You'll put your eye out, Kid - but at least you won't be an idiot and lean over a lit mortar ... blowing your arm off."
Posted on 07/03/2010 5:52:37 PM PDT by ConservativeStatement
ISLIP TERRACE, New York (WABC) -- Police say a Suffolk County man is in the hospital after losing his arm while trying to light fireworks.
The incident happened in Islip Terrace on Long Island. Police say 36-year-old Eric Smith was leaning over to light a firework, but was unable to get out of the way in time when the mortar blew off his left arm.
Family members, who were there for a July 4th celebration, quickly grabbed the arm and put it in a cooler.
(Excerpt) Read more at abclocal.go.com ...
That sounds MUCH more fun
Fun stuff indeed!
Honestly though, I look back on some of the pyrotechnic experimentation I got away with as a youngster and how I managed to make it to adulthood with my eyesight, both my hands and all my fingers, I'll never know. Angel over my shoulder, I guess.
I've collected $10K worth of electric guitars and amplifiers that I like to play. At this point in my adult life, I think I'll leave the firework displays to the professionals because I'd sure miss playing 'em if I lost my arm.
Just my personal prerogative.
re: He should have listened to his Mother.
He did. Well, for the most part. He never ran with scissors.
Truth is, I feel very badly for him, but I support 100% his right to entertain himself with fireworks if that’s what floats his boat.
I hope it wasn’t his fireworks lighting arm
Maybe he watched Lionel on WPIX News last night, as he expounded on the joys of lighting an M80.
‘“He should have listened to his mother.”’
” I hope he had clean underwear...”
Before or after?
Don’t try this at home.
If I run out of the fireworks too soon, i have a bunch of 50 BMG tracers that would light up the sky nicely.
“Seems like this may be an alcohol related mishap”
So far NY is two “alcohol related mishaps” in two days. I hope the trend does not continue.
.
Add to that too the boy in Missouri who lost an eye and part of his face today. Leave it to professionals folks. If you or a family member haven’t been maimed up to now, don’t press your luck.
At least he didn’t shoot his eye out.
You'll put your eye out, Kid - but at least you won't be an idiot and lean over a lit mortar ... blowing your arm off."
Arm. Beer. Arm. Beer. Arm. Beer. Oh, which one to sacrifice to the heat? 
The professionals light their fireworks by remote control.
When I was a kid, I read a book called “Follow My Leader,” about a boy who was permanently blinded by a firecracker, and how he had to adjust to life as a sightless person. It made quite an impression on me.
Also, a neighbor kid blew off his hand and lost and eye when he was fooling around with a homemade bomb. He had to live with a fake hand and a glass eye the rest of his life.
Happy mortaring!
I’m visiting Long Island right now. The corner neighbor schmuck is blasting music sounds like Cinco de Mayo instead of July 4th. Multi-cultural diversity means more noise and less sleep from these loud revel maker imports. Who needs them anyway? -—oh, the Demorats do.
Malfunctions don’t work well with fireworks. We used to let off lots of fireworks when we were younger. Will probably do so again ince we are back out of town. Knowing it takes the sheriff atleast 20 mintues to arrive usually gives enough time to let them off and have the place cleaned up before they arrive. One year my hubby did try to blow my Dad up when a roman candle fell over.OOOPPPPPSSSS.
OPPPSSS ince=once
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.