Irresponsible dumping of expired flares

FulmarJeddo

FulmarJeddo

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In the past week I have been aware of 2 parachute flares washing up on the North Kent coast. The first was found by my daughter whilst walking the dogs. It was a white parachute flare which expired in 5/98. I reported it to the coast guard who arranged for the Police to collect it and pass it to the army. Today I heard a whoosh and looked out to see a white flare floating over the beach. It had been found about a quarter of a mile from the previous one and set off by an Eastern European man walking along the beach.

Luckily it wasn't a child, or it may have been a different story.

They were the same type, so I guess being found so close they were probably dumped by the same idiot. It makes you wonder if people realise how dangerous a flare can be in the wrong hands.
 
FulmarJeddo said:
In the past week I have been aware of 2 parachute flares washing up on the North Kent coast. The first was found by my daughter whilst walking the dogs. It was a white parachute flare which expired in 5/98. I reported it to the coast guard who arranged for the Police to collect it and pass it to the army. Today I heard a whoosh and looked out to see a white flare floating over the beach. It had been found about a quarter of a mile from the previous one and set off by an Eastern European man walking along the beach.

Luckily it wasn't a child, or it may have been a different story.

They were the same type, so I guess being found so close they were probably dumped by the same idiot. It makes you wonder if people realise how dangerous a flare can be in the wrong hands.
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I think it is perhaps irresponsible of the authorities not to designate somewhere safe where they can be left. Last summer in Brittany I tried 10 different places before I found a fire brigade (the 4th) that would accept them for training purposes. I even went to the Marine Authority (Affaires Maritimes) to explain my difficulties. The very sympathetic person called headquarters who told him that they were working on a plan but the (one) person responsible was on vacation!

I resolved in future I would check depths on my charts....
 
To a certain extent I agree with Sybarite. We are told that expired flares are dangerous (even though they are probably not) but trying to dispose of them is a nightmare.
There needs to be more fiesta in England. People may be happier and there would be a lot more occasions when we could dispose of expired flares. No company should be able to sell them unless they take expired ones in part exchange.

Just as an aside. I have just noticed that Sybarites photo looks like one would be found on a wife swapping site. You both need to loose the shades:)
 
Most winters in Lagos, Portugal, the local police organise a flare testing and disposal exercise, a great opportunity to get some experience using them and disposing of them at the same time. A pity more authorities don't do such things.
 
john_morris_uk said:
That really begs the question, "How do you know what sort of photos appear on a wife swapping website?"
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Tried to swap mine for a donkey... all I got offered was a cat... There was no difference.. both have a mind of their own, won't listen to a think I say and want to plot my demise as soon as possible!
 
chanelyacht said:
Really?

No-ones saying they should do it for nothing - I just fail to see why it's the taxpayers problem.
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I'm not disagreeing with you, just being cynical...

I've a mate who runs a chandlery, and I think the first thing he'd say (and I'm only guessing/playing devils advocate) is "what will my insurance company thnk if I have explosives on site", the next thing will be "how on earth do I store them while they're waiting to be shipped somewhere", and the thing after that will be "what will the marina where I have my shop say about me storing explosives".... and then there's the issue of how the things will be transported..... if you were a Chandlery and were obliged to take them back, would you sell them??? :D

I'll get round the problem by not buying any in the first place, but for what it's worth I had exactly the same issue with getting rid of some old petrol.. can't dump the stuff anywhere legally ..
 
Fantasie 19 said:
I'm not disagreeing with you, just being cynical...

I've a mate who runs a chandlery, and I think the first thing he'd say (and I'm only guessing/playing devils advocate) is "what will my insurance company thnk if I have explosives on site", the next thing will be "how on earth do I store them while they're waiting to be shipped somewhere", and the thing after that will be "what will the marina where I have my shop say about me storing explosives".... and then there's the issue of how the things will be transported..... if you were a Chandlery and were obliged to take them back, would you sell them??? :D

I'll get round the problem by not buying any in the first place, but for what it's worth I had exactly the same issue with getting rid of some old petrol.. can't dump the stuff anywhere legally ..
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But if they sell them in the first place they have all them problems any way?
 
Flares do not get to be explosives when they expire.. if anything they become less of a hazard than those in date... That is not the point really. It should be the manufactures responsibility although I have no doubt who would pick up the added cost!
 
chanelyacht said:
Why is it not the manufacturers / purchasers responsibility?

Currys have to take a fridge back - the same should apply to chandlers.
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That's what the authorities told me. The chandlers told me no because they didn't have the appropriately certified stockage facilities.
 
Blue5 said:
I'm trying to think of a reason I might need a receipt for my time expired flares!!
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Its Portugal. You get a chitty with everything. Buy two rolls on the market...................you get a chitty / receipt. Its the way it is.

Reading previous posts it seems the Portuguese have put in place a simple process for the disposal of flares. Could that be because
they are not, unlike the Brits, paranoid about a tiny little wizz-bang ?
 
Once upon a time not so terribly long ago.
I used to mix up a old bucket of cement and stick the old expired flares in a dump 6 miles deep. It was the aproved methode.
Of course the Army and Navy used to dump thousands of old bombs over board.
The Americans keep thiers just incase they find some one to drop them on.

I supose one could just duct tape an old alarm clock to them before droping off at you local police station. I'm sure they would call somebody in to get ride of them.
 
I have disposed of old flares twice whilst in Greece. Both times I did so whilst moored in a proper marina (different marinas too). Both times the marina office told me to put them in the general rubbish skip.
 
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