Flares

[anoldhippie@60]

Hi, Was anybody near any of the flares that were lit over the Glasto Festival. I was under the impression that they could give you a nasty burn. Unless they were something different.

[miniand]

Well they are and designed to be hand held flares, I assume you mean the hand held type and not the firework type rocket/parachute flare. Although I don't suppose they are designed for use in crowds more of a boat thing really as long as they are used sensibly can't see a huge problem although if someone lit one directly behind me I would probably shuffle away from it.

[Im_in_a_tent]

one was lit by me at orbital didnt feel that hot tbh just like a giant sparkler

[mandypants]

I'm not keen on them in crowds. Considering they are below hip height for most of us, it's easy to walk into one and burn your legs, especially if you've had a few drinks and aren't too steady, or someone bumps into you. My friend was a bit worse for wear last year and I stopped her staggering into one when dancing a few times.

[It doesn't get any better]

one was lit by me at orbital didnt feel that hot tbh just like a giant sparkler

[mandypants]

Oh so you're not on about the wax flares then

[jameshunt]

Oh so you're not on about the wax flares then

[miniand]

Just had a look around because I have assumed that a fair percentage of the flares would be out of date flares that have been brought along rather than paying the approx £20 each for hand held flares. New flares on sale now seem to expire in 2013 so three years storage in good airtight conditions on a boat then they have to be replaced, I suppose the temptation for boat owners going to glasto might be to take their old flares with them..

Found this from a boaty type forum.

We set off an RORC set of flares which was out of date 2003. So for interest and fun we set about letting them off.

6 rocket made up of 3 Pains and 3 XM.

3 XM - 2 went up perfectly, 1 was plain dud.

3 x Pains - 1 worked, 1 went up but flare failed to ignite, and 1 WAS VERY DANGEROUS AND BLEW OUT OF THE BOTTOM - BURNT THE LAUNCHERS HAND QUITE BADLY AND IGNITED ON THE GROUND.

If this had been on a yacht or life raft, there would had been a disastrous fire.

8 Hand held flairs. 3 failed to light.

I have another set of flares on the boat, expiry 2007. I will certainly not be keeping them after the end of this year, and will replace at the start of the new season.

Link to forum http://www.ybw.com/forums/showthread.php?t=182921

And it is of course illegal to use distress flares in non emergency situations...

[miniand]

Oh so you're not on about the wax flares then

[miniand]

Oh just thought I'd mention that I think they look better and add more to the atmosphere than flags

[rabid]

If you wear flares it doesn't matter whether you wax or not.

[rubenz]

I like a good flare but was stood behind someone at Stevie Wonder who had one that failed to light properly . Cue a massive amount of black smoke which pretty much smoked out a good section of the field,

not a pleasnt experience

[Bernsville]

Those flares looked cool as f**k during Muse. So kudos to those who spunked away the cash for them. They enhanced my viewing experience.

[HurrahBrother]

If you wear flares it doesn't matter whether you wax or not.

[Spindles]

Those flares looked cool as f**k during Muse. So kudos to those who spunked away the cash for them. They enhanced my viewing experience.

[gooner1990]

Two points.

1. My mate took one when we (Arsenal) played Chelsea away last season...I was directly underneath it and could really feel the heat coming off it, loads of red and white stuff ended up in my hair. Cue 3 year ban for football from said mate and a night in the cells.

2. Some people let a couple off near me during Orbital, security looked very interested in what was going on, not sure whether from a safety point of view or with a look took chuck the said person out.

[Cooter]

Haha, typical British health and safety boring attitude "it all end in tears......blah blah blah".

I quite like the flares, bring em on! Especially the firing ones that light up the whole area from the sky. Lots more please.

[Felna]

Flares are a bad idea anywhere outside of the emergency situation - a friends uncle was killed by a flare fired from a boat by a reveller during Isle of Wight Cowes Week back in the 1980s. They are a dangerous piece of equipment and certainly not safe in large crowds.

[LostRiot]

I think they are awesome.

People let them off in crowds all over the world, particularly at football matches, I highly doubt they're actually dangerous.

[Felna]

I think they are awesome.

People let them off in crowds all over the world, particularly at football matches, I highly doubt they're actually dangerous.

Edited July 14, 2010 by Felna

[Savy]

Some numpty, pissed off his tits, waving/firing a high intensity flame fed by a pressurised fuel source burning at temperatures approaching 1000ºC within a large crowd - what could be dangerous about that?

[glasto'newbie']

+1

[mandypants]

And they say that Glastonbury has lost its edge

[glasto'newbie']

If you mean by 'edge', that people's lives and safety are deliberately put at risk then I'm glad it's lost it. I know there are some silly health and safety rules out there, but anything like these things, and sky lanterns, they can seriously harm someone, it takes seconds for a situation to change from 'safe' to extremely dangerous, as anyone who has ever been in a car accident will confirm. If you want to take risks, then take them, but don't do it where people are who haven't consented to take the same risk.

[Bernsville]

If you mean by 'edge', that people's lives and safety are deliberately put at risk then I'm glad it's lost it. I know there are some silly health and safety rules out there, but anything like these things, and sky lanterns, they can seriously harm someone, it takes seconds for a situation to change from 'safe' to extremely dangerous, as anyone who has ever been in a car accident will confirm. If you want to take risks, then take them, but don't do it where people are who haven't consented to take the same risk.