes on, and people forget. I'm hoping that after what I'm assuming will be a big display of fireworks (hopefully with no fatal consequences), we can try to think differently. Not just on the law side, but also the community side. I think it comes down to controlling time of play and, thus, setting more agreed upon expectations. Without that, I think we'll continue to have what we have, which is fun to watch, but, as I mentioned, hurting how the public feels in terms of helplessness. Hope everyone has a safe holiday season. Looking forward to seeing how things turn out.
If you hate Hawaii so much why don't you come move to Washington, we've got the highest amount of Hawaiians living here and they seem to really love it out here. We even get similar weather as Hawaii just that the temperature is from the 30s to 50s 6-8 months out of the year. Fireworks are legal in Washington and the residents are wealthy enough that they can afford to put on their own shows and compete with their neighbors. You should really give it a thought.
@@TheBowersj pretty soon....going to have majority of locals moving to the mainland...Wash and then Vegas. Per a close friend, Vegas life is way different and much cheaper than Hawaii. As a frequent visitor to LV, I can HIGHLY agree about that!
@@HelloFromHawaii at least you are not like that "scott" dude from EX 5-0, on an interview, he mentioned how he disliked a LOT of things about HI.........dude is ONE TYPICAL HAOLE! glad 5-0 got CUT from CBS!!!!
Aloha! Merry Christmas to you and yours! I am worried about the people in Hawaii, the way they have been mistreated and kicked aside is actually to be expected by politicians. Bring back More of Hawaii instead of destroying precious lives.
Before the ban everyone purchased legal family friendly novelty fireworks. After the ban everyone buys illegal dangerous professional grade fireworks. Good job lawmakers.
Try living on opioids properly for chronic pain and having shortages and government taking them away while knowing they're handing out heroin and needles to addicts. Government: why do it right when you can eff it all up😏
Having come there from Oklahoma when it was only a July 4th thing, I thought it was awesome. Seems their tradition eventually made it across the pond because mainland has been doing fireworks on NY's for 10+ years. It would certainly be safer there with the moisture compared to times on mainland when there's severe droughts for months on end.
I was a mainland police officer for 38 years and every year they would put out a group of officers specifically for fireworks enforcement on July 4th. It was like trying to plug holes in a dam with your fingers. No way to stop it, we couldn't stop celebratory gunfire so there was no practical way to stop fireworks. New Year's Eve & July 4th are already days that heavily tax police for other types of calls. When I moved to Oahu after retirement I was amazed at the New Year's Eve fireworks. We just took a seat on our deck in Makakilo and enjoyed the show. It was amazing...I have never seen anything like it anywhere else. We looked forward to the free show each year and invited friends to join us on our deck. Now living in Texas for the last 9 months. I see fireworks stands here doing a brisk business, but I am sure there is no way it will be anything like Oahu. Hopefully, people will do as you are suggesting and be responsible. Going to miss that show this year, enjoy!
@PoliticalRegality , lots of reasons. Hawaii is gorgeous...a truly beautiful place, but it is also very far away from the mainland. Island fever just got to me along with frustrations over the lack of choices in such a small market. Why Texas? One reason is that I have family here, but that wasn't the deciding factor. There were many factors that brought it together as the choice. Weather, cost of living, the variety of activities & attractions, central location for travel, etc. Obviously, the weather isn't Hawaii weather, but what winter there is in the Austin area is mild. We still haven't had an overnight temperature hit the freezing point this fall/winter. Flowers are still blooming here. We originally were looking to settle in the Corpus Christi area and specifically on North Padre Island. I really like the Gulf. While the beaches in Hawaii are prettier, there are advantages to the Gulf. The Gulf is alive with seafood that you can actually catch from the beach. I can choose to drive my truck down a Texas beach to a place where I don't see anyone. The Gulf waters are warm & I have seen far more sea turtles here than I ever saw in Hawaii. I accidentally hooked a big one while fishing and reeled him in. Fortunately, I was able to get the hook out and get him on his way with no harm. Anyway, as much as we like the Corpus Christi area, we decided against it. Like Hawaii, it's a small market and there is the threat of hurricanes. We settled on the Austin area and bought a home just NW of there near Lake Travis. We have all the conveniences of a large city like Austin without living in it. We are close enough to the Gulf & Corpus Christi that it's only about a 3 hour drive away. We are near a huge lake where we can drop a boat and go fishing, we have the Texas wine country a short distance away, a major airport, and great shopping choices. I also love the Texas beer gardens here. This area has a heavy German influence. We are also within easy driving distance of Dallas or Houston should we want to go catch a baseball game or something else. Austin has its own great attractions, especially music. San Antonio is also within easy reach and has its own flavor. While Japan is now farther away for us, there are non-stop flights to Tokyo out of both Houston & Dallas. I am leaving for Japan next week going from Austin to SFO. Even with Japan farther away, other places are closer, to include Europe. We can fly direct to Europe out of Austin and plan to do that this spring. We knew it was going to be expensive living in Hawaii, and it was 😆 🤣 😂. That's not what drove us out, but I will say that it's been nice to pay much lower prices here. The last time I filled up my truck, I paid $2.47 a gallon. A gallon of milk is $3.00. Hawaii was good to us & there are days that I miss it, but for us, this was the right move & the right place.
@@hstowell11 Since I read your comment I have been on a tour via Zillow and youtube videos! I specially enjoyed looking at the houses on stilts near water fronts. Open and airy. Being able to drive near the beach with your own truck is so great! You know how you click and click and you end up at some other end of internet you have never been. . Now I am reading about which beaches in Texas allow bonfire on the beach. 😃 Watching the sunset and all that. .
I'm surprised to learn that there has been a fireworks ban in effect! I remember going to my relatives' house on 4th of July and New Years Eve. People would spend hundreds of dollars on fireworks. It was very scary for me when I had to drive home with all the smoke and fireworks going off in the streets! It's so engrained in the culture that I don't think that any ban will have much effect, as you have pointed out.
We never really played on 4th of July growing up. I remember the drive back home after playing at my Grandma's house, though. Lots of smoke. Had to drive slow.
After the Maui fire, people's biggest worries would be aerials landing on the roof. Who pays for the damage? Fireworks were mostly for cultural reasons such as luck and getting rid of evil spirits...
@HelloFromHawaii Thus far, I heard a lot less fireworks at this time of year. They did confiscate some containers. Having fireworks legal brings down the opportunity to blackmarket the high prices and profits. The ones who burn are the ones who most need the money to live in Hawaii. It's basically burning money or like throwing away brand new TVs.
@kelvinyschun for some people , but some people make hundreds of thousands of dollars taking the risk of shipping it here. Doubling the prices of what it cost them , making a lot of money for themselves and having alot of fireworks to burn , Supply & Demand. Everyone wants fireworks and some go above and beyond to get it… the dealers are getting double or if not triple the money compared to their normal 9-5 job. Selling fireworks with no tax , and selling it on the street for double the price they got it for. 🎉 Happy New Years !
Because of the explosives, there is a high likelihood that they are not coming in via aircraft which leaves the shipping and Honolulu Harbor. If they can't find and control through that bottle neck, then it makes you wonder what else is not being caught as the ships enter and exit the port. I always found it cool that when they were legal, you come out new year's days early like 6-7am to go for a run and there was red paper everywhere but then by later portion of the morning there were multiple people out with buckets, brooms and bags to clean it up.
I remember in the 80s as a young adult a newspaper columnist likening the fireworks to the Tet Offensive. Good times! In the Army when we had a demonstration of various munitions like smoke grenades and stuff, while my fellow troops were cowering, I was standing up relaxed and sniffing the air like I was appreciating a fine wine. Ah, the smell of my childhood!
@@HelloFromHawaii I think a big factor in this, as well as so many other things is, social media. People gotta take pictures, "Lookit how big fireworks we did this year brah!" etc. I was astonished the first time I was in a restaurant - a normal Pho place - and saw people take pictures of their food before eating.
It's bad for the oceans and sea creatures within, not to mention the others fire works effect negatively that you've already mentioned. Fires start super easy, I've seen people lose their homes not to mention a few fingers and a hand....or two.
I remember growing up,I always wanted to turn 18 so I could buy fireworks at longs or don quijote without a parent 😂then right when I turned 18 fireworks were BANNED😭 these days I save up some money on the side to buy firecracker permits and buy legal firecrackers because it just brings out the little kid in me again😅
There isn't a total ban on fireworks but you do need to buy a permit and yeah aerial fireworks have been banned and they do seem to be the most common you see people popping off in neighborhoods.
The firecrackers are still fun, but since the rest of the fun things I grew up with are mostly banned, it seems like the aerials have increased in popularity.
firework bans are usually the result of fire risk, not because bureaucrats care about stressed dogs. Even if the ban is ignored, the city and state governments have legal deniability in the event of fires.
Mahalos for the video. Been living on the mainland for the last 25 years. When I lived in Honolulu, I opted to work every New Year's Eve on the evening shift at a local hospital where there was at least some peace and quiet. I remember occasional fireworks starting at 5 p.m. Yeah, I appreciate your thoughts.
Yeah, because the Law people are the one that brought the fireworks in the island. You should’ve complained to chief of police and the governor, why the fireworks are still coming into the islands. There is nothing can stopping the locals popping fireworks.
Aloha Nephew, I am off-island now. The most recent stay was deeply concerning. Have we become so sad? Guests seem unhappy. Workers are unhappy. Life is out of balance. Please focus on this again. Even the kupuna are wearing down. Something serious is happening, even on the neighboring island and not just Maui. Something is injured that threatens the essential nature of Hawai'i. My heart is heavy.
Thanks for the vlog!! New Years and popping fireworks is nostalgic for me. I'm on the mainland, but brought my kids back to experience the fireworks. And yes, I grew up in Waipahu and my parents are still there. So they had a great time watching fireworks for the entire new years eve night with the constant barrage of aerials going off till at least 2 in the morning. But I was just in Waipahu last week, and it was already going off on a daily basis at all times of day. So, I agree there should be time limits in place. Right now, it feels like enforcement and self-policing might not go very far, but I am hopeful that eventually it will go back to the way it was. Still nostalgic.
Those were some good ol' times. Less aerials and more firecrackers. Maybe there was more smoke back then, but at least we all played at more of a set time.
all of the “fireworks” you described that you enjoyed as a kid and want to play with your kids are still legal in hawaii (with permits). unless you grew up rich, you weren’t purchasing aerials like people are now. kids have no business lighting aerials. now aerials are smuggled in by the tons illegally, and stored illegally, which in itself is extremely dangerous, and everyone and their cousin has aerials and somehow has like $3-5k to blow every year. it wasn’t as big of a problem back when we were kids in the ‘80s and ‘90s cause our population was 1/4th of what it is now. the aerials and and amount of it being set off is out of control and destructive to our environment and wildlife and disruptive to our community and pets. thousands of our birds die every year due to fleeing what they perceive is armageddon. they fly toward the ocean to escape the sound and smoke, get disoriented and tired, and drown. i’m all for keeping the ground flowers, sparklers, chinese firecracker strings you mentioned. but the aerials are best left to the professionals and we can gather and enjoy those more spectacular shows at various planned events, like waikiki, or back in the day had at barbers point, or pearl harbor. people played small fireworks in their backyard and watched elaborate aerial displays by professionals back then.
I didn't think most of the things we used to play are still around, like Morning Glories and sparklers. Haven't been to Longs or City Mill in a while. I have no idea how people afforded them in such quantities back then or now, especially now that a lot are illegal. We'll see how things play out this year. More of the same, I suspect.
You're missing a big point... these days people are setting off IEDs, commercial fireworks, and illegally shipped and purchased fireworks that sound like bombs. Dealing with the reds and the fountains, sparklers is tolerable, what people are setting off these days can shake up homes and that's definitely not celebrating New Years.
I think the celebration of bringing in the new year w fireworks will always be part of this culture. It’s a generational tradition that has been passed on for decades. Regardless of laws or lip service from politicians, tradition is culture and that is hard to remove. It’s one of the most celebrated customs here where for a very short period of time, PEOPLE come together to celebrate the coming new year by lighting the living shit out of the entire sky !! 😂😂
I miss the old days like you mentioned, the one-two days of the year when you looked forward to the fireworks. And the long string of fire crackers and other stuff. It was good fun in those times. This random popping off of huge mortars and aerials every day and night is wack. And I worry for my house and my roof come NYE, some of the people doing it don’t care where they’re popping their stuff off at. Brah, I no like my house or my neighbor’s house catch fire liddat. No can dat kine. Mahalos for sharing your perspective ☺️🤙🏾
Yeah, it's different now. Not sure why this change happened, but maybe when the ban started? Miss those days of playing the smaller fireworks. Less aerials and more fun.
But you guys have near constant rains? Mainland has severe droughts for months on end at times. And it only takes one moron with a lit anything but it can also happen with someone towing a trailer with a chain dragging and sparking. Everything is common sense and common sense has just plain left the planet 😢
also, my dog has epilepsy, and the sound from fireworks here could trigger seizures that are life threatening. so every year i’ve had to book a hotel in waikiki because there are no illegal aerials being set off there cause it’s all tourists! and the buildings are thick concrete and glass. she sleeps soundly in the hotel room, but it’s an added expense when in theory i should be able to stay in my own home with my dog. 😔
Mahalo for sharing. Waikiki is probably one of the quietest places that night, notwithstanding the noise from the bars. And I know the added expense is unfair. At least you are both able to enjoy a quiet evening.
Seems like this year there’s not much “sampling” going on compared to the last few years. I hear prices of aerials have gone way up. Plus the busts lately. Look, the C&C stupidly banned sparklers and fountains. That let the genie out of the bottle. It’s gotten like betting on football. Sheets get passed around at work. Personally, I’m glad this year it’s been relatively peaceful leading up to New Years. But I’m almost certain peeps gonna buss out the artillery on New Years Eve.
Firework display last night was BANANAS! It was brighter last night than it was during the day! You would have thought you were driving through Mauna Kea on the H-1 with all the smoke. 🤙🏽🤙🏽 Cheeeeeeehooooooo!!
I was there 20 yrs ago in the hills above Liliha and I have to admit, it was the longest and best show I ever saw . The next morning , I walked down to find burn marks on my car. The smoke was pretty intense even up in the mountains. Definitely rough on those with respiratory issues like the young and aged. oh well. Screw them.
We used to do the in the late 70's, early '80s, we would go to family friends house in Pearl City for dinner then fireworks with the whole ladder ect. I enjoyed it until a firecracker went off in my hand, I was done after that😅.
There is an opportunity here for lawmakers to bring in more revenue for the state by taxing the sale of fireworks. Getting rid of the fireworks ban (aerials and novetly) would eliminate the black market thereby lowering the price of fireworks and diverting the money to the state to possibly fund solutions for fireworks related problems that affect public safety and environmental impacts.
We have strict laws where I live in Canada. We’re in the prairies where there are lots of farm land and very dangerous for fires. After the Maui fires, you would think people would be much more conscience about the fire hazards.
It’s because as more people who weren’t brought up in the culture of Hawaii moved here is causing conflict. Them and new generations who don’t respect in general have been abusing the fireworks. Unfortunately they ruined it for us OGs who were raised on it. No more brains and respect these days. If we did then it would be still going good.
Interesting thought. I didn't think it was outside influence that changed the attitude toward fireworks. I've always thought that maybe the ban had something to do with it.
@@HelloFromHawaii the ban felt like a minor thing because people will still do it no matter what. But people who weren’t raised to respect the culture of it sees it as something cool vs culturally important. They want to do it but they have no understanding of the meaning for it and also respect to using it. Plus younger generations don’t get lickings like the old days so they all messed up behaviorally when it comes to entitlement.
Firstly, nothing is worse than laws that are not enforced. It reduces respect for lawfulness and encourages the passing of further unreasonable laws. I agree with your compromise idea. Legalize them but set reasonable boundaries. This could work if it’s enforced.
If you go back to the times you and I remember. Fireworks never included aerials and mortar shells. I would be all for fireworks if that's the definition.
It's hard on my dogs and it's 1 am and they are still booming From Oklahoma tho and the 4th of July is crazy That being said only 2 drunk guys are popping them after 11 I deal with it with little complaints but, it is crazy tho
In Salt lake it was really bad in 2018! The fireworks law is just another law H P.D. doesn't enforce. Such as smoking at bus stops, people who occupy bus stops, J walking and bicycles and mopeds riding on the sidewalks. 1 other thing enforcing bicycle and moped theft.
Even if you had a new law to allow fireworks during certain hours, people would do fireworks at any time, even a month (2 or 3) before the lawful times. That is the new culture and it is not going to change, ban or no ban. People could self-police when you were a kid but times have changed. Every year people die from fireworks (3 in 2022), people go to ER, people with asthma suffer, pets are terrified, a few houses burn, the fire department is busy putting out fires but a lot of people don't care. People are struggling economically but are wiling to spend thousands on fireworks because its great entertainment. Yet people complain about the price of homes, gas, groceries and everything else. I grew up doing fireworks but now I see it as a waste of money however it's people choice to struggle financially if they want to use their credit cards to buy fireworks. As for your comment about not being able to use video to enforce the law, I think that's BS because video was a significant factor in convicting officer Chauvin in the George Floyd case. Legal or illegal, things will be the same. But I still support a ban.
Mahalo for the comment. I understand that times have changed, but I also believe they can change back. It will take some time, but there are probably still enough people in the community "from the ol' days" that could start the change. As far as the use of video for that particular situation, I think it's different with fireworks, which is why the video evidence hasn't been too successful.
Haven't spent NY EVE in Hawaii in many years. However I was in Kalihi 3 years ago....how do locals justify in their minds burning up all that money? It was a crazy night!
I dunno if it should be legal or illegal, but i think fireworks are very bad for wild animals and dogs/cats and sensitive people.... I agree with you that it could be great to "suffer" from fireworks just on one day, but once it goes out of control... I just don't know how to stop it. I also played with fireworks as a kid, today as an adult i think it's better to play with different stuff. Or maybe fireworks with less noise.
I used to live in Oahu, grew up playing with Fireworks there. I agree the Ban should be dropped, I think the Government of Hawaii needs to see all the Fireworks going off over the years (since they made them illegal) as Votes by the Majority of the public to keep them Legal.
- To date, the Illiegal Fireworks Task Force has confiscated over 35,000 pounds of firework in the later half of 2023. Overall, they have confiscated over 70,000 pounds total over time. They have pledged to take a more aggressive approach in 2024, having the entire year to address the matter. - The Department of Law Enforcement (DLE) is the coordinating agency for the Illegal Fireworks Task Force, which comprises state narcotics agents, deputy sheriffs, county police officers, the Department of the Attorney General, and federal agencies that include Homeland Security Investigations, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, U.S. Coast Guard Investigative Service, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. There was still a lot of noise and explosions, although it did seem to be less than in previous years. - At present time, possession of 25 pounds of more of illegal fireworks, or distribution of any amount of illegal fireworks, is a class-C felony with penalties of up to five years in prison and a $10,000 fine. The legislature is looking to evaluate increasing this penalty during the 2024 sessions. - As a retired military personnel, I feel for the effects of this noise on veterans with PTSD; the effects are traumatic and debilitating. The effect on pets, our furry-balls-of-joy are equally damaging.
That ban is just a front for the politicians to appease the complainers. We were in Kapolei for the City Lights parade and mortar shell fireworks were going off right behind them. Guess what? Nothing happened. One of the 5-0 even commented, “that was a good one!” LOL. Fireworks is a tradition and it’s not going away. And the people generally love and enjoy it.
lol. Yeah, kind of hard to take it seriously when it's going off right in front of everyone and nothing seems to be done about it. We'll see how things play out this year.
Not a fireworks related story remember being in Kaneohe for New Years 1973. I didn’t know about the NYE firecrackers tradition. I was babysitting my brother and our friends’ 2 boys while my mom & our friends went out to see a movie. The people in the apartment above us were having a blast throwing firecrackers off their lanai. The entire neighborhood and what seemed like all of Honolulu was firecrackers central! As a 13 yr old from Oregon, I came unglued! I love fireworks but it can be overdone. In west side of Capitol Hill in Seattle (some call it I-5 Shores), people will set off M-80s and other big fireworks most likely bought from tribal vendors outside of town. NYE can get pretty lively in very densely populated neighborhood, going to 2-3am. Not my favorite, reminding me of being 13😜 Wishing you and your family a great holiday season and Happy 2024! I really enjoy your channel. Reminds me of conversations with my mom and friends in or from Hawaii.
I grew up to popping fireworks. I remember the Morning Glory sparklers, the Jumping Jacks, Magic Whips, the paperless firecrackers and the Ground Bloomers that spin and pop. I would like to have those back. Even fountains. I have three nephews. 20, 19 and 13. My 13 year old nephew has no idea what New Year's was like back in the days. I feel that he misses out. You're right, we as a state need to be responsible. Because every New Year's it gets worse. Even before New Year's, there are random LOUD booms happening in random places. If we actually get that back, personally I think there won't be as much LOUD random booms happening.
I also feel bad that there are generations who missed out. But I guess that's just something we had and will have to share through stories and pictures.
You want the solution? Make everything legal. Tax it heavily. Make the penalties very severe for using outside of the appropriate hours. We would gladly pay the increased price at the store. But instead, the county would prefer to make pennies on the permits, and get paid off under the table. Every other county allows for it sooooo
So I have allergies and I hate loud noises. New Years growing up has (as you can imagine) not been my favorite holiday. That being said, I don’t remember people making bucket bombs when I was a kid?! Where people throw a bunch of fireworks into a bucket, light it and drive away?! It sounds like a bomb! It shakes me to my core and they do it off and on for the whole month leading up to New years AND July 4th. That stuff is the kind I hate. I’ll go back to hiding in my room and taking allergy medicine early if they just stop THOSE.
I think since we are a state of democracy, why not let the people vote if there should be a firework band or not! Whatever the people vote is if there should be band or legal. Instead of just a few Elite groups of people who are now making the decision because the can!
🤨 I live on the Leeward side of Oahu. The hooligans love the thrill of popping 🎇 anytime anywhere. Can't leave my 3 acre property on NYE. I'm afraid of 🔥. Waipahu is worst it's Firecracker Central 🥳
Legalizing fireworks is the last thing to do,l used to do fireworks when l was young but l GREW UP, time for everyone to do the same. Enforcement is not possible, l've seen homes burn down because of sky rockets, how would you feel if you burned a neighbors home? Our politicians are notdoing what a lot of people want cuz they don't want to anger voters, time to get them out. The permit system is a joke, time raise the price for a permit, my suggestion is $100 or $500per with the money going to help Lahaina rebuild or back to state coffers to help the homeless . People will spend much $ for fireworks instead of buying car insurance. As you can tell this a SORE SPOT for me but people get your priorities straight. SORRY FOR MY RANT but its vital😊
i hope we go all out this new years... im cool with it... my parents never saw anything like it before when they saw it the 1st time last year... this year they are excited again for it.
About your distant family in Waipahu. Do not lie to us, Chris. Are you sure that they are not in the upper side, like Waipio or Waikele? I live in Waipahu before and it really is a bad community. Yet not all of people there do drugs, but many do, then steal and can be violent. We got to accept that some neighborhoods are worse than others.
I love fireworks but it does scare dogs and people with PTSD. I adopted a dog from Kauai and my poor dog has ptsd from fireworks. People should go to a public firework display.
@HelloFromHawaii Im all for personal reponsibility. But that goes both ways. Never in the history of Hawaii have we had more kama'aina or native hawaiuans living off iskands then today. So when moving to Hawaii you must understand that your moving to a place that is multi cultured. Alot if ppl from Hawaii go pupule over fireeorks. But its onky a few days a year. I think its irresponsible to move to a state like Hawaii and expect it to be like the rest of the country. I have empathy for peopke with breathing issues. However Hawaii is really not a place to be if you have these issues. Fireworks aside, you have vog, you have things blooming year round. Things like chinese new years need to be respected as part of our island culture. However, i agree that if its vyeing abused then we need to look at it. However again we are living in a time where places like Oahu are far less local or Hawaii then previous generations. So is this really abuse or intolerance? Further we also need to acknowledge that the population is far more then it was in the 60s, 70s on Oahu. This is because of the focused developenent to attract wealthier outsuders. Im on the mainland now. But I have memories of picking a christmas tree in the parking lot of Sears at Ala Moana. Wonder if they still do that? Happy Holidays lil bruddah and wish you and your ohana the best.
Mahalo for the thoughtful comment. We'll see if things change this year regarding fireworks. I think they still sell Christmas trees at Ala Moana. We used to get ours at Windward Mall or City Mill.
Well said Chris. If they are unsafe they should be banned (many cities have done this) but Hawaii has once again tried the if you pay a fee you can. Does that fee make it safe. This view has put them in the middle and they aren't willing to concede. I say the big displays are actually safer than the fee permitted activity. The majority of folks who launch the displays know what they are doing. No not all of them, but do we stop driving because some people are so bad at it they die. We look forward to new years fireworks in Kona.
Great points. I hope the ones who are doing it know what they are doing. Hate to have to learn the hard way when it comes to fireworks. I'm sure it will be nice in Kona 😁
@@HelloFromHawaii I often wondered that too. Not only burning your money away but how everyone can afford to spend thousands of dollars to buy the fireworks in the first place. I mean we’re talking tens of thousands
@@HelloFromHawaiidepend who you get list from and what kine you buy the artillery shells they range from 50$ for a 6pack of small ball shells to 250-350 for a 24 pack of canister shells to 300 for a 6 pack 3” ball shell and it just goes up the bigger the size of the shell is. Cakes vary too 200 gram is like 30-100 and 500 gram is 125-300 and there are specialty ones that are like 30-160 lb 100-400 shot cakes but they usually 500-1500
Let's put it this way I started hearing illegal fireworks in October this year. That means the neighbors have their usual supply and will be going about their usual routine.
Naw.... if you never pop 1 Duck brand Firecracker at a time..... then you nevah went buss firecrackers brah! Listen brah, 1 and a half days out of 365! You understand?
Just my opinion: it seems like the laws were forced upon the community/population. I speak to all my friends who I grew up with, family members who were born & raised here. I think they want it legalized. If it was up to a community vote, I think it would not be banned. The voters vote with their wallets, and every New Year’s Eve, a lot of money is spent on burning money on illegal fireworks. I think the majority is telling us what they want, regardless of the law forced upon them. Laws only work to deter if the population agrees to play along. Again this is just one man’s opinion. No need to feel triggered and reply. Stay safe. Aloha!
Did the people vote to end fireworks or did authoritarian politicians decide? I don’t smoke anything, but I liked the fact locals always openly ignored laws against marijuana. The safety issue? How many die in the ocean in Hawaii each year? I haven’t used fireworks since a child, but the Karens on FB make me want to.
Hope it worse than last year. I enjoy them so much. If the gooberment ever listens to all the people, they would dump the ban. But gooberrment only listens to who they want to.
After covid died down and got under control.....for the new year 2024, the Waikiki Business Assn is once again having their NYE show offshore Waikiki Beach, launching off a barge. But there is also Turtle Bay and Ko Olina having theirs. So I dunno....maybe things may get better (was not last night in Kalihi!!!) I had this thought thou......when HPD did have this Fireworks Enforcement team established to bust illegals......instead of dumping the whole stash when they do bust, give it to the pyrotechnic companies here so at least THEY know how to dispose of it and also, conduct a pretty good show! whether it be NYE, or Aloha Friday or a private function where major companies can literally BLOW $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$.
It's a cultural tradition. Let others celebrate how they want to celebrate the new year. It's ONE day or two days per year. Like seriously how much of a grinch is someone that can't endure ONE day per year so others can take part in a fun cultural tradition. Not all dogs are scared of fireworks and not all old people are against it. Regarding the legal issue it'll never go away completely. Make all the laws you want, just like drunk driving, you'll never get people to change their culture with things like fireworks (and alcohol). I live on the mainland and new years without fireworks is so wack. Hawaii is a gem to have this tradition. Those that don't want it can cry with their noise canceling headphones. Get rid of any rules or laws regarding fireworks!
I'm sensitive to those who don't like fireworks or have health concerns. But when the ban is clearly not working, isn't that far worse for them? Like they realize that even the laws can't stop it and therefore, they can do nothing?
They’re illegal for no reason just political science for People to get votes 🗳️ yes there’s a lot of unseasoned burners but for the most part no one wants to loose a hand
I'd hope that a change in the laws, plus an increase in community and personal responsibility, will help control what seems to be uncontrolled. We'll see how things play out this year.
@@HelloFromHawaii Well, you're a better man that I because frankly, I don't have as much faith in my fellow man. You know, the vast majority of people DO NOT play with illegal fireworks since the ban went into effect. The ones who DO are hardcore and will not give a rip about "personal responsibility" much less caring about neighbors. Now, if the ban is lifted, those who played before will continue to play and disregard safety, PLUS you will now add others who were previously OK with the ban, adding more chaos. The logic is flawed....if you say that since a lot of people are not obeying the current ban, just make it legal, imagine if that was applied to, say, speeding. A lot of people do not obey speed limits so since that's the case, just have no speed limits.
I grew up in Hawaii and the fireworks culture is unreal! Lucky Hawaii is in the middle of the Pacific and the trades blow that smoke away. Then you think about how much $$$$ is being burned. Can people really afford it?
@HelloFromHawaii not sure what you'll pay in HI, but on the mainland, about $8-$20+ depending on the type. It has to be shipped to HI, so there must be a big markup?
Only way to fix it is to legalize it so the stores sell it and the black market is not able to compete because the stores will have it for cheaper price and because of that the stores are regulated while the black market is not and it would reduce the amount of fireworks popped before the allotted time on nye because black market sells year round while stores only sell for a week or 2 but we all know that won’t happen because it just makes too much sense for the politicians 😂
This video I have to disagree. The firework in Hawaii aren't uniform on the islands for one thing. I grew up in earlier times as well, but I believe in the earlier times, Oahu had the morays of the older generation parents and kapuna, who were uniform, which is not the case now. Secondly, the earlier periods, aerials were banned, and the populations were much smaller in density. The environmental climate of New Year's was a little wetter. These factors reduced some of the problems of risk from fire damage of aerials causing damage to someone's home or injury of an out-of-control aerial flying away into someone, or someone's private property like a car/house to be much less of threat. Individuals were smoking but the risk of health was lower and with the population growth, aerials, excessive spending on fireworks & aerials, the nature of fireworks has gotten out of control. The realization of asthma, breathing difficulty on elderly or those with breathing difficulty multiplies. Added that law enforcement on illegal permits and fireworks is zero, because it impossible to enforce because of the limited enforcement. The justification of eliminating the law is stating that there should be no speeding tickets because speeding isn't completely stopped. One also has to realize that the fireworks now are much more powerful than before. Before it would be rare for much damage back then, but these days, there are more serious injuries on fireworks. Small kid time, the little ones were played by the kids and no damage, now the users are like Tim the Toolman Tayor, MORE POWER! .....ARGH, ARGH, ARGH.... I think when someone is on the other side of being harmed, people would be against things that are dangerous if there is no accountability or responsibility, the usage of fireworks in just one example that there are more people in excess of the existing rule than complying with it. What does Peter Parker' Uncle Ben says: "With great power, comes great responsibility".
Mahalo for sharing. You brought up a lot of great points, particularly the weather being a little wetter before. I remember it usually raining on New Year's Eve in Kaneohe, which probably helped with dampening the grass against fires. In terms of eliminating the law, it's more about setting different expectations with a more agreed upon rule set. Clearly, people will play fireworks, just as people will speed on the road. But at least by allowing it under a more defined rule set, with better enforcement and more community responsibility, the hope would be that it's not as uncontrolled as it currently is.
We need to make homeownership more attainable. If more people own homes, fewer people will want to spend hundreds or thousands of dollars to try burn them down on New Year’s Eve. 😂
Hasn't he moved back to Hawaii from the mainland a few years ago? That would explain it. Hawaii actually is one of the least fat states in the US (I believe Colorado is the No. 1 not-fat state, probably due to a large military population and a bigtime hiking and sports community. Plus less Samoans lol). The most striking example of what I'm talking about is there's a guy who has a channel called something like "Best Ever Food Review Show" he's a standard mainland type haole guy, and when he started out he was the standard mainland chunky/doughy looking dude. After years now in Asia, he's very lean and fit and healthy looking.
We'll see if things are different this New Year's Eve in Hawaii. I suppose things will be the same as usual - big public display, very little consequences, county lawmakers suggest stricter penalties, time goes on, and people forget. I'm hoping that after what I'm assuming will be a big display of fireworks (hopefully with no fatal consequences), we can try to think differently. Not just on the law side, but also the community side. I think it comes down to controlling time of play and, thus, setting more agreed upon expectations. Without that, I think we'll continue to have what we have, which is fun to watch, but, as I mentioned, hurting how the public feels in terms of helplessness.
Hope everyone has a safe holiday season. Looking forward to seeing how things turn out.
If you hate Hawaii so much why don't you come move to Washington, we've got the highest amount of Hawaiians living here and they seem to really love it out here. We even get similar weather as Hawaii just that the temperature is from the 30s to 50s 6-8 months out of the year. Fireworks are legal in Washington and the residents are wealthy enough that they can afford to put on their own shows and compete with their neighbors. You should really give it a thought.
@@TheBowersj Mahalo for the suggestion. But just to be clear, I don't hate Hawaii. 🤙
@@TheBowersj pretty soon....going to have majority of locals moving to the mainland...Wash and then Vegas. Per a close friend, Vegas life is way different and much cheaper than Hawaii. As a frequent visitor to LV, I can HIGHLY agree about that!
@@HelloFromHawaii at least you are not like that "scott" dude from EX 5-0, on an interview, he mentioned how he disliked a LOT of things about HI.........dude is ONE TYPICAL HAOLE! glad 5-0 got CUT from CBS!!!!
Aloha! Merry Christmas to you and yours! I am worried about the people in Hawaii, the way they have been mistreated and kicked aside is actually to be expected by politicians. Bring back More of Hawaii instead of destroying precious lives.
Before the ban everyone purchased legal family friendly novelty fireworks. After the ban everyone buys illegal dangerous professional grade fireworks. Good job lawmakers.
This!
Try living on opioids properly for chronic pain and having shortages and government taking them away while knowing they're handing out heroin and needles to addicts.
Government: why do it right when you can eff it all up😏
@@laurakibben4147 This Too! Well said both of you!
If Oahu brings back novelty fireworks there would definitely be a drastic drop of aerial fireworks being popped 💯
FIREWORKS WILL NEVER DIE IN HAWAII, LEGAL OR ILLEGAL.
Tell em Pyros burn fa life!
Malama ka aina, that was what Hawaiians were about. Not appropriating Chinese culture for pyromaniac tendencies.
Having come there from Oklahoma when it was only a July 4th thing, I thought it was awesome. Seems their tradition eventually made it across the pond because mainland has been doing fireworks on NY's for 10+ years.
It would certainly be safer there with the moisture compared to times on mainland when there's severe droughts for months on end.
I was a mainland police officer for 38 years and every year they would put out a group of officers specifically for fireworks enforcement on July 4th. It was like trying to plug holes in a dam with your fingers. No way to stop it, we couldn't stop celebratory gunfire so there was no practical way to stop fireworks. New Year's Eve & July 4th are already days that heavily tax police for other types of calls.
When I moved to Oahu after retirement I was amazed at the New Year's Eve fireworks. We just took a seat on our deck in Makakilo and enjoyed the show. It was amazing...I have never seen anything like it anywhere else. We looked forward to the free show each year and invited friends to join us on our deck.
Now living in Texas for the last 9 months. I see fireworks stands here doing a brisk business, but I am sure there is no way it will be anything like Oahu.
Hopefully, people will do as you are suggesting and be responsible. Going to miss that show this year, enjoy!
It's going to be a great show, I'm sure.
Tell us about Texas. What made you move from.Hawaii to Texas?
@PoliticalRegality , lots of reasons. Hawaii is gorgeous...a truly beautiful place, but it is also very far away from the mainland. Island fever just got to me along with frustrations over the lack of choices in such a small market.
Why Texas? One reason is that I have family here, but that wasn't the deciding factor. There were many factors that brought it together as the choice. Weather, cost of living, the variety of activities & attractions, central location for travel, etc. Obviously, the weather isn't Hawaii weather, but what winter there is in the Austin area is mild. We still haven't had an overnight temperature hit the freezing point this fall/winter. Flowers are still blooming here. We originally were looking to settle in the Corpus Christi area and specifically on North Padre Island. I really like the Gulf. While the beaches in Hawaii are prettier, there are advantages to the Gulf. The Gulf is alive with seafood that you can actually catch from the beach. I can choose to drive my truck down a Texas beach to a place where I don't see anyone. The Gulf waters are warm & I have seen far more sea turtles here than I ever saw in Hawaii. I accidentally hooked a big one while fishing and reeled him in. Fortunately, I was able to get the hook out and get him on his way with no harm. Anyway, as much as we like the Corpus Christi area, we decided against it. Like Hawaii, it's a small market and there is the threat of hurricanes. We settled on the Austin area and bought a home just NW of there near Lake Travis. We have all the conveniences of a large city like Austin without living in it. We are close enough to the Gulf & Corpus Christi that it's only about a 3 hour drive away. We are near a huge lake where we can drop a boat and go fishing, we have the Texas wine country a short distance away, a major airport, and great shopping choices. I also love the Texas beer gardens here. This area has a heavy German influence. We are also within easy driving distance of Dallas or Houston should we want to go catch a baseball game or something else. Austin has its own great attractions, especially music. San Antonio is also within easy reach and has its own flavor. While Japan is now farther away for us, there are non-stop flights to Tokyo out of both Houston & Dallas. I am leaving for Japan next week going from Austin to SFO. Even with Japan farther away, other places are closer, to include Europe. We can fly direct to Europe out of Austin and plan to do that this spring.
We knew it was going to be expensive living in Hawaii, and it was 😆 🤣 😂. That's not what drove us out, but I will say that it's been nice to pay much lower prices here. The last time I filled up my truck, I paid $2.47 a gallon. A gallon of milk is $3.00. Hawaii was good to us & there are days that I miss it, but for us, this was the right move & the right place.
@PoliticalRegality I would have put in some photos of the Gulf Beach areas, but apparently not possible on this board.
@@hstowell11 Since I read your comment I have been on a tour via Zillow and youtube videos! I specially enjoyed looking at the houses on stilts near water fronts. Open and airy. Being able to drive near the beach with your own truck is so great! You know how you click and click and you end up at some other end of internet you have never been. . Now I am reading about which beaches in Texas allow bonfire on the beach. 😃 Watching the sunset and all that. .
4th of July and NYE fireworks after 8pm? Yes. Fire works on Any random days where you’re not expecting them? No.
I liked firework when growing up too. But no, I don't like it as an adult any more.
I completely understand. It's hard for me to deny today's youth something that I enjoyed so much growing up.
I'm surprised to learn that there has been a fireworks ban in effect! I remember going to my relatives' house on 4th of July and New Years Eve. People would spend hundreds of dollars on fireworks. It was very scary for me when I had to drive home with all the smoke and fireworks going off in the streets! It's so engrained in the culture that I don't think that any ban will have much effect, as you have pointed out.
We never really played on 4th of July growing up. I remember the drive back home after playing at my Grandma's house, though. Lots of smoke. Had to drive slow.
After the Maui fire, people's biggest worries would be aerials landing on the roof. Who pays for the damage? Fireworks were mostly for cultural reasons such as luck and getting rid of evil spirits...
I'm curious how the response will be this year, particularly in light of what happened on Maui. How will Maui residents respond?
@HelloFromHawaii Thus far, I heard a lot less fireworks at this time of year. They did confiscate some containers. Having fireworks legal brings down the opportunity to blackmarket the high prices and profits. The ones who burn are the ones who most need the money to live in Hawaii. It's basically burning money or like throwing away brand new TVs.
@kelvinyschun for some people , but some people make hundreds of thousands of dollars taking the risk of shipping it here. Doubling the prices of what it cost them , making a lot of money for themselves and having alot of fireworks to burn , Supply & Demand. Everyone wants fireworks and some go above and beyond to get it… the dealers are getting double or if not triple the money compared to their normal 9-5 job. Selling fireworks with no tax , and selling it on the street for double the price they got it for. 🎉 Happy New Years !
Because of the explosives, there is a high likelihood that they are not coming in via aircraft which leaves the shipping and Honolulu Harbor. If they can't find and control through that bottle neck, then it makes you wonder what else is not being caught as the ships enter and exit the port.
I always found it cool that when they were legal, you come out new year's days early like 6-7am to go for a run and there was red paper everywhere but then by later portion of the morning there were multiple people out with buckets, brooms and bags to clean it up.
I like those clean up memories too. We had lots of fountains and tanks.
I remember in the 80s as a young adult a newspaper columnist likening the fireworks to the Tet Offensive. Good times! In the Army when we had a demonstration of various munitions like smoke grenades and stuff, while my fellow troops were cowering, I was standing up relaxed and sniffing the air like I was appreciating a fine wine. Ah, the smell of my childhood!
I'm sure things will probably be as big as ever this year. We don't get the smell in Town like we do in Kaneohe or Waipahu. Miss it sometimes.
@@HelloFromHawaii I think a big factor in this, as well as so many other things is, social media. People gotta take pictures, "Lookit how big fireworks we did this year brah!" etc. I was astonished the first time I was in a restaurant - a normal Pho place - and saw people take pictures of their food before eating.
It's bad for the oceans and sea creatures within, not to mention the others fire works effect negatively that you've already mentioned. Fires start super easy, I've seen people lose their homes not to mention a few fingers and a hand....or two.
I'm interested to see the response, especially given what happened in Maui.
I remember growing up,I always wanted to turn 18 so I could buy fireworks at longs or don quijote without a parent 😂then right when I turned 18 fireworks were BANNED😭 these days I save up some money on the side to buy firecracker permits and buy legal firecrackers because it just brings out the little kid in me again😅
It's great that you still buy. I haven't played in years but maybe I'll get a permit next year and buy.
I started hearing fire works a week before Christmas and I live in Kailua ! I love to watch the aerials. On New Year's Eve. But not Before & After.!!!
There isn't a total ban on fireworks but you do need to buy a permit and yeah aerial fireworks have been banned and they do seem to be the most common you see people popping off in neighborhoods.
The firecrackers are still fun, but since the rest of the fun things I grew up with are mostly banned, it seems like the aerials have increased in popularity.
firework bans are usually the result of fire risk, not because bureaucrats care about stressed dogs. Even if the ban is ignored, the city and state governments have legal deniability in the event of fires.
Mahalos for the video. Been living on the mainland for the last 25 years. When I lived in Honolulu, I opted to work every New Year's Eve on the evening shift at a local hospital where there was at least some peace and quiet. I remember occasional fireworks starting at 5 p.m. Yeah, I appreciate your thoughts.
Everyone setting off fireworks after the ban is what I call a demonstration of democracy. Most people were against the ban.
Seems like it based on what we saw last night
Imagine the amount of taxes they could collect if fireworks were legal
Yeah, because the Law people are the one that brought the fireworks in the island. You should’ve complained to chief of police and the governor, why the fireworks are still coming into the islands. There is nothing can stopping the locals popping fireworks.
I'm sure there will be lots of complaining this year, as always.
The bombs are disruptive
I completely understand. I grew up with neighbors who would play and the house seemed to shake.
Aloha Nephew, I am off-island now. The most recent stay was deeply concerning. Have we become so sad? Guests seem unhappy. Workers are unhappy. Life is out of balance. Please focus on this again. Even the kupuna are wearing down. Something serious is happening, even on the neighboring island and not just Maui. Something is injured that threatens the essential nature of Hawai'i. My heart is heavy.
Great observation. Wearing down is a great way to put it. I'm not sure why. Pandemic recovery? Financial burden starting to break people?
Thanks for the vlog!! New Years and popping fireworks is nostalgic for me. I'm on the mainland, but brought my kids back to experience the fireworks. And yes, I grew up in Waipahu and my parents are still there. So they had a great time watching fireworks for the entire new years eve night with the constant barrage of aerials going off till at least 2 in the morning. But I was just in Waipahu last week, and it was already going off on a daily basis at all times of day. So, I agree there should be time limits in place. Right now, it feels like enforcement and self-policing might not go very far, but I am hopeful that eventually it will go back to the way it was. Still nostalgic.
Those were some good ol' times. Less aerials and more firecrackers. Maybe there was more smoke back then, but at least we all played at more of a set time.
all of the “fireworks” you described that you enjoyed as a kid and want to play with your kids are still legal in hawaii (with permits). unless you grew up rich, you weren’t purchasing aerials like people are now. kids have no business lighting aerials. now aerials are smuggled in by the tons illegally, and stored illegally, which in itself is extremely dangerous, and everyone and their cousin has aerials and somehow has like $3-5k to blow every year. it wasn’t as big of a problem back when we were kids in the ‘80s and ‘90s cause our population was 1/4th of what it is now. the aerials and and amount of it being set off is out of control and destructive to our environment and wildlife and disruptive to our community and pets. thousands of our birds die every year due to fleeing what they perceive is armageddon. they fly toward the ocean to escape the sound and smoke, get disoriented and tired, and drown. i’m all for keeping the ground flowers, sparklers, chinese firecracker strings you mentioned. but the aerials are best left to the professionals and we can gather and enjoy those more spectacular shows at various planned events, like waikiki, or back in the day had at barbers point, or pearl harbor. people played small fireworks in their backyard and watched elaborate aerial displays by professionals back then.
I didn't think most of the things we used to play are still around, like Morning Glories and sparklers. Haven't been to Longs or City Mill in a while. I have no idea how people afforded them in such quantities back then or now, especially now that a lot are illegal. We'll see how things play out this year. More of the same, I suspect.
You're missing a big point... these days people are setting off IEDs, commercial fireworks, and illegally shipped and purchased fireworks that sound like bombs. Dealing with the reds and the fountains, sparklers is tolerable, what people are setting off these days can shake up homes and that's definitely not celebrating New Years.
I'd hope that by bringing back the smaller fireworks, maybe less people would use the bigger stuff.
I think the celebration of bringing in the new year w fireworks will always be part of this culture. It’s a generational tradition that has been passed on for decades. Regardless of laws or lip service from politicians, tradition is culture and that is hard to remove. It’s one of the most celebrated customs here where for a very short period of time, PEOPLE come together to celebrate the coming new year by lighting the living shit out of the entire sky !!
😂😂
I miss the old days like you mentioned, the one-two days of the year when you looked forward to the fireworks. And the long string of fire crackers and other stuff. It was good fun in those times. This random popping off of huge mortars and aerials every day and night is wack. And I worry for my house and my roof come NYE, some of the people doing it don’t care where they’re popping their stuff off at. Brah, I no like my house or my neighbor’s house catch fire liddat. No can dat kine. Mahalos for sharing your perspective ☺️🤙🏾
Yeah, it's different now. Not sure why this change happened, but maybe when the ban started? Miss those days of playing the smaller fireworks. Less aerials and more fun.
But you guys have near constant rains? Mainland has severe droughts for months on end at times. And it only takes one moron with a lit anything but it can also happen with someone towing a trailer with a chain dragging and sparking.
Everything is common sense and common sense has just plain left the planet 😢
People In Hawaii don't have money for rent and bills, but they sure have money for fireworks!😊
also, my dog has epilepsy, and the sound from fireworks here could trigger seizures that are life threatening. so every year i’ve had to book a hotel in waikiki because there are no illegal aerials being set off there cause it’s all tourists! and the buildings are thick concrete and glass. she sleeps soundly in the hotel room, but it’s an added expense when in theory i should be able to stay in my own home with my dog. 😔
Mahalo for sharing. Waikiki is probably one of the quietest places that night, notwithstanding the noise from the bars. And I know the added expense is unfair. At least you are both able to enjoy a quiet evening.
Great video bro ✨🤙💯💪🏾
🤙
Seems like this year there’s not much “sampling” going on compared to the last few years. I hear prices of aerials have gone way up. Plus the busts lately. Look, the C&C stupidly banned sparklers and fountains. That let the genie out of the bottle. It’s gotten like betting on football. Sheets get passed around at work. Personally, I’m glad this year it’s been relatively peaceful leading up to New Years. But I’m almost certain peeps gonna buss out the artillery on New Years Eve.
Firework display last night was BANANAS! It was brighter last night than it was during the day! You would have thought you were driving through Mauna Kea on the H-1 with all the smoke. 🤙🏽🤙🏽 Cheeeeeeehooooooo!!
It was big. Saw some aerials in Town.
I was there 20 yrs ago in the hills above Liliha and I have to admit, it was the longest and best show I ever saw . The next morning , I walked down to find burn marks on my car. The smoke was pretty intense even up in the mountains. Definitely rough on those with respiratory issues like the young and aged. oh well. Screw them.
Probably the best amateur New Year's display on Earth.
We used to do the in the late 70's, early '80s, we would go to family friends house in Pearl City for dinner then fireworks with the whole ladder ect. I enjoyed it until a firecracker went off in my hand, I was done after that😅.
Haven't had that happen, but had lots of close calls over the years. Mostly duds that went off late.
There is an opportunity here for lawmakers to bring in more revenue for the state by taxing the sale of fireworks. Getting rid of the fireworks ban (aerials and novetly) would eliminate the black market thereby lowering the price of fireworks and diverting the money to the state to possibly fund solutions for fireworks related problems that affect public safety and environmental impacts.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year
I lived in HI before the fireworks ban. I miss that time.
Me too. 🤙
Fuck the government. Keep going Hawaii!!!
BEAUTIFUL!
We have strict laws where I live in Canada. We’re in the prairies where there are lots of farm land and very dangerous for fires. After the Maui fires, you would think people would be much more conscience about the fire hazards.
Good point. We'll just have to see if what happened on Maui will deter some from playing fireworks this year.
Well said!
Just bring back fireworks like before and people will slowly stop with the aerials.
It’s because as more people who weren’t brought up in the culture of Hawaii moved here is causing conflict. Them and new generations who don’t respect in general have been abusing the fireworks. Unfortunately they ruined it for us OGs who were raised on it. No more brains and respect these days. If we did then it would be still going good.
Interesting thought. I didn't think it was outside influence that changed the attitude toward fireworks. I've always thought that maybe the ban had something to do with it.
@@HelloFromHawaii the ban felt like a minor thing because people will still do it no matter what. But people who weren’t raised to respect the culture of it sees it as something cool vs culturally important. They want to do it but they have no understanding of the meaning for it and also respect to using it. Plus younger generations don’t get lickings like the old days so they all messed up behaviorally when it comes to entitlement.
Firstly, nothing is worse than laws that are not enforced. It reduces respect for lawfulness and encourages the passing of further unreasonable laws.
I agree with your compromise idea. Legalize them but set reasonable boundaries. This could work if it’s enforced.
If you go back to the times you and I remember. Fireworks never included aerials and mortar shells. I would be all for fireworks if that's the definition.
this is exactly my sentiment. people weren’t setting off bombs and aerials.
There were occasional aerials, but not as many as I see today. Seems to have become more popular over the years.
Merry Christmas to you and your beautiful family!!!! May the holidays bring you Joy and the new year bring you peace, prosperity and happiness!!!
You too. 🤙
It's hard on my dogs and it's 1 am and they are still booming From Oklahoma tho and the 4th of July is crazy That being said only 2 drunk guys are popping them after 11 I deal with it with little complaints but, it is crazy tho
In Salt lake it was really bad in 2018! The fireworks law is just another law H
P.D. doesn't enforce. Such as smoking at bus stops, people who occupy bus stops, J walking and bicycles and mopeds riding on the sidewalks. 1 other thing enforcing bicycle and moped theft.
Even if you had a new law to allow fireworks during certain hours, people would do fireworks at any time, even a month (2 or 3) before the lawful times. That is the new culture and it is not going to change, ban or no ban. People could self-police when you were a kid but times have changed.
Every year people die from fireworks (3 in 2022), people go to ER, people with asthma suffer, pets are terrified, a few houses burn, the fire department is busy putting out fires but a lot of people don't care. People are struggling economically but are wiling to spend thousands on fireworks because its great entertainment. Yet people complain about the price of homes, gas, groceries and everything else. I grew up doing fireworks but now I see it as a waste of money however it's people choice to struggle financially if they want to use their credit cards to buy fireworks.
As for your comment about not being able to use video to enforce the law, I think that's BS because video was a significant factor in convicting officer Chauvin in the George Floyd case.
Legal or illegal, things will be the same. But I still support a ban.
Mahalo for the comment. I understand that times have changed, but I also believe they can change back. It will take some time, but there are probably still enough people in the community "from the ol' days" that could start the change. As far as the use of video for that particular situation, I think it's different with fireworks, which is why the video evidence hasn't been too successful.
Haven't spent NY EVE in Hawaii in many years. However I was in Kalihi 3 years ago....how do locals justify in their minds burning up all that money? It was a crazy night!
No idea where the money comes from and where it goes.
I dunno if it should be legal or illegal, but i think fireworks are very bad for wild animals and dogs/cats and sensitive people....
I agree with you that it could be great to "suffer" from fireworks just on one day, but once it goes out of control... I just don't know how to stop it.
I also played with fireworks as a kid, today as an adult i think it's better to play with different stuff.
Or maybe fireworks with less noise.
I used to live in Oahu, grew up playing with Fireworks there. I agree the Ban should be dropped, I think the Government of Hawaii needs to see all the Fireworks going off over the years (since they made them illegal) as Votes by the Majority of the public to keep them Legal.
It would be interesting to see it on the ballot for public vote
- To date, the Illiegal Fireworks Task Force has confiscated over 35,000 pounds of firework in the later half of 2023. Overall, they have confiscated over 70,000 pounds total over time. They have pledged to take a more aggressive approach in 2024, having the entire year to address the matter.
- The Department of Law Enforcement (DLE) is the coordinating agency for the Illegal Fireworks Task Force, which comprises state narcotics agents, deputy sheriffs, county police officers, the Department of the Attorney General, and federal agencies that include Homeland Security Investigations, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, U.S. Coast Guard Investigative Service, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
There was still a lot of noise and explosions, although it did seem to be less than in previous years.
- At present time, possession of 25 pounds of more of illegal fireworks, or distribution of any amount of illegal fireworks, is a class-C felony with penalties of up to five years in prison and a $10,000 fine. The legislature is looking to evaluate increasing this penalty during the 2024 sessions.
- As a retired military personnel, I feel for the effects of this noise on veterans with PTSD; the effects are traumatic and debilitating. The effect on pets, our furry-balls-of-joy are equally damaging.
Someday the fireworks will cause a massive, out of control, fire.
I hope not. I remember it raining on New Year's Eve in the past so that helped. No rain this year.
That ban is just a front for the politicians to appease the complainers. We were in Kapolei for the City Lights parade and mortar shell fireworks were going off right behind them. Guess what? Nothing happened. One of the 5-0 even commented, “that was a good one!” LOL. Fireworks is a tradition and it’s not going away. And the people generally love and enjoy it.
lol. Yeah, kind of hard to take it seriously when it's going off right in front of everyone and nothing seems to be done about it. We'll see how things play out this year.
❤ growing up, it was fun. Today, I just watch it on TV. Yea, I am getting old bra..
If Oahu don’t want fire works they can block it at the ports.
Not a fireworks related story remember being in Kaneohe for New Years 1973. I didn’t know about the NYE firecrackers tradition. I was babysitting my brother and our friends’ 2 boys while my mom & our friends went out to see a movie. The people in the apartment above us were having a blast throwing firecrackers off their lanai. The entire neighborhood and what seemed like all of Honolulu was firecrackers central! As a 13 yr old from Oregon, I came unglued!
I love fireworks but it can be overdone.
In west side of Capitol Hill in Seattle (some call it I-5 Shores), people will set off M-80s and other big fireworks most likely bought from tribal vendors outside of town. NYE can get pretty lively in very densely populated neighborhood, going to 2-3am. Not my favorite, reminding me of being 13😜
Wishing you and your family a great holiday season and Happy 2024!
I really enjoy your channel. Reminds me of conversations with my mom and friends in or from Hawaii.
Mahalo for sharing. Hope you have a great holiday season too 🤙
I grew up to popping fireworks. I remember the Morning Glory sparklers, the Jumping Jacks, Magic Whips, the paperless firecrackers and the Ground Bloomers that spin and pop. I would like to have those back. Even fountains. I have three nephews. 20, 19 and 13. My 13 year old nephew has no idea what New Year's was like back in the days. I feel that he misses out. You're right, we as a state need to be responsible. Because every New Year's it gets worse. Even before New Year's, there are random LOUD booms happening in random places. If we actually get that back, personally I think there won't be as much LOUD random booms happening.
I also feel bad that there are generations who missed out. But I guess that's just something we had and will have to share through stories and pictures.
You want the solution? Make everything legal. Tax it heavily. Make the penalties very severe for using outside of the appropriate hours. We would gladly pay the increased price at the store. But instead, the county would prefer to make pennies on the permits, and get paid off under the table. Every other county allows for it sooooo
If you ban fireworks, be sure you know how to control the ban! The City and State needs to HELP!
Visit in the Philippines during new year. 😅
This was epic I love fireworks it rocked ! Yay so happy to experience it
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So I have allergies and I hate loud noises. New Years growing up has (as you can imagine) not been my favorite holiday. That being said, I don’t remember people making bucket bombs when I was a kid?! Where people throw a bunch of fireworks into a bucket, light it and drive away?! It sounds like a bomb! It shakes me to my core and they do it off and on for the whole month leading up to New years AND July 4th. That stuff is the kind I hate. I’ll go back to hiding in my room and taking allergy medicine early if they just stop THOSE.
I don't remember those bucket bombs either. We used to play in a trash can, but even then, it wasn't too loud.
Nice Aloha shirt Chris.
Thanks. My wife picked it out 😁
Love
I think since we are a state of democracy, why not let the people vote if there should be a firework band or not! Whatever the people vote is if there should be band or legal. Instead of just a few Elite groups of people who are now making the decision because the can!
That would be an interesting issue on the ballot. I'd love to see the results.
🤨 I live on the Leeward side of Oahu. The hooligans love the thrill of popping 🎇 anytime anywhere. Can't leave my 3 acre property on NYE. I'm afraid of 🔥. Waipahu is worst it's Firecracker Central 🥳
I've spent some New Year's Eves in Waipahu. Pretty wild.
Legalizing fireworks is the last thing to do,l used to do fireworks when l was young but l GREW UP, time for everyone to do the same. Enforcement is not possible, l've seen homes burn down because of sky rockets, how would you feel if you burned a neighbors home? Our politicians are notdoing what a lot of people want cuz they don't want to anger voters, time to get them out. The permit system is a joke, time raise the price for a permit, my suggestion is $100 or $500per with the money going to help Lahaina rebuild or back to state coffers to help the homeless . People will spend much $ for fireworks instead of buying car insurance. As you can tell this a SORE SPOT for me but people get your priorities straight. SORRY FOR MY RANT but its vital😊
Mahalo for sharing. Great suggestion on utilizing the money from the permits for Maui and other uses. Is that a county permit? State permit?
@HelloFromHawaii the fireworks ban is a county ban, I think at one time Maui had total ban on fireworks, not sure about now though 🤔
i hope we go all out this new years... im cool with it... my parents never saw anything like it before when they saw it the 1st time last year... this year they are excited again for it.
I'm sure things will be big this year.
We drive cars everyday....
Firecrackers one day.... CAN!
About your distant family in Waipahu. Do not lie to us, Chris. Are you sure that they are not in the upper side, like Waipio or Waikele? I live in Waipahu before and it really is a bad community. Yet not all of people there do drugs, but many do, then steal and can be violent. We got to accept that some neighborhoods are worse than others.
Yeah they are in upper Waipahu. Is that the "good part"? 😆
@@HelloFromHawaii You better ask them next time. I bet you are not clueless either, but just want to be polite, right? 😆
I love fireworks but it does scare dogs and people with PTSD. I adopted a dog from Kauai and my poor dog has ptsd from fireworks. People should go to a public firework display.
Sorry to hear about your dog. Hope it's not too bad this year.
@HelloFromHawaii
Im all for personal reponsibility. But that goes both ways. Never in the history of Hawaii have we had more kama'aina or native hawaiuans living off iskands then today. So when moving to Hawaii you must understand that your moving to a place that is multi cultured. Alot if ppl from Hawaii go pupule over fireeorks. But its onky a few days a year. I think its irresponsible to move to a state like Hawaii and expect it to be like the rest of the country.
I have empathy for peopke with breathing issues. However Hawaii is really not a place to be if you have these issues. Fireworks aside, you have vog, you have things blooming year round.
Things like chinese new years need to be respected as part of our island culture. However, i agree that if its vyeing abused then we need to look at it. However again we are living in a time where places like Oahu are far less local or Hawaii then previous generations. So is this really abuse or intolerance? Further we also need to acknowledge that the population is far more then it was in the 60s, 70s on Oahu. This is because of the focused developenent to attract wealthier outsuders.
Im on the mainland now. But I have memories of picking a christmas tree in the parking lot of Sears at Ala Moana. Wonder if they still do that? Happy Holidays lil bruddah and wish you and your ohana the best.
Mahalo for the thoughtful comment. We'll see if things change this year regarding fireworks.
I think they still sell Christmas trees at Ala Moana. We used to get ours at Windward Mall or City Mill.
Well said Chris. If they are unsafe they should be banned (many cities have done this) but Hawaii has once again tried the if you pay a fee you can. Does that fee make it safe. This view has put them in the middle and they aren't willing to concede. I say the big displays are actually safer than the fee permitted activity. The majority of folks who launch the displays know what they are doing. No not all of them, but do we stop driving because some people are so bad at it they die. We look forward to new years fireworks in Kona.
Great points. I hope the ones who are doing it know what they are doing. Hate to have to learn the hard way when it comes to fireworks. I'm sure it will be nice in Kona 😁
Imagine if there wasn’t a ban. My mom would always say all you doing is burning money so I never got into it. Thank goodness
The worst is those bombs
I didn't talk about the money aspect in this video, but I've often wondered how people can afford to play. How much is it per shot?
@@HelloFromHawaii I often wondered that too. Not only burning your money away but how everyone can afford to spend thousands of dollars to buy the fireworks in the first place. I mean we’re talking tens of thousands
@@HelloFromHawaiidepend who you get list from and what kine you buy the artillery shells they range from 50$ for a 6pack of small ball shells to 250-350 for a 24 pack of canister shells to 300 for a 6 pack 3” ball shell and it just goes up the bigger the size of the shell is. Cakes vary too 200 gram is like 30-100 and 500 gram is 125-300 and there are specialty ones that are like 30-160 lb 100-400 shot cakes but they usually 500-1500
Lets face it, if you ban it ban it period....but if you buy permit it is Ok. So whats that tell you?
Let's put it this way I started hearing illegal fireworks in October this year.
That means the neighbors have their usual supply and will be going about their usual routine.
I've heard some people say that they hear them year-round. I suspect things will be the same this New Year's.
The culture in celebrating NYE in HAWAII came from the Philippines. 😂
Naw.... if you never pop 1 Duck brand Firecracker at a time..... then you nevah went buss firecrackers brah!
Listen brah, 1 and a half days out of 365! You understand?
Born and raised fireworks has always been normal. But I think it’s a sign of a screen you to the corrupt politicians. Especially Governor Josh Green 😉
Somebody making millions$$$$$$$
Just my opinion: it seems like the laws were forced upon the community/population. I speak to all my friends who I grew up with, family members who were born & raised here. I think they want it legalized. If it was up to a community vote, I think it would not be banned. The voters vote with their wallets, and every New Year’s Eve, a lot of money is spent on burning money on illegal fireworks. I think the majority is telling us what they want, regardless of the law forced upon them. Laws only work to deter if the population agrees to play along. Again this is just one man’s opinion. No need to feel triggered and reply. Stay safe. Aloha!
A community vote would be interesting. Maybe it would get more people interested in voting if it was on the ballot.
Did the people vote to end fireworks or did authoritarian politicians decide? I don’t smoke anything, but I liked the fact locals always openly ignored laws against marijuana. The safety issue? How many die in the ocean in Hawaii each year? I haven’t used fireworks since a child, but the Karens on FB make me want to.
I think it was a county issue that's handled differently per county.
Hope it worse than last year. I enjoy them so much. If the gooberment ever listens to all the people, they would dump the ban. But gooberrment only listens to who they want to.
After covid died down and got under control.....for the new year 2024, the Waikiki Business Assn is once again having their NYE show offshore Waikiki Beach, launching off a barge. But there is also Turtle Bay and Ko Olina having theirs. So I dunno....maybe things may get better (was not last night in Kalihi!!!) I had this thought thou......when HPD did have this Fireworks Enforcement team established to bust illegals......instead of dumping the whole stash when they do bust, give it to the pyrotechnic companies here so at least THEY know how to dispose of it and also, conduct a pretty good show! whether it be NYE, or Aloha Friday or a private function where major companies can literally BLOW $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$.
I was wondering what happens to all of the confiscated fireworks. Do they ship them off island? Detonate them somewhere safe?
It's a cultural tradition. Let others celebrate how they want to celebrate the new year. It's ONE day or two days per year. Like seriously how much of a grinch is someone that can't endure ONE day per year so others can take part in a fun cultural tradition. Not all dogs are scared of fireworks and not all old people are against it.
Regarding the legal issue it'll never go away completely. Make all the laws you want, just like drunk driving, you'll never get people to change their culture with things like fireworks (and alcohol). I live on the mainland and new years without fireworks is so wack. Hawaii is a gem to have this tradition. Those that don't want it can cry with their noise canceling headphones. Get rid of any rules or laws regarding fireworks!
I'm sensitive to those who don't like fireworks or have health concerns. But when the ban is clearly not working, isn't that far worse for them? Like they realize that even the laws can't stop it and therefore, they can do nothing?
Fireworks are our rights.
Not if they are illegal
They’re illegal for no reason just political science for People to get votes 🗳️ yes there’s a lot of unseasoned burners but for the most part no one wants to loose a hand
Seriously?
I'd hope that a change in the laws, plus an increase in community and personal responsibility, will help control what seems to be uncontrolled. We'll see how things play out this year.
@@HelloFromHawaii Well, you're a better man that I because frankly, I don't have as much faith in my fellow man. You know, the vast majority of people DO NOT play with illegal fireworks since the ban went into effect. The ones who DO are hardcore and will not give a rip about "personal responsibility" much less caring about neighbors. Now, if the ban is lifted, those who played before will continue to play and disregard safety, PLUS you will now add others who were previously OK with the ban, adding more chaos. The logic is flawed....if you say that since a lot of people are not obeying the current ban, just make it legal, imagine if that was applied to, say, speeding. A lot of people do not obey speed limits so since that's the case, just have no speed limits.
brah, you obviously have never lived on the mainland where stores are regularly looted in major cities because no one followed societies rules
“Regularly looted” nah, maybe if you only watch fox news
I was on the mainland for about ten years. Colorado, Oregon, California.
It’s Hawaii tradition. If you don’t like it, move your hipster behind to California.
Lol
I grew up in Hawaii and the fireworks culture is unreal! Lucky Hawaii is in the middle of the Pacific and the trades blow that smoke away. Then you think about how much $$$$ is being burned. Can people really afford it?
I didn't talk about the financial aspect, but I have no idea how people can afford it. How much is it per aerial?
@HelloFromHawaii not sure what you'll pay in HI, but on the mainland, about $8-$20+ depending on the type. It has to be shipped to HI, so there must be a big markup?
Only way to fix it is to legalize it so the stores sell it and the black market is not able to compete because the stores will have it for cheaper price and because of that the stores are regulated while the black market is not and it would reduce the amount of fireworks popped before the allotted time on nye because black market sells year round while stores only sell for a week or 2 but we all know that won’t happen because it just makes too much sense for the politicians 😂
🤙
Hawaians should NEVER go to LA for 4th or July. It literally sounds like a warzone with how many fireworks there are and it's incredible
Is it as bad as Oahu on New Year's Eve? 😆
its not just fireworks
This video I have to disagree. The firework in Hawaii aren't uniform on the islands for one thing. I grew up in earlier times as well, but I believe in the earlier times, Oahu had the morays of the older generation parents and kapuna, who were uniform, which is not the case now. Secondly, the earlier periods, aerials were banned, and the populations were much smaller in density. The environmental climate of New Year's was a little wetter. These factors reduced some of the problems of risk from fire damage of aerials causing damage to someone's home or injury of an out-of-control aerial flying away into someone, or someone's private property like a car/house to be much less of threat. Individuals were smoking but the risk of health was lower and with the population growth, aerials, excessive spending on fireworks & aerials, the nature of fireworks has gotten out of control. The realization of asthma, breathing difficulty on elderly or those with breathing difficulty multiplies. Added that law enforcement on illegal permits and fireworks is zero, because it impossible to enforce because of the limited enforcement. The justification of eliminating the law is stating that there should be no speeding tickets because speeding isn't completely stopped. One also has to realize that the fireworks now are much more powerful than before. Before it would be rare for much damage back then, but these days, there are more serious injuries on fireworks. Small kid time, the little ones were played by the kids and no damage, now the users are like Tim the Toolman Tayor, MORE POWER! .....ARGH, ARGH, ARGH.... I think when someone is on the other side of being harmed, people would be against things that are dangerous if there is no accountability or responsibility, the usage of fireworks in just one example that there are more people in excess of the existing rule than complying with it. What does Peter Parker' Uncle Ben says: "With great power, comes great responsibility".
Mahalo for sharing. You brought up a lot of great points, particularly the weather being a little wetter before. I remember it usually raining on New Year's Eve in Kaneohe, which probably helped with dampening the grass against fires. In terms of eliminating the law, it's more about setting different expectations with a more agreed upon rule set. Clearly, people will play fireworks, just as people will speed on the road. But at least by allowing it under a more defined rule set, with better enforcement and more community responsibility, the hope would be that it's not as uncontrolled as it currently is.
We need to make homeownership more attainable. If more people own homes, fewer people will want to spend hundreds or thousands of dollars to try burn them down on New Year’s Eve. 😂
lol. 😆
Are you losing weight ?
Hasn't he moved back to Hawaii from the mainland a few years ago? That would explain it. Hawaii actually is one of the least fat states in the US (I believe Colorado is the No. 1 not-fat state, probably due to a large military population and a bigtime hiking and sports community. Plus less Samoans lol).
The most striking example of what I'm talking about is there's a guy who has a channel called something like "Best Ever Food Review Show" he's a standard mainland type haole guy, and when he started out he was the standard mainland chunky/doughy looking dude. After years now in Asia, he's very lean and fit and healthy looking.
lol. I don't think so. 😅 I think it's the camera lens. The different focal lengths affect the face differently.
Bro, we understand. Bidenomics sucks. So we except that you was paid for this video. But it's all good. We understand. Let's go brandon
Lol 😆 Paid in fireworks?
Ewe
I say bring them back and add an extra tax on it. give the funds to first responders.
Interesting idea for allocating the funds. Would be great to help fund some of those idle ambulances.