Kate Hawkesby: Call me a Nana but Lime scooters and fireworks should be banned

COMMENT: Usually I'm not a fan of being told what to do.

Nor am I a fan of overbearing governing bodies dictating how we should live - but two things have irked me lately and I find myself agreeing with the authorities on them.

One is Lime scooters, the other is fireworks.
Weird, maybe I'm getting old.

But I find the way in which people use both these things so irresponsibly has me thinking we're better off without them. It may be that I'm a mother and a dog owner.

Lime scooters seem dangerous for kids - and although they're not supposed to be riding them if they're under 18, I can tell you in my area, the bulk of the people I see on them are schoolkids well under 18. So I'm not a fan of that given all the injuries and accidents.

Then there's fireworks. As a dog owner, all I see are nights (yes multiple nights) when it seems fireworks go off for at least a week in November - it's a terrifying time for animals.

Why would anyone want to scare animals with endless bangs and explosions?

And much like the scooters, that's before we even get to the number of injuries.

Yes there's the argument that stupid people will do stupid things no matter what the rules, and that we should be left to our own devices to make up our own minds - that we shouldn't be told what to do and nannied by authorities.

But here's the rub: too many people get it wrong. Too many make poor decisions, have accidents, get injured, ignore basic safety protocols, or take to either a scooter or a firework with alcohol on board. It's dumb.

Most of the public agrees. In fact I was surprised by how many.

Almost 90 per cent of the 8000 submissions received by the Auckland Council supported a ban on fireworks.

The naysayers (those who want to keep them) are of course the usual suspects - people who abuse fireworks and people who sell them.

One fireworks importer talked about the history of fireworks, the joy of watching them go off. That's all well and good but unfortunately most of the people attaching a small explosive device to a letterbox to watch it go bang for the laughs are not really thinking about the history of it.

And much like the Lime scooters, having to be 18 to use them, means nothing.

So take the scooters away, get rid of the fireworks, and I don't even care if you call me a Nana for saying so.