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Hey, Liberty Mutual: Next time, use a barge
By adamg on Tue, 04/27/2010 - 8:14am
Or at the very least, use some of those millions the city and state are giving you to print up some fliers to alert neighbors you're about to blow up Boston Harbor. Fabulously Out There and her dogs recover from last night's unexpected artillery barrage over the harbor - set off from an Eastie pier:
... I don't like fireworks, because they are a waste of money in every which way possible, but the noise usually doesn't bother me, but this was no joke. I thought bombs were going off next to my house. Holy fucking shit. Little Dog was a shaking mess and the big one wasn’t to be found until I discovered her new panic room in the bathroom.
Next time, Liberty Mutual, do the barge in the harbor thing. Seriously. You probably don't care so much about all of the residents who live in immediate contact to the property the fireworks took off from, but a barge would have been a lot nicer.
Bonus: Liberty Mutual didn't really shoot them off to thank Boston for tax breaks, but to impress people attending a risk-management conference in Boston.
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Comments
I enjoyed it....
So everyone is all upset about a big company spending money and making some loud noise. Well I love fireworks, live in Eastie and just wanted to say thanks. Thanks to whomever is responsible for proving an unplanned oppertunity to stand outside in the drizzling rain, give my bf a hug and really enjoy the amazing veiws I have from my neighborhood. Thanks for making me smile on a Monday night.
P.S. Fireworks were fired off from a barge in the harbor surrounded by police boats, not from the pier project, which I agree needs to be dealt with.
Seriously...
No shit....came from a barge? I was out there since I live on Piers Park it totally looked like they were coming straight from the lot next to the barge. And the noise was insane too. Nothing like New Year's where they fireworks came of a barge in the harbor and I didn't feel like they were exploding in my living room. :)
I write about how great Eastie is all the time. And the great views. And the fantastic food and neighbors. Still think a company who is trying to get tax breaks from the city to expand their building while making shitloads of profit and then partying it up is gross. But I am also a left wing nut. :)
Seriously?
So now Liberty Mutual has to run its corporate events past City Hall or worse, cranky residents like you? Please. This isn't a bailout - the city decided that Liberty's continued presence in the city is a benefit to Boston and decided to give a tax break to encourage the company to further invest here. That doesn't mean every crank who toils away on UH now has a vote as to how Liberty runs its business.
I can't believe this place sometimes - you just made me defend an insurance company.
Boo hoo
As the seaport continues its slow tranformation into Douchetown, I'm sure we'll have more commenters like these missing the point and crying that the neighbors would allow the free hand of the market to huck explosives over the harbor whenever it feels the urge.
We're sorry criticism of Liberty Mutual's masturbatory machinations sounded like we were telling the company how to run its business. We were actually telling the company how to run its boisterous, city-encompassing leisure activities. All we're looking for is a little notice before LM decides to launch fireworks/shut down public property with a beer bash/hold a roofiepalooza for its young turks on the taxpayer's dime.
Anon, good nurse, anon.
Thanks
That is all I am saying. :)
Thanks @hegothis
The real question is why was
The real question is why was City Hall mum on it?
You need permits to launch fireworks, probably quite a few more to do so over the busy harbor. There's no way City Hall didn't know about this; but I hadn't heard a thing of it from them. Why? Being worried about doing it by the book and dealing with residents isn't an excuse.
Way to go Boston / Globe / Herald!
They were aware
They did know about it. It was a privately funded Fireworks show. You're just mad you weren't invited!
All the permits were in place & done 100% "By the Book!" The Tub boat workers & Police boats made a little money and the pyro's made some too. I'll bet they were all to happy to have another show to do to put a little cash in their pockets.
Now "had" all the Media outlets been told to tell everyone, the Logistics of crowd control would have swamped the budget of the Police Dept. Every one would be angry with the traffic & such too.
It was shot off a Barge in the middle of the Harbor more that ten times the required safety distance from any buildings.
Face it, it was a party that you weren't invited to & you're just whining about it.
Move to Allston
Right next to a party house, anon. One of those loud ones. Oh, and don't get a phone, so you can't call police when the parties that you aren't invited to get out of control and the noise keeps you awake all night nearly every night.
Or move in where there is a construction site that is blasting, and request that you not be told of when that blasting is going to occur.
See how long you last without complaining about "parties you weren't invited to" having a substantial impact on your life. This shit can give people flashbacks and heart attacks - there are a lot of vets around with PTSD you know - don't they deserve to know when there is going to be something resembling a shelling attack in their area so they can go visit a friend?
What a douche.
You didn't just pull out PTSD, did you?
Maybe not Godwins' law, but it's pretty damn close.
A solution
Maybe we should send you on a few rotations to Afg. or Iraq and bring you back to see what PTSD feels like. Let you get pushed into group therapy when you don't want people thinking you're weak or let you take fistfuls of SSRIs that contraindicate with your other medications make your condition hundreds of times worse. Let's stick you into a VA -- say, the VA in JP that was well within range of those explosions the other night -- and have some mutual fund manager set off explosives without warning just because he and his buddies feel they've "earned it" leaving you to deal with the trauma you suffered while defending the rights they flaunt. Let's allow you to hear those explosions and remember dark nights in humvees with bombs going off around you or day patrols in Ramallah where IEDs tore your buddies' limbs from their torsos.
Let's let you go through all that and then let you reconsider little, worthless comment about Godwin's Law. You should pray every night that you don't have to switch places with one of those guys on South Huntington, you entitled speck of nothing.
You're unhinged.
This conversation has drifted so far off base that it bears no resemblance to the original discussion. I thought this was an issue of lack of notice to the populace? Now it's a full frontal assault on fireworks in general or anything that makes a loud noise that might trigger some poor soul's PTSD?
In any event, further "discussion" seems counterproductive at this point. I'll get off your lawn now.
not the only one
Somebody below knows a vet who is so triggered and lives near the launch.
An anon citing Godwin? Oh yeah.
Yes, they used a Barge
Yes, they used a Barge & it was in the Center of the harbor off the Aquarium Pier. They used two tugs to hold the barge in place. There were two Police Boats to keep all the private craft away. There were NO private craft out there that night anyway.
agreed
People are making a mountain out of molehill over the fireworks. We have 'unscheduled' fireworks quite often in the City. You hear booms, you go outside, see fireworks, then either watch or go back inside. Happens all the time.
Or you hear booms and *don't* see fireworks
which has happened to me at least once, and to many other people. Last year I could not figure out why I was hearing loud booms in Teele Square on a summer weeknight. Only after I posted to LJ did I find out that the town of Belmont had shot off fireworks for an anniversary celebration. Sound often travels much further than the light display.
Loud booms
Yep - we heard them indoors and over the sound of our TV in Allston, and it did indeed sound as though the city was under bombardment.
Heard them too and wondered if it was thunder.
Sounded like quite a display.
Same experience in Arlington
I was peeking out of every room in the house trying to figure out where the fireworks last night. I think the conditions made the sound carry farther last night. It seemed almost as loud as when they fired off some fireworks in Somerville a few miles from my house.
"Unscheduled fireworks" all the time?
That's news to me. You don't mean Sheehan's Uncle setting off a few Bottle rockets from the yard, right? I don't live downtown, so I guess I can't really testify. But this really goes on a lot?
enjoyed fireworks
I was driving into Logan Airport to pick up a client and enjoyed the display. As I drove into the terminals I saw the most beutiful photo opp. The fireworks with the boston skyline was amazing!
Heard 'em in JP
Didn't see anything listed on local events calendars and started wondering if maybe it was a local mob boss. The Gottis were notorious for hosting spontaneous rooftop fireworks displays in Ozone Park. Real subtle.
Uh - they were set off from a
Uh - they were set off from a barge, not a pier. I was watching from my house on the waterfront, and I could see the barge quite clearly. They were loud, I agree - but they were kind of fantastic, too. A far more creative program than we usually get on the Fourth or First Night. Probably the best display we've seen in these parts in years.
The NIMBY brigade never lets facts get in the way of a good rant
We're now complaining about what sounds like a pretty cool fireworks show. People pay millions of dollars each year to travel to carnivals, theme parks and the like to watch fireworks - shame on Liberty for thinking that the folks in Eastie might not mind a good show.
I'm sorry, I didn't catch where you live
Let us know and we'll see about getting a permit (if nothing else, Liberty Mutual had to notify the Boston Fire Department, maybe even the Coast Guard) to blow up stuff outside your window. Oh, and it'll be a surprise. That's what bothered people - the not knowing and all of a sudden things start exploding. Really, Liberty Mutual couldn't splurge on a run to Kinko's for some fliers?
"A good show"
That's the funny thing about rich-kid parties: They think everyone else wants in on the show. I realize it's a long day of branding solutions for enterprises and chasing new paradigms, but can't you just enjoy the $40 a shell oysters and Macallan at Overpriced Raw Bar of choice with the rest of the besuited masses? It's responses like this that erase any doubt as to why the Seaport bar closed.
And the real issue surfaces.
Green suits you.
As in envy?
When explosions were disrupting mine and a bunch of other people's viewing at the Coolidge, it wasn't envy that people were voicing. The letters WTF come to mind. Having had the misfortune of living in New York during the bottle service era of the late 90's and early 2000's, I can tell you that crap like this used to happen all the time down in Battery Park. People who think the Brooklyn Naval Yard is such a fun place to live should try it when Morgan Stanley is using the Grucci Brothers to celebrate some exec's birthday. Nobody's envious of your party -- we're just routinely stunned by your lack of subtlety and class. You'd think the last year or so would've been a humbling.
Not necessarily NIMBY
I'm not really seeing that much NIMBY-ism, but a fair amount of "woulda been nice of they let us know." Which - yes.
I'll repeat: from indoors, several miles away, it sounded to us like downtown Boston was being bombed. I have a combat veteran friend with enough direct experience of real, true bombing raids to need calming during airplane flyovers such as we get on July 4, etc. They live within earshot of last night's festivities, and I'm sure they were unpleasantly surprised as well. And maybe some of us might have planned a trip downtown to actually WATCH the fireworks if we'd known - that would have been an unexpected treat. So there's any number of reasons why folks might just want advance warning - is that really so unreasonable?
Nope, unless you delusionally
Nope,
unless you delusionally classify everything as GOP or Librul!
How can you NOT take it
How can you NOT take it seriously!
It was so loud i thought the city was under attack from the russian navy, terrorists and the british!!!!!
/sarcasm. So many old grouchy people in this city.
Bro!
Shouldn't you totally have been watchin' the B's game, brah? Me, Shimmy and Turd Dog were gettin' shattered at Flannasullidy's cuz' TD made an F'N MINT on securities that afternoon. Totally missed it, bro.
That's a good one. Real
That's a good one. Real funny. You really caught the pure emotion and spirit of us youngsters.
You've already been made a fool in the very first post ranting about parties and public land, so just keep it coming.
Oh, he's going to keep digging.
This thread has that old people smell!
The only fool I see here
Is the one anoning himself right back to Verona -- or whatever suburb you lived in before Framingham State gave you a business degree and you scored a "sweet" overpriced econobox with a gym in the building right near all the amenities of Fan Pier. "Us youngsters." Please, the "youngsters" in Allston, Brighton and Cambridge would eat you alive. The "old" people you seem to have a problem with would call you a yuppie -- a dated 80s throwback who, for some reason, keeps cropping up with every boom market. To me, you're just a transient little neophyte who can't comprehend while "those people" would want to keep him and his corporate masters from having the party that all the people in their MBA program said they were entitled to.
You're really working yourself into a good lather.
Let's go kill some investment bankers.
Borrowed your Axe Body Wash
Why kill investment bankers when you can banish them to the Seaport area, Battery Park City, Jersey City's waterfront or Chicago's Lakeshore -- a bland, homogenous fate the majority of those cities' residents would consider worse than death.
I'm not defending Liberty Mutual, but...
At least it was in the middle of the evening and not after midnight.
On a weeknight.
Reminiscent of the Atlanta
Reminiscent of the Atlanta Braves in the mid 80s, IIRC - they promised fireworks after a 4th of July night game, the game started late due to a rain delay, then went 19 innings and ended sometime after four o'clock in the morning.
They shot off the fireworks anyway.
Roxbury representing
Heard 'em in Roxbury and a new neighbor sent out a concerned email this morning asking wtf. Please, in advance, no Roxbury artillery/gun "jokes" unless you're among the erudite few who know the details of the Siege of Boston and would like to joke about that.
Since we, as city taxpayers, have, in part, sponsored that particular corporation's big bang, LM shoulda sent a "hey, check it out from your porch" advisement. Fuckers.
Anyone else see the conflict of interest?
Insurance company setting off unannounced fireworks (supposedly for a risk management conference).
Hrm.
LOUD explosions last night
Sounds to me like one of the "risks" Liberty Mutual should "manage" is the actions of angry Eastie residents after they've had the bejesus scared out of them and their pets! From my apartment in Jeffries Point it sounded like Boston was under siege and I smelled burning, but I could not see any of the fireworks! I few well-placed signs around the neighborhood in days preceding would have gone a long way towards preventing some potential heart attacks.
Hey
Same here in Jeffries Point. At least I saw the cause of the fireworks. And hey, I get it. My pets are just pets and no one died and everything, but whether they were on a barge or not (clearly I might have been wrong with my impression that they were set off from land, looked like it to me, but I was on street level), holy mother of hellish noise....also: why not buy a few more bottles of champagner and call it a night for the 10K that that probably cost. felt like half of a Chinese Fireworks factory was going up in flames next to me. :)
You're kidding, right?
So for this barge in the harbor, they should have put up posters? So poster all of east boston, chelsea, charlestown, north end, downtown, south end, southie, and fort point? nice.
I'm from Chelsea and it was
I'm from Chelsea and it was about the same as when they set off the 4th of July fireworks, after about 20 seconds I figured out what it was ( I did honestly think for a second or so it was the gas tanks popping off.) I would not have expected a phone call or a flyer on my door step but it would have been nice to have had a chance to hear about it. That being said maybe this is not Liberty Mutuals fault maybe there needs to be a system in place to deal with these things as they come up. If I had known I would have walked up the hill and checked out the display but so would many other people I assume. By advertising it as an event would Liberty Mutual have been responsible for extra police/fire details to deal with crowds? I am actually a little surprised Boston does not have a procedure in place requiring some sort of outreach to the most local residents or at least in the local paper, a simple story/advisory in the local East Boston paper would have put the word out to enough people who would have told others etc.
Hey, I live in East Boston
Hey, I live in East Boston right in Jeffries Point. Right outside my window is a construction village - there's a sewer project that's been going on for months that was originally permitted for two weeks. I heard booms, I thought the whole thing had blown up.
Yes. A flier to those in the area would have been nice.
Brace yourself: More fireworks this Friday
This time over Tufts.
Via Davis Square LiveJournal.
That one has been announced
I live on the other rim of the valley and we have been notified that we could get some loudness.
That's all it takes - and all anybody is asking for here, folks.
I liked it - but it was thoroughly unresponsible!
From the North End deck it looked nice but my girlfriend had had a long day, it being Monday, and it gave her a headache. The noise echoing off of the downtown office towers was as load as the fireworks. I can't see the Charles River firworks from here because the JFK building blocks the view, so it's great to see them in the harbor.
The cheapskates didn't have a grand finale, but that probably would have been unbearable to the people trying to rest on a work night.
Isn't Liberty Mutual's new marketing angle that they are community oriented and responsible. How does that go along with an unannounced fireworks display in the post 9/11 era? On a work night. On a school night.
This after they challenged the assessments on their Boston properties while the city agonized over closing library branches.
I would say that they are jerks. They have no regard for others. They are using the word responsible prominently in their corporate speak but see how disconnected a marketing angle can be from the reality of the corporate culture.
It was neat to watch, though. Next time annouce it!!
Holy crap
East Bostoners are a bunch of whiny bitches.
Move to Newton if you want to have full say-so over what everyone else does in your backyard.
Not upset
I would have enjoyed a chance to see them. A little notice in the local news would have gone a long way to alert those who were surprised or annoyed, and would have provided a chance to share the spectacle with the rest of those who would like to watch them.
If Liberty Mutual is going to be a "good neighbor" can't we expect them to share?
The only message I take from this is that, of all the
companies in the city who may have needed a huge tax break in order to expand, "add jobs", etc., Liberty Mutual is probably the least needy. They've got money to burn, almost literally. It might have been more neighborly to sponsor some libraries than to treat us to an unsolicited pyrotechnic display.