Will people be shooting their guns in the air tonight?

[Wcross]

It seems like dumb ass's think thats a fine way to mark the coming of a new year.
Is it common in your area?

[Mutley]

1. It was in my old neighborhood. Very common.

I doubt many people do it in my new neighborhood, though. Most of the people living here are quiet and keep to themselves.

[Dr.Phool]

2. I certainly hope so.

I'm really looking forward to a bullet in the top of my head!:sarcasm:

[Wcross]

4. Really........

Happy New ye.......

I don't understand what kind of mentality you have to have to do that. Would the gun not make the same noise if you fired it into the freaking ground?
When you look at it, people that do that should be charged with at least attempted homicide. While hitting someone would be a long shot the fact there is a chance should make it an appropriate charge.

[HysteryDiagnosis]

3. They shoot houses don't they? Better watch out, at least be

sure there aren't any protectors of freedom around.... wedding parties are known to shoot their guns in the air... doesn't pay.

&f=/g/archive/2004/12/01/yipoct.DTL
Picture of destruction: A U.S. bomb wrecked this man's home in Fallujah, Iraq -- except for a framed page of the Quran, which was good as new after a dusting. The air strike killed 13 people and wounded 17 at a wedding party, according to hospital sources.

[onager]

5. Different custom here in Egypt...

(I'm on a long-term work assignment in Alexandria, Egypt.)

To symbolize the end of the old year and getting rid of your troubles, people throw glass stuff out of the windows and shatter it on the street below. Dishes, glasses, cups, saucers, etc.

Did I mention that most of the residences here are in hi-rise apartment buildings? I'm not going out for a stroll right after midnight, I can tell ya...

:scared:

When someone first mentioned this quaint custom, I thought they were just having fun with the ignorant foreigner (me). But no, an article in the local paper mentioned it.

I also asked some of the hotel employees. One young woman said she did this every year. I asked if she ever threw the stuff at her husband. She replied that she did not have a husband, but if she did, she just might throw him out the window, too.

Another one is planning to target her bratty younger sister with the crockery.

Oh, over here it's about 5:00 PM New Year's Eve.

[Wcross]

8. Wear some good shoes for the next couple of weeks!

I don't think I would be out and about tonight!

[livvy]

6. Probably not where I live, but in some areas close by.

I've never understood this practice. :shrug: It just seems so dangerous, but then I'm a believer that guns in people's hands are dangerous. My luck, I'd shoot it up into the air, and the bullet would come right straight back down into my head, or I'd hit a bat or something, which would then hit me in the head!

:silly:

[NMDemDist2]

7. here in Phoenix we have a law called "Shannon's Law" that forbids it

Shannon was a 16 year old girl who died when a bullet hit her in the head while she was in her back yard from the very act you describe.

Our mayor has been on the radio for the last week reminding people not to shoot into the air and that "what goes up, must come down" He is also reminding folks it's a felony and the police have special equipment to pinpoint where the shots came from.

When I first moved here in 1995 it was very prevalent but not so much anymore thanks to a concerted effort at educating the public on the dangers.

[ucmike]

18. in '97 i lived in tempe

someone fired a round into the air at the end of a football game. i heard the shot, then a few seconds later a "CRACK" against the window directly over our bed, where we had just laid down. i called 911, to report what had happened and the 911 operateror asked, "do you want the police to come out?"

i was dumbfounded. i told her that of course i wanted the police to come out. they never did.

[William Bloode]

9. It's an old tradition here.

Been doing it for well over 120yrs. But the tradition is to fire muskets with powder loads only. We used to fire the ol' cannon, till she cracked.

[Wcross]

10. Thats the way to do it- if you must.

Maybe blanks should be made readily available for the morons that insist on doing it with live ammo?

[William Bloode]

13. I agree with the blanks.

A few who do use regular rifles are known to make their own blanks. Of course we do have the odd dumbass who thinks it's allright to fire live ammo willy nilly. Generally some drunken idiot though. Live ammo is not legal to fire in city limits, or suburban settings.

[bleedingheart]

in the more rural areas...

[Wcross]

14. It is common in Rural downtown Chicago I hear......

I remember a news clip a few years back on New Years eve in Chicago- it sounded like Bahgdad!

[Wcross]

11. Around my area they normally have fireworks stands.

I haven't seen any this year. It has been so dry that I suspect the fire hazard is too high. I hope people can go without loud noises for this year and don't resort to trying to kill an unknown stranger a few blocks away.

[havocmom]

12. People here have too much respect for firearms & know the results

Have not heard a weapon discharged on New Years in 7 years. In fact, only gun I have heard in town was when a hunter accidentally (?) shot the guy in the next room over at the motel one morning. He was someone who was not used to handling firearms. Minor injuries, but hey, hard to aim through a wall.

Lots of stupid car wrecks though. They youngsters can't seem to tell the difference between real life, movies, video games and are constantly making cars fly short distances. Cars can fly a little, but they can't land for shit. The adults can't stop mixing booze & gasoline. Tonight will be a rough one for the Sheriff's Dept and the EMTs, no really foul weather to keep people inside. x(

[BiggJawn]

15. I hope MY "gun" doesn't "go off" in the air...

Even though I don't follow the traditon of my Youth of "Banging out the Old, Banging in the New"...:(

We use firecrackers around here. Used to hear full-auto fire when I lived in the city. THAT was scarey!

[Ready4Change]

16. We fire corks.

Good ol' corks, propelled with "freedom" champagne.

[Pool Hall Ace]

17. In my old neighborhood, some people did that.

I remember thinking, "those fireworks sound an awful lot like gun shots." Turned out it was gun shots.

In my current neighborhood, there is a thoughtless hillbilly family that set off fireworks on Christmas night, during my dinner. I'm not talking about little sparklers, either. Big ones. A neighbor's dog was so frightened, he jumped the fence. Fortunately, they got him back.

I called the police and reported the imbeciles. If they set any more off tonight, I'm ready to call again.

[qanda]

19. It's very common here

And I absolutely hate it. We stay in our basement until it stops.

[Kingshakabobo]

20. In Chicago, the veteran cops park under a viaduct @ midnight. n/t

[ajacobson]

22. I've seen the same in Detroit

The gunplay has been not so much in the last couple years, but not long ago it sounded like 1975 Beirut around here from 11:30 p.m. to 1 or so in the a.m.

[RiDuvessa]

21. Fairly common in Sicily.

We warn all the new arrivals to stay inside New Year's Eve.

[Liberal In Texas]

23. Yep. Friend of mine had a roof leak nobody could find. Finally after

searching for months, he found a bullet lodged in his roof that was the cause. Kind of scary.

[Nicole]

24. Fireworks here but no guns

However fireworks are banned this year due to the drought. Too many fires already.

[w8liftinglady]

25. yes-the dipshit,mullet-infested cretins in my neighborhood

will undoubtedly shoot both guns and fireworks in the Texas tinderbox.

[Silverhair]

26. I am sure that some idiots will. NT

[-..__...]

27. Apparently, it's a big problem in LA County.

http://lacounty.info



Video link

[Nutmegger]

28. I had relatives who lived in rural Mass

and it was pretty common there. The family up there has long since moved so I don't know if it still continues. I was scared out of my mind when I was a kid! :scared:

[0007]

29. They do it in Texas...just like Saddam Hussein did shooting off

his gun, when he had one.

[benEzra]

30. Not around here, and EVERYBODY owns guns...

everybody must be smart enough to know that "what goes up must come down."

When my wife and I lived in a really, really rural area, I once fired a blank round (primer only, no powder and no bullet) at the ground on NYE, choosing a spot that would have even been safe to shoot a live round at. A large rifle primer makes a decent pop and a nice jet of flame, safely. Have occasionally used firecrackers as well, though only sparklers the last few years so the kids can watch w/o worrying about their hearing.

The firecrackers going off at 12:00am last night did sound like there was a battle going on, though. :)