As Larry the cable guy would say "Only in America"

Rob Keeble

Member
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12,633
Location
GTA Ontario Canada
Well it does not suprise me at all that half the world keeps trying to come to America.

There are just so many things that i find to make it so. The key to me is one has to value being free and value being able to do what you wish within reason.

My case in point today. I saw this store (now you all will say nothing special Rob and yeah i have seen them everywhere in the USA on side of highways and in towns.

But today while on my way to Woodcraft (on my own he hehe) i just had to stop and take a look. Man i was blown away ....again.

It was a fireworks store. A humongous one. I could not figure with my business brain how they paying the rent on the building.

So i stopped went inside and Lady at the door was charming asked for my id drivers licence and i said why. Well since Boston they have to. But i told her i was fromCanada and just looking.
She said fine if u aint buying no need for ur id.
Well she opened the door to me to my millions of questions and we had a few laughs together. Store was empty of customers but she said you would not believe how much money is spent on fireworks. They had 7 check outs.
Yeah no typo 7.

I nearly changed my mind on the purchasing side when i saw the stock.

There was a kit the size of a wardrobe labeled " Cause for divorce" lol priced at $1499. I can tell you i was tempted given my mood today. :)

Only thing is she said it was mainly 4th July when u can legally set them off. She did say it varied in NH by county so there were some places where u could do it any time.
Now....what is it i find so great about this store or any other like them?
Well even though you guys have security issues and big brother certainly is clamping down....you still have the freedom to sell and buy these items.
Back where i originated when we had security issues big brother used it as a means to remove the fireworks from the landscape.

Btw i am a fireworks nutter so it took all the self control in the world to not buy anything. But i was sooooooo close.

Look after these freedoms life is pretty dull when all it consists of is facing a tv screen watching reruns of some sitcom or other or reality show in a little box called a house.

Whats wrong with shooting skeet or targets, blowing up a car now and then in the country or hey setting off a few fireworks. Or wearing suspenders or owning 6 guitars etc etc etc....

Hey i even got to name my own price at Home Depot today....yea only in America......

More to follow as i share some thoughts with u guys from a visitors perspective.

Sent from my MB860 using Tapatalk 2
 
Spain has a long tradition specially in Catalunya and Valencia of fireworks. On the june 24th night big fires are set off at many places together with lots of fireworks being lit by kind and adults together. Those are remains of pagan fests to celebrate the summer solstice ( or walpurgis night when witches get together on their aquelarres).

In Saint Joseph day in Valencia they burn the "Fallas" if you a make a search on youtube you'll find about them and the "Mascletá".

In here you only need to be over 16 to buy fireworks and no ID or whatsoever is required.
Small provisional kioscs of about 2 sqm are set in many places a few days before those dates to sell fireworks, the can only store a certain amount of kg of fireworks per day for safety reasons.
 
Ya need to come out west Rob if ya want a real expierance. Around here we have the fireworks stands that go up for just about any holiday but ya can also get em at Wal-Mart and at the local grocery store now where Vaughn lives in New Mexico not only can ya buy em all year round but you can get em just about every where.
 
Rob, I do appreciate your viewpoint as it does make me realize the differences in our world that I am not aware of or take for granted. I am glad I got to meet you in person as well as on the forum as I am a hermit by nature (unlike you and the ambassador). In fact the longest trips the past few years away from home have been to Larry and Randi's home!
 
Ya need to come out west Rob if ya want a real expierance. Around here we have the fireworks stands that go up for just about any holiday but ya can also get em at Wal-Mart and at the local grocery store now where Vaughn lives in New Mexico not only can ya buy em all year round but you can get em just about every where.

I think some parts of NM still sell a lot of them, but they're much more restricted these days in Albuquerque and the surrounding areas. They ones you can buy here are pretty lame. (Nothing that shoots a projectile or has a report louder than a cap gun and nothing that puts sparks more than 6 feet off the ground, as I recall.) There are states in the midwest and farm belt where they are a lot more available. I've got several NM friends who would always buy the fun stuff in Kansas and Missouri on cross-country trips.

Legal or not, I've been in some epic bottle rocket wars, though. :D
 
We have several large Fireworks warehouse around here that sell year around. There is one that I used to build displays for just 10 miles down the road. I got to build the displays for one of the largest warehouses that they opened somewhere in Tenn. a few years back it was a 112 units that were 4'x 8' . The job took 9 units of 3/4 ply and almost a 100 gal of white paint. It took 3 semi trailers to haul it all.
 
Rob, they sell them all year round here in Southern NH. They sell everything except fire crackers and bottle rockets.

Glad you like our prices. NH has no sales tax and no income tax. The liquor stores are state run and the prices are very cheap. Beer can be bought at just about any store. Which irritates the heck out of me. Go into a CVS or Walgreens,
And the beer and wine is right next to the milk. I'd vote to bring back the blue laws.

I hope that you get a chance to go up North and see the Notches.

I've had the opportunity to visit all but a few States. Most are beautiful. I've also been given the opportunity to relocate to many different places but I won't leave NH. To me it is the best place in the world to live and bring up a family.

The only 3 places I almost moved to was Las Vegas. Hawaii and Sonora Arizona. I don't gamble much and I don't really know why but I really loved Vegas. Been there on Vacation and business over 20 times.

I've also spent quite a bit of time in Toronto. I sold all the tunnel fasteners to the Toronto Transit Commission about 12 or so years ago when they were expanding their lines. I was also offered a job from a company that made specialty waterproofing materials a couple of years ago, If I was not tired of traveling I would of taken it.

If I wasn't American I'd defiantly live in Canada. Beautiful country and great people :thumb: (but not too thrilled with Montreal though :D )

It's really interesting to hear folks talk about where they live and why they like it. There are some places that folks love that I wouldn't live in for any reason. I guess that's what makes us all different and all great.
 
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