San Diego accidentally set off 20 minutes’ worth of fireworks simultaneously last night, with results that were probably a) more powerful than strictly safe for an urban area, b) really irritating/disappointing for people who expected a full fireworks show, and c) HOLY BALLS AMAZING.
The photo above was posted on Instagram by user benballer, so I don’t want to hear any more of your crap about how fireworks photos on Instagram are sooooooo boring. The one below, from a second later, was posted on Reddit, where there was also lively commentary about the event, including from several chronic grumpuses who said it wasn’t that great.
And here’s video. There were three firework-loaded barges, and all three set off their entire payload at once, possibly because a test signal got misinterpreted.
I can see why San Diego residents would be pissed about the misfire — going to a fireworks show is often a giant pain, especially in a city with minimal public transportation (although even then, I’ve had enough zombie shuffles back to the D.C. Metro station to shudder sympathetically when I think about trekking out and back for nothing). You want to get at least your 20 minutes out of the deal. But if you’re sitting comfortably in front of your computer, this display is super-crazy and way more interesting than the usual fireworks rigamarole — plus, don’t pretend you never wondered what would happen if they all went off at once.
